But what happens if a police chief has a rogue officer who decides to hassle every dark-skinned person in his patrol area by asking for their papers? Under the proposal Perry supports, the chief, short of firing the officer, wouldn't be able to rein in the bad cop
Update 3:10pm: Live streaming of House Floor debate now on, health care legislation, requires basic RealPlayer.
Fort Worth Star-Telegram: Perry adds immigration legislation to special session By Chris Tomlinson/AP – Gov. Rick Perry added immigration legislation to the Legislature's special session Tuesday, including a measure that would require local law enforcement agencies to make immigration violations a high priority.
By Scott Stroud | San Antonio Express-Newsjstroud@express-news.net
Published 12:14 a.m., Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Read the complete story
Gov. Rick Perry passed on a chance to strike a blow for moderation on Tuesday when he added “sanctuary cities” and other immigration measures to the special session agenda.
He also gave send-them-back lawmakers another chance to make 2011 a terrible year for public policy on immigration, not to mention Republican sensitivity to the Latino citizens of Texas.
Given the political dynamics at work here, I guess it's no surprise that exploitation of a red-meat political issue won the day. Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst was among those who'd been urging the governor to add immigration to the agenda. Coincidentally, he'll be running for another major office soon.
Perry's decision is one more hint that he might be, too.
The problem is, other bills floating around the House and Senate go way beyond the governor's request. Rep. Debbie Riddle, R-Tomball, has thrown in three bad ones all by herself.
Riddle, who learned during the regular session that camping out to file bills early isn't the key to getting them passed, now wants to make being in the U.S. illegally a state trespassing offense; make it a felony to knowingly hire a person who doesn't have permission to work in the United States; and require state agencies to report to the Legislature on how much state money is spent on illegal immigrants, including by local governments.
5 comments:
Good for Gov. Perry! At least someone is standing up for enforcing our laws protecting our borders from invasion. Nobody in Washington seems to have the stones for it. The bleeding hearts, mostly Democrats out there will have to get used to the fact that we are a Nation of laws not opinion or special interests.
You can bet the usual leftists will find a liberal judge somewhere and mount a court battle to overturn any such law passed and signed. That will be more anarchy in motion when a single liberal judge or panel of judges can overrule the will if the people.
You are aware that the Arizona law was struck down in a law suit filed by a policeman.
Are you aware that not all policemen are reputable and some are down right dishonest and that one may be married to an illegal alien or even be one?
What was your point, if any?
Deportations of illegals and deportations of illegal criminals are at the highest level ever under the Obama Administration. Give him due credit. So is the level of policing and border patrol along the border. These state immigration bills are pure political showboating.
Tougher sanctions against businesses that knowingly hire illegals makes the best sense. Wouldn't have the problem with illegals if they aren't hired.
But then what businesses get put on the raid list, fined or arrested becomes highly politicized and throws a big wrench into the machinery.
Maybe going down the list alphabetically in a given county like Hays, starting with restaurants and home builders and construction concerns, makes the best sense.
If you put immigration enforcement into the hands of local law enforcement and pols all fairness is thrown out the window, with too many political vendettas, paybacks, and favors to dish out.
All in all, if these unfunded bills get passed, get ready to pay higher local taxes for bigger jails, paperwork, processing and more officers on the ground. If the state can't afford public education how can it afford immigration law enforcement?
Roper said... "Tougher sanctions against businesses that knowingly hire illegals makes the best sense. Wouldn't have the problem with illegals if they aren't hired."
I totally agree, this is the way to get the illegals out of Texas but most would not go home, they would just move to a more liberal State and eventually lower that State's labor costs. The receiving State's businesses would then have an unfair advantage over Texas' businesses. It is going to take a nation wide enforcement effort, something Obama and the Congress have refused to put forward. A State law would be a start which could put some pressure on the feds to step up enforcement of their laws.
There is no perfect answer but no answer at all is unacceptable. Let's start somewhere since we can no longer wait for the President or Congress to help.
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