Thread: Opponents say Ky. immigration bill goes further than Arizona

Opponents say Ky. immigration bill goes further than Arizona law

By Beth Musgrave at 7:17pm on Jan 4, 2011 — bmusgrave@herald-leader.com

FRANKFORT — Opponents of an immigration bill filed Tuesday by Senate Republicans say it goes even further than a controversial Arizona law that has been challenged in federal court by President Barack Obama's administration.

Senate Bill 6 was one of several filed Tuesday that is backed by GOP leaders, who have said they hope to pass the measure by the end of this week. Other bills filed Tuesday include a proposal to create a panel that would recommend changes to the state's tax system and bills to tweak state pensions and election laws.

Those who oppose the immigration bill — which would allow police to ask if a person was in the country legally — began to rally against Senate Bill 6 on Tuesday, saying it appears to be more onerous than Arizona's immigration law. A judge has issued an injunction halting parts of the Arizona law, including the portion that allows police to stop people and verify their immigration documents.

Senate President David Williams, R-Burkesville, said Tuesday he would be open to hearing from anyone who has concerns about the bill.

Rev. Pat Delahanty, executive director of the Catholic Conference of Kentucky, said the Kentucky measure includes a provision that would allow law enforcement to arrest an illegal immigrant for trespassing. The punishment for trespassing could range from a Class A misdemeanor to a Class C or Class D felony.

"That was originally in the Arizona law but it was taken out," Delahanty said of the trespassing measure. "It's not a deportable offense."

The bill, filed by Sen. John Schickel, R-Union, also creates criminal charges for smuggling illegal immigrants and "aiding and abetting" illegal immigrants.

The Catholic Conference of Kentucky, Kentucky Council of Churches, the American Civil Liberties Union and the Kentucky Equal Justice Center were either in the process or had already sent letters to state legislators opposing the bill.

The Catholic Conference of Kentucky, in its letters to senators, voiced concerns that if such a measure was passed, it could cause more harm than good.

"For example, seasoned law enforcement officials report that once they are forced to take on immigration enforcement, they believe immigrants, with whom they have established a degree of trust, will be afraid to report crime to them or help solve it," Delahanty said.

It's impossible to say how many illegal immigrants are in Kentucky, although several studies have placed the number between 26,000 and 45,000. However, studies show that Kentucky has one of the smallest illegal immigrant populations. For example, California is estimated to have 2.7 million illegal immigrants compared to 45,000 in Kentucky, according to a 2008 Pew Hispanic Center study.

County officials have also expressed concern about whether the bill would add to the county jail and state prison population at a time when the state is looking to reduce prison and jail costs. But many county officials said this week that they had not yet seen the bill and could not comment on it.

Michael Bischoff, the executive director of the Kentucky Association of Chiefs of Police, said the police chiefs have not seen the bill and will not meet until later this month to discuss their legislative agenda.

Bischoff said he believes that it may be difficult to get the state's police chiefs to agree on the issue. In Arizona, many law enforcement opposed the measure while others support it.

"It is not something that everyone is going to be for or against," Bischoff said. "There are certain areas of the state that have this issue. In their opinion, something more needs to be done to address this issue. There are others that believe that this is a federal issue and in these economic times they do not have the resources to address this issue."

House Speaker Greg Stumbo, D-Prestonsburg, said early Tuesday that he could not comment on the fate of the Republican bills because he had not seen them. But Stumbo said the Democratic House generally does not take up the Senate's bills until the Senate passes House bills.

Three Senate committees are expected to take up some of the GOP proposals on Wednesday. Williams said the Senate is likely to vote on them Thursday and Friday.

Read more: http://www.kentucky.com/2011/01/04/1587 ... .html#more#ixzz1A7To6hi8

Of course the Catholic Church is against this,but I am seeing general support for this law growing. People here are fed up,as they are everywhere. We need jobs and we know who have the jobs. People here who have harvested tobacco,roofed,framed,laid brick,cared for race horses etc have been replaced with illegal immigrants.

Go Kentucky!

Send them packing!

Originally Posted by strugglingcitizen

Opponents say Ky. immigration bill goes further than Arizona law

By Beth Musgrave at 7:17pm on Jan 4, 2011 — bmusgrave@herald-leader.com

FRANKFORT — Opponents of an immigration bill filed Tuesday by Senate Republicans say it goes even further than a controversial Arizona law that has been challenged in federal court by President Barack Obama's administration.

Senate Bill 6 was one of several filed Tuesday that is backed by GOP leaders, who have said they hope to pass the measure by the end of this week. Other bills filed Tuesday include a proposal to create a panel that would recommend changes to the state's tax system and bills to tweak state pensions and election laws.

Those who oppose the immigration bill — which would allow police to ask if a person was in the country legally — began to rally against Senate Bill 6 on Tuesday, saying it appears to be more onerous than Arizona's immigration law. A judge has issued an injunction halting parts of the Arizona law, including the portion that allows police to stop people and verify their immigration documents.

Senate President David Williams, R-Burkesville, said Tuesday he would be open to hearing from anyone who has concerns about the bill.

Rev. Pat Delahanty, executive director of the Catholic Conference of Kentucky, said the Kentucky measure includes a provision that would allow law enforcement to arrest an illegal immigrant for trespassing. The punishment for trespassing could range from a Class A misdemeanor to a Class C or Class D felony.

"That was originally in the Arizona law but it was taken out," Delahanty said of the trespassing measure. "It's not a deportable offense."

The bill, filed by Sen. John Schickel, R-Union, also creates criminal charges for smuggling illegal immigrants and "aiding and abetting" illegal immigrants.

The Catholic Conference of Kentucky, Kentucky Council of Churches, the American Civil Liberties Union and the Kentucky Equal Justice Center were either in the process or had already sent letters to state legislators opposing the bill.

The Catholic Conference of Kentucky, in its letters to senators, voiced concerns that if such a measure was passed, it could cause more harm than good.

"For example, seasoned law enforcement officials report that once they are forced to take on immigration enforcement, they believe immigrants, with whom they have established a degree of trust, will be afraid to report crime to them or help solve it," Delahanty said.

It's impossible to say how many illegal immigrants are in Kentucky, although several studies have placed the number between 26,000 and 45,000. However, studies show that Kentucky has one of the smallest illegal immigrant populations. For example, California is estimated to have 2.7 million illegal immigrants compared to 45,000 in Kentucky, according to a 2008 Pew Hispanic Center study.

County officials have also expressed concern about whether the bill would add to the county jail and state prison population at a time when the state is looking to reduce prison and jail costs. But many county officials said this week that they had not yet seen the bill and could not comment on it.

Michael Bischoff, the executive director of the Kentucky Association of Chiefs of Police, said the police chiefs have not seen the bill and will not meet until later this month to discuss their legislative agenda.

Bischoff said he believes that it may be difficult to get the state's police chiefs to agree on the issue. In Arizona, many law enforcement opposed the measure while others support it.

"It is not something that everyone is going to be for or against," Bischoff said. "There are certain areas of the state that have this issue. In their opinion, something more needs to be done to address this issue. There are others that believe that this is a federal issue and in these economic times they do not have the resources to address this issue."

House Speaker Greg Stumbo, D-Prestonsburg, said early Tuesday that he could not comment on the fate of the Republican bills because he had not seen them. But Stumbo said the Democratic House generally does not take up the Senate's bills until the Senate passes House bills.

Three Senate committees are expected to take up some of the GOP proposals on Wednesday. Williams said the Senate is likely to vote on them Thursday and Friday.

