Monday, March 14, 2011

MORE BAD IMMIGRATION BILLS PROPOSED IN GEORGIