You are here: Home / Archives for Politics / Local

State & Local Bills: April 30

April 30, 2013 By Leave a Comment

State & Local Legislation from FAIR

See what state legislation we’re following this week.

 

California 

Assembly Bill 60, which removes the lawful presence requirement from California’s driver’s licenses statute, was voted out of the Assembly Transportation Committee (11-4) and referred to the Appropriations Committee on April 23.

Senate Bill 150, which grants in-state tuition rates to illegal alien high school students who attend community college before high school graduation and 1) attended school in California for one year or more; 2) is enrolled in a California High School; 3) is enrolled in a California Community College, and signs an affidavit stating has filed an application to legalize status or will do so when eligible, is set for a hearing on May 1 before the Higher Education Committee.

Colorado
House Bill 1258, which repeals the Colorado law that prohibits local sanctuary policies, was signed by the Gov. John Hickenlooper (D) on April 26.

Senate Bill 251, which repeals Colorado’s prohibition against issuing a driver’s license or ID card to a person who is not lawfully present in the U.S., passed the Senate on April 25 by a vote of 20-15 and has been introduced in the House and assigned to State, Veterans, & Military Affairs Committee.

To be licensed, the person must prove the payment of Colorado taxes for the previous year and provide, from the applicant’s country of origin, a valid passport, consular ID card, or military identification. A person may provide an individual taxpayer identification number instead of a social security number. The driver’s license or ID card will indicate that it is not valid for federal ID, voting, or public benefit purposes and is not considered a “secure and verifiable document” under Colorado law. The license or ID card is valid for three years. The law also prohibits peace officers from arresting an individual for merely possessing the identity document. Nearly $890,000 was appropriated under the act to implement it.

Florida
House Bill 235, which grants Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients driver’s licenses, passed both the House (115-2) and Senate (36-0).

House Bill 691, which criminalizes the unlawful possession of the personal identification information of another person without consent (i.e., SSN, driver’s license or ID card number, alien registration number, government passport number, employer or taxpayer ID number, Medicaid or food assistance account number, bank account number, credit or debit card number and medical records), unanimously passed the House (118-0) and unanimously passed the Senate with amendments (38-0).

Georgia
Governor Nathan Deal signed into law Senate Bill 160 that strengthens and closes several loopholes inGeorgia’s immigration-enforcement law passed in 2011 (see House Bill 87). SB 160 expands the definition of a “public benefit” for which illegal aliens are not entitled to include grants, the homestead exemption, public and assisted housing, retirement benefits, driver’s licenses and tax credits. The bill also redefines the term “secure and verifiable document” for identity purposes, including applying for a driver’s license, to exclude any foreign passport unless the passport is submitted with a valid United States Homeland Security Form I-94, I-94A, or I-94W, or other federal document specifying an alien’s lawful immigration status, or other proof of lawful presence in the United States under federal immigration law.

Mississippi
House Bill 673, which strengthens Mississippi’s human trafficking law was signed by the Gov. Phil Bryant (D) on April 25.

Missouri
House Bill 275, which requires all employers and public contractors to use E-Verify, passed the state House on April 23 and has been introduced in the state Senate.

Montana
House Bill 297, an E-Verify bill supported by FAIR, has been sent to Gov. Steve Bullock (D) for signature.

New York 
Assembly Bill 3787, which requires DHS notification when an illegal alien is convicted of a crime involving a dangerous weapon or firearm, will be heard on April 30 before the Assembly Codes Committee at 11 a.m.

North Carolina
House Bill 786, an immigration-related omnibus bill, will be heard on May 1 before the House Judiciary Subcommittee B at 10 a.m.

Oregon
Senate Bill 833, which grants driver’s licenses to illegal aliens, was passed by the Senate and is scheduled for third reading in the House on April 29.

To be eligible, the illegal aliens must present proof of: 1) at minimum 1 year residency in Oregon, and 2) identity and date of birth by submitting a foreign passport or consular ID card or other “valid documentation.” The so-called “driver card” would be valid for 4 years and is not valid for ID purposes.

Texas
House Bill 793, which adds assisting, guiding, or directing three or more persons to enter or remain on agricultural land without the consent of the owner to the crime of unlawful transport, will be heard on May 1before the Senate Transportation Committee at 8 a.m.

 

Filed Under: Local, States Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Indiana AG Refuses to Defend Law Combating Illegal Immigration

April 26, 2013 By 3 Comments

IndianaIn 2011, Indiana passed SEA 590, which strengthened Indiana’s efforts to combat illegal immigration. The ACLU is now suing the State of Indiana over several parts of the bill, and an an Indiana District Federal Court ruled that two provisions of the bill are unconstitutional last month!

These two provisions concern the use of the Mexican Consulate Matricula ID card and the ability of law enforcement officers to arrest and detain criminal illegal aliens.

The time is running out to file an appeal, but Indiana State Attorney General, Greg Zoeller recently said he would no longer defend the Indiana law on behalf of the state. If he doesn’t act by Monday, April 29, the ACLU will win this lawsuit by default.

As the Attorney General of Indiana, Zoeller has a duty and responsibility to defend and protect the interests of Hoosiers. The Indianapolis Star reports that he recently joined with pro-amnesty supporters in urging the U.S. Congress to pass immigration reform. AG Zoeller needs to hear that he should put Indiana ahead of personal opinions!

If you live in Indiana, he needs to hear from you now! It is time for him to do his job and defend the State of Indiana from the ACLU’s efforts to put the interests of illegal aliens ahead of yours!

Time is short and pressure via calls and emails must be done today to let him know that the concerned, voting, citizens of Indiana demand that he fulfill his duties. Tell him to file an appeal of the District Court’s ruling by the deadline on Monday!

Indiana Attorney General’s Office
Phone: 317-232-6201
E-mail: [email protected]

Filed Under: Local, Politics, States Tagged With: , , ,

MarcoPhones? Facebook Carve-outs? What else is in Gang of 8 Bill?

April 17, 2013 By 8 Comments

Drafted in secret and repeatedly delayed, the Gang of Eight bill was released early this morning.  FAIR’s Government Relations team is currently going through the bill in detail, but they created a helpful 1-page summary of what the bill contains.

While the Gang of Eight ignored the American people in drafting this bill, FAIR believes this process should be open and allow enough time to evaluate this 844-page bill. Help us review the bill and make notes for any particular passage or section you want to highlight. From there, please visit our Facebook page, and tell us your thoughts.

The bill was only introduced hours ago, and consider what we know is already in it:

In addition to the summary, compare S. 744 to  previous amnesty legislation and analyze it for the 7 Principles of True Immigration Reform.

S. 744: Gang of Eight Immigration Legislation by Federation for American Immigration Reform

Filed Under: Amnesty 2013, FAIR Alerts, Local, National, Politics Tagged With: , ,

Attend Your Congressional Members’ Town Hall Meeting

March 21, 2013 By 10 Comments

Lindsey Graham quoteWe need your help. Our sources on Capitol Hill tell us that an amnesty bill is coming out next month!

Why next month? Tomorrow, Congress leaves for its two-week Easter holiday recess (March 25 to April 8), during which time many legislators will be hosting “town hall” meetings throughout their states and districts to address the questions and concerns of their constituents.

Help us use this opportunity to tell them NO Amnesty! Click here to find your U.S. Senators and House Representative.

Attending a town hall meeting is the perfect opportunity to voice your concerns on immigration by telling your Member of Congress that you want immigration enforcement, not another amnesty.

We know that members of the Gang of Eight are purposely waiting until after the Easter Recess to release a bill. Earlier this month, the Associated Press reported:

[Senator Lindsey] Graham said it wasn’t a good idea to release the bill before a two-week recess.  ”You don’t want to leave it hanging out for two weeks to get shot up,” he said. The legislation is certain to be controversial and may spark passionate opposition from lawmakers’ constituents…

Fearing the backlash they will receive at these meetings for supporting an amnesty, the Senate and House immigration working groups have indicated they are waiting until after they return from this break to introduce legislation.  Make sure you do not let them get away with such evasive tactics and hold them accountable while they are home!

The pro-amnesty lobby is already mobilizing its supporters to attend these town halls! Ensure their voices are not the only ones heard – click here to locate your Members of Congress to find out whether they are hosting a town hall near you.

Be sure to bring as many FAIR friends as possible to attend and tell your Members that you want true immigration reform, not another amnesty!

Tell them:

  • Granting amnesty to the nation’s 11-12 million illegal aliens and importing more labor through guest worker programs hurts the 22 million Americans who are unemployed and looking for full time work.
  • Granting amnesty to illegal aliens rewards law-breaking and is unfair to those coming to the U.S. the legal way.
  • Granting amnesty will cost taxpayers trillions of dollars, especially following the implementation of ObamaCare.
  • Granting amnesty is not a solution to our nation’s immigration problems. Instead, our borders must be secured and our immigration laws enforced.

Find your Members of Congress here.

 

Filed Under: FAIR Alerts, Local, National, Politics, Society, States Tagged With: , , ,

Alabama Appeals Part of Immigration Law to Supreme Court

January 17, 2013 By 7 Comments

Report: Unlicensed Drivers 3x More Likely to Cause Fatal Crash in CA

“A recently released Department of Motor Vehicles report is adding fuel to the debate over whether illegal immigrants should be eligible for drivers’ licenses. Unlicensed drivers in California — the vast majority of whom are illegal immigrants — are nearly three times as likely to cause a fatal crash as licensed drivers, according to the study,” the LA Times reports.

“One study shouldn’t trump the obvious — if you don’t want illegal aliens in the country, why do you want to encourage them to be on the roads?” said Bob Dane, spokesman for the Washington-based Federation for American Immigration Reform. “It just defies common sense.”

If You Believe Politifact, You’ll Believe Obama

“In what sense has Obama presided over ‘four years of downgrading immigration law enforcement’? It’s Obama’s record-breaking deportations that make me think restrictionists have nothing to gain from ‘comprehensive immigration reform.’ The ‘amnesty for tougher enforcement’ compromise doesn’t make sense if you’re someone for whom tougher enforcement is the draw. Personally, I think you’d substantially decrease both human misery and the pathologies associated with ‘living in the shadows’ if a ‘path to citizenship’ were passed,” says Conor Fridersdorf at The Atlantic.

Alabama Appeals Part of Immigration Law to Supreme Court

“The attorney general’s office has appealed a ruling on the state’s controversial immigration law to the U.S. Supreme Court, arguing an appeals court erred in striking down a law banning the concealment or harboring of undocumented aliens. The petition for a writ of certiorari was filed Tuesday. The attorney general’s office declined to comment on the appeal Wednesday,” The Montgomery Advertiser reports.

Norquist: America Can’t Drive 55 on Immigration

“Anti-tax warrior Grover Norquist railed against politicians and pundits Wednesday who stick with an exclusionary anti-immigration view, comparing them to ‘stupid’ people who would have never abandoned the flawed 55 mph speed limit. He told state legislators and members of a pro-immigration business coalition in Topeka the prevailing national posture on the topic of undocumented workers was as poorly conceived as the widely disregarded highway limit imposed in the 1970s,” The Capitol Journal says.

“‘We have a 55 mile per hour speed limit on immigration,’ said Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform. ‘First, we have to arrest them and fine everybody who has been illegally driving in this country over the years. Then, and only then, will we have a conversation about changing the stupid speed limits.’”

Ill. Sheriff Plants Foot in Mouth on License Bill

“An Illinois sheriff compared U.S. immigration policy to Nazi Germany recently. He made his comment while being questioned about his support for a bill to give driver’s licenses to 250,000 illegal immigrants in Illinois. Sheriff Mark Curran agreed to debate the controversial legislation at a public meeting on his home turf in Lake County, Illinois. At least, it was supposed to be a debate but then he decided that he didn’t want to debate the issue after all,” the Washington Times reports.

Filed Under: Local, National, Politics

Illinois Issues Driver’s Licenses to Illegal Aliens

January 16, 2013 By 8 Comments

On January 8, the Illinois House approved  bill (SB 957) that would allow as many as 250,000 illegal aliens to receive an Illinois driver’s license. (ABC News, Jan. 8, 2013). In testimony before the House on January 7, the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police urged the House to vote against SB 957 because it lacks “basic public safety and homeland security safeguards,” thus jeopardizing the safety of all Illinois citizens. (PR Newswire, Jan. 10, 2013). Despite these warnings, the bill easily passed the House with bipartisan support by a vote of 65-46. It had previously passed the Senate on December 4, 2012 by a vote of 41-14. (Huffington Post, Jan. 8, 2013).

SB 957 expands the Illinois temporary visitor driver’s license currently used by legal aliens to cover illegal aliens. In order to obtain a so-called “temporary” driver’s license under the bill, an alien need only have lived in Illinois for a year and may establish his or her identity using a consular ID or foreign passport. (See FAIR Legislative Update, Dec. 3, 2012).

Now that SB 957 has passed the General Assembly, the bill must be sent to the Governor within 30 days. From that date, Governor Quinn (D) will have 60 days to sign or veto the bill. In a statement issued following the passage of SB 957, the Governor declared his intention to sign the bill. (Governor Quinn Press Release, Jan. 8, 2013). Governor Quinn rationalized that the bill is good for Illinois because Illinois residents will save money on insurance premiums as illegal aliens will now have to maintain liability insurance as other licensed drivers. (Id.).

Opponents argue, however, granting driver’s licenses to illegal aliens in no way guarantees that they will purchase insurance. (See FAIR Press Release, Dec. 7, 2012). “There is no evidence to suggest that people who are already inclined to disobey laws they find inconvenient and who, in many cases have few assets to protect, are going to purchase insurance just because they have licenses,” said FAIR President Dan Stein. (Id.). To back up his claim, Stein points to New Mexico who grants driver’s licenses to illegal aliens and is home to the nation’s second highest percentage of uninsured drivers despite having a mandatory liability insurance law. (Id.; see also Insurance Research Council, Apr. 21, 2011).

If Governor Quinn signs the bill, Illinois will be one of four states that provide driving privileges to illegal aliens. New Mexico and Washington State currently provide driver’s licenses to illegal aliens, while Utah provides a driver’s privilege card. Bills have been introduced recently in both California (AB 60) and Connecticut (SB 68) that would extend driving privileges to illegal aliens, while a bill has been introduced in Washington State (SB 5012) that would limit driver’s licenses to only those who can prove their lawful presence in the United States.

Filed Under: Border, Crime, Law, Local, Politics, Population, Society
« Older Posts