Businesses that knowingly hire undocumented workers would be tried in an administrative rather than a criminal court under one of several changes lawmakers approved to an immigration bill Monday

The change was among many backed by Democrats, who said they strengthened the bill. But some Republicans argued the legislation had become watered down, with Democrats making mandatory provisions optional.
Hispanic business leaders said the bill was the same in their eyes: a bad piece of legislation they still hope will die.
The measure's author, Sen. Mike Delph, R-Carmel, said he was uncertain what impact the amendments would have on his legislation and wanted time to study the changes.
What was certain Monday was the final vote in the House Public Policy Committee: a 7-4 tally to approve Senate Bill 335, a move that bolstered the legislation's chances of passing this session.
"We thought the bill was going to die (Monday), just from speaking with several representatives. Unfortunately, it didn't go that way," said Mary Jane Gonzalez, an opponent of SB 335 who is president of the Indiana State Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
"If anything, the bill is well on its way."
Gonzalez and other opponents to the legislation have argued it would unfairly target Hispanic workers.
The bill would punish businesses for knowingly hiring illegal immigrants. It would require employers to use a federal system to verify citizenship, and, as originally drafted, it would revoke the state license of a business found in violation of the law three times within a 10-year period.
In one of the changes made Monday, House Democrats reduced that time frame to five years.
Another change was the inclusion of $1.5 million -- $1 million for the State Police and $500,000 for the attorney general -- to fund enforcement of the legislation.
"The lack of the money was a problem, because we were setting a system up without any ability to carry it out," said Rep. Trent Van Haaften, D-Mount Vernon, chairman of the committee.
Delph said he did not object to that amendment.
Another major change made by the House committee placed the responsibility of prosecuting employers with the Department of Labor.
Previously, Delph's bill would have required the attorney general to send complaints to county prosecutors. Under a change proposed by Rep. Vern Tincher, D-Riley, the Department of Labor's administrative law judges would handle those cases.
"The administrative process is the best way to go instead of using 92 different prosecutors," said Tincher, the House sponsor of the bill.
Delph said he would not decide whether that move was appropriate until he studied it further.
SB 335 also previously included an exemption for seasonal workers who were employed less than 1,500 hours per year. Tincher also eliminated that loophole so that the bill would apply to all workers.
Overall, Democrats argued that they made the bill much stronger. But House Republicans on the committee pointed to a pair of changes they said weakened the bill.
As originally written, SB 335 would have required the Indiana State Police to enter an agreement with the federal government that would allow them to enforce federal immigration law. The committee approved a recommendation from Tincher so that entering such an agreement would be optional.
Republicans also didn't like a change allowing the governor to overrule an administrative judge's decision in the best interests of the state's economy.
"Not only do we acknowledge the feds dropped the ball, but now the legislature is going to hand the ball off to the governor or the superintendent of the State Police," said Rep. Jackie Walorski, R-Lakeville.
Van Haaften argued that the enforcement provision needed to be optional for the State Police because it's optional for the federal government.
Delph declined to assess whether Monday's changes improved or weakened his bill but did say he was encouraged it continued to move forward.
"They haven't taken the bill to the point where I think it has no teeth," Delph said. "I'm concerned about some of the (changes), but I know the legislative process will work its way back to my desk, and we'll take it from there."
SB 335 is expected to move to the House Ways and Means Committee next because the $1.5 million appropriation was added to the legislation. If approved there, it would move to the full House for a vote, which Tincher said he expects to happen.
If approved by the House, the bill would move to a conference committee where members of the House and Senate would work to resolve their differences on the legislation.
Gonzalez, one of the bill's sharpest critics, said she's still hopeful the bill won't make it that far.
"Overall, the amendments don't seem to lessen the fear, the concern that is being felt in our community," she said. "I was very disappointed that it didn't just die in the committee."

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