Read more: http://www.kentucky.com/2011/01/04/1587 ... .html#more#ixzz1A7To6hi8

Of course the Catholic Church is against this,but I am seeing general support for this law growing. People here are fed up,as they are everywhere. We need jobs and we know who have the jobs. People here who have harvested tobacco,roofed,framed,laid brick,cared for race horses etc have been replaced with illegal immigrants.

way to go Kentucky
ship them back home
No Amnesty

No wonder the Catholic Church wants to shoot down this bill. Latinos are mostly catholic and by removing illgegals from the ky parishes it will cut future and present weekly donations. The church needs to realize illegal is just that and that they are supporting illegal activities. If states keep passing bills on immigration and start to arrest illegals, eventually the Feds are going to support the action. While Ky has a small number of illegals, its a good place to start in rooting them out, also logistically is a good place to try out ways to deport in mass large numbers of illegals. ACLU and all the other bleeding heart groups need to step aside and let the Police and ICE do their jobs. Maybe a good stimulis package would be a bounty system where if a person turns in an illegal and that illegal is deported, that person gets a tax credit. Also hire unemployeed truckers to truck deportees to the border. Just an idea but heck it would be a better one than Obama has come up with.

"It is not something that everyone is going to be for or against," Bischoff said. "There are certain areas of the state that have this issue. In their opinion, something more needs to be done to address this issue. There are others that believe that this is a federal issue and in these economic times they do not have the resources to address this issue."

But somehow they have the resources to continue paying out millions in social services to illegal aliens via their jackpot babies? I say take those resources and use it to arrest, process and deport illegal aliens. Arrest and punish those who profit from them also. Start taking assets from people who hire, aid or abet illegal aliens and you'll see resources magically appear.

Originally Posted by miguelina

"It is not something that everyone is going to be for or against," Bischoff said. "There are certain areas of the state that have this issue. In their opinion, something more needs to be done to address this issue. There are others that believe that this is a federal issue and in these economic times they do not have the resources to address this issue."

But somehow they have the resources to continue paying out millions in social services to illegal aliens via their jackpot babies? I say take those resources and use it to arrest, process and deport illegal aliens. Arrest and punish those who profit from them also. Start taking assets from people who hire, aid or abet illegal aliens and you'll see resources magically appear.

you are 100 % right

As I posted in other areas. One good stimulus package would be a bounty system where you can get a tax break or credit for each illegal you turn in to ICE and who is deported. Also hire unemployeed truckers to help transport deportees in mass to the border. This puts money in the hands of the real AMERICAN taxpayers and also hires some of the unemployeed. It beats the heckout of the census jobs we got from OBAMA. Just an idea but I have not heard of anything better being proposed.

Do citizens really care that much if illegals are afraid to report crimes to police? They just let the criminals use and abuse them and won't stand up, I really couldn't care less then. If they are more concerned about being deported then having their children rapes or murdered by another illegal, ohh well... we'll listen to them when they come to their senses. Just amazes me though the idea that some illegal woman or her daughter could be raped but they won't want to talk to police for fear the illegal rapist would be deported.

Syanis wrote,

Do citizens really care that much if illegals are afraid to report crimes to police?

The logic does seem a bit flawed.

Originally Posted by BillCunnane

No wonder the Catholic Church wants to shoot down this bill. Latinos are mostly catholic and by removing illgegals from the ky parishes it will cut future and present weekly donations. The church needs to realize illegal is just that and that they are supporting illegal activities. If states keep passing bills on immigration and start to arrest illegals, eventually the Feds are going to support the action. While Ky has a small number of illegals, its a good place to start in rooting them out, also logistically is a good place to try out ways to deport in mass large numbers of illegals. ACLU and all the other bleeding heart groups need to step aside and let the Police and ICE do their jobs. Maybe a good stimulis package would be a bounty system where if a person turns in an illegal and that illegal is deported, that person gets a tax credit. Also hire unemployeed truckers to truck deportees to the border. Just an idea but heck it would be a better one than Obama has come up with.

Illegals take from churches waaaaaaaaay more than they donate. I was looking at the church of christ's website out here, at pictures of them giving out thanksgiving baskets during the holidays. Guess who 99.99% of the recipients were!