Thread: IN: Immigration bill amended advances, too soft for GOP

GENERAL ASSEMBLY
Immigration bill amended, advances; too soft for GOP
By Niki Kelly
The Journal Gazette


INDIANAPOLIS – The House Public Policy Committee voted 7-4 Monday to pass what several Republicans called a "watered-down" bill on illegal immigration.


The vote came after the panel accepted a key amendment to Senate Bill 335.


The first major provision of the bill would allow the Indiana State Police superintendent to negotiate an agreement with the federal government to participate in a pilot program training state and local police to enforce federal immigration and customs laws.


Previously, the bill required the executive branch to do so instead of giving it discretion – which is why several GOP members said the amendment weakened the legislation by simply passing on the responsibility to the executive branch.


"One thing that concerns me about this amendment is whether we are softening the message," said Rep. Eric Turner, R-Gas City.


Rep. Trent Van Haaften, D-Mount Vernon, chairman of the committee, said he trusted the governor and the attorney general to do their jobs.


But Rep. Jackie Walorski, R-Lakeville, noted she trusted Congress and the president to handle the immigration issue in the first place, which they failed to do.


"Your amendment kills the immigration bill," she said.


The rest of the legislation largely provides a process to punish employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants.


Starting July 1, 2009, it would allow the state attorney general to investigate complaints that businesses are using undocumented workers.


The case would then go before an administrative law judge in the Department of Labor.


An initial violation could result in the employee being fired and the employer being placed on probation for three years.


If within five years – this was previously 10 years before Monday's amendment – the employer is found to have violated the law again, the administrative law judge could suspend the employer's business license for 10 days.


And a third violation within five years could result in permanent revocation of the business license.


The amendment also allows an employer – after exhausting all administrative and judicial remedies – to petition the governor to terminate or reduce the revocation order.


Members on the panel noted that the amendment opened the bill up to cover all employees – not just ones who worked 1,500 hours in a 12-month period.


One legislator who voted against the bill – Rep. Earl Harris, D-East Chicago – is concerned about the pilot employment verification system the bill requires all employers to use on their employees.


Testimony before the panel included that on the E-Verify system run by the U.S.


Department of Homeland Security which has an error rate between 10 percent and 60 percent.
Under the bill, simply using the free E-Verify system is an automatic protection against penalties for hiring illegal immigrants, even if the program is found later to be wrong.


Rep. Matt Bell, R-Avilla, voted against the bill, saying he doesn't consider it a comprehensive approach to the problem. And he said it is "dangerous" to set up different enforcement levels of immigration law in different states.


The bill next goes to the House Ways and Means Committee because the Public Policy panel added a $1.5 million appropriation for the attorney general and the Indiana State Police to cover expenses related to carrying out the duties in the bill.
nkelly@jg.net


Copyright © 2008 The Journal Gazette. All rights reserved.


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Richard can you post a link?

16 months before they start to enforce this bill Wouldn't want to rush into anything and scare someone off!!


>>>>>>>>>>>"RED ALERT"<<<<<<<<<<<<
Utah HB 81...Need calls now!!
http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-104592.html
Utah "HB239" and Indiana" SB335".... Call, e-mail campaign!!
http://www.alipac.us/ftopic-103479-days ... asc-0.html