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 Post subject: It's over for this year! Final reports on SB 345.
PostPosted: Fri Mar 14, 2008 9:43 pm 
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http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/a ... /803140451


March 14, 2008

Immigration bill appears dead
By Dan McFeely
dan.mcfeely@indystar.com
March 14, 2008

Indiana is unlikely to begin cracking down on businesses that knowingly hire illegal immigrants anytime soon.

Lawmakers apparently killed a proposal to do just that late Thursday night after a legislative conference committee could not agree on a final version of a bill that would have yanked the license of offending employers.

Business and manufacturing lobbyists were all smiles and handshakes afterward, but declined to comment until the session ends today.

Hispanic leaders were jubilant.

"My phone has been ringing off the hook," said Mary Jane Gonzalez, the president of the Indiana State Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. "Our community has been celebrating because our voice had an influence."

A late-night attempt by bill author Sen. Mike Delph, R-Carmel, to resurrect the legislation with another compromise failed when conference committee member Rep. Scott Pelath, D-Michigan City, refused to sign the deal.

"We put together a good bill and all they have to do is consent to it," said Pelath, referring to a House version of the legislation.
The immigration bill's apparent defeat came after months of debate. And it left Delph bitter.

"I'm a guest in the circus," said Delph. "It's corruption. And you can quote me on that."

Even after watching his bill collapse in the committee, Delph kept working behind closed doors to put together a proposal that would have restored most of his original bill without $1.5 million in funding he initially called for -- a sticking point for some other lawmakers.
But with the hours ticking down, Delph said key legislators killed his bill.

"I think this has been a well-orchestrated effort, bipartisanly from both leaderships, to try to kill the bill," said Delph. "Unfortunately, the will of the people is losing now and it's a shame."

The chairman of the conference committee did not see it that way.

"It is a big disappointment," said Sen. Tom Weatherwax, R-Logansport.

Weatherwax said his biggest questions centered on what he called constitutional issues of the state going beyond federal law. "I wanted a real strong bill," Weatherwax said. Thursday began with an optimistic note for supporters of illegal immigration reform.

House Speaker B. Patrick Bauer, D-South Bend finally appointed members to serve on the conference committee.

Sen. Dennis Kruse, R-Auburn, offered a new version of the proposal that gutted the proposed penalties on employers that knowingly hire illegal immigrants.

Asked why he had gutted Delph's proposal to revoke business licenses -- a measure that Kruse had voted for twice -- Kruse said he was listening to voices of many with concerns.

"I am not totally against it, but down here at the end, I think a lot of questions have been raised by a lot of people," said Kruse. "I just don't think that big of a penalty should be rushed into."

Delph had offered a compromise that included changes proposed by the House, including the use of administrative law judges, rather than prosecutors and county courts, to administer justice with a final veto given to the governor.

His compromise also added a "Good Samaritan clause" to a section making it illegal to conceal or harbor illegal immigrants, making that effective only for those doing so for a profit.

Gonzalez said central Indiana Hispanics learned a valuable lesson during the debate.

"We will be better prepared next time. These things are going to keep coming up year after year."


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Fri Mar 14, 2008 9:48 pm 
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Joined: Mon Apr 30, 2007 8:30 pm
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It will probably expire soon, but you can watch a good video interview of Sen. Delph at this link now:

http://www.wishtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=8019065

Immigration bill just barely holding on

Posted: March 14, 2008 02:58 PM PDT

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - A bill cracking down on illegal immigration in Indiana still has a pulse, but it's a weak one. The bill's sponsor hopes to revive the bill, but many in the Hispanic community hope that doesn't happen.

Senator Mike Delph wants Indiana businesses that knowingly employ illegal immigrants to pay a price. He introduced legislation earlier this year, that would have penalized such employers.

Sen. Delph said, "There's a real political social and economic cost that Hoosier taxpayers bear each and every day as a result of illegal immigration. We have a responsibility and a duty to know who's in our country and for what purpose and we need to stand up for Hoosier taxpayers those that pay the bill each and every day and that's what I'm trying to do."

Sen. Delph addressed his Senate colleagues Friday about the legislation for perhaps the last time this session.

"I've literally left everything on the playing field on this issue of illegal immigration," said Sen. Delph.

A spokesperson for Sen. Delph said late Friday afternoon it didn't appear the bill had much of a chance.

Many in Indiana's Hispanic community are relieved that it's the last day of the session and this bill still hasn't passed. They have been against it from the start.

"I have been at the capital house all the times that they were debating," said Veronica Guerroro a Hispanic business owner.

Guerrero owns a dress shop on West Washington Street. She said many Hispanic people she knows have been worried Sen. Delph's bill might pass.

"We are very happy and I think all the european immigrants too are very happy that this bill didn't pass," said Guerrero.

But, Sen. Delph said he hopes to bring the issue to the forefront again.
"The people of the state of Indiana want us to solve this problem, they want us to do it in a bipartisan way, they want Republican and Democrat alike to work together to stand up for Hoosier taxpayers to stand up for the rule of law and do what's right," said Sen. Delph.

Guerrero said she believes the federal government rather than state government should deal with this issue. Sen. Delph said he tried to pass this legislation at the state level because the federal government hasn't dealt with the issue.

By: Mary McDermott
WISH-TV


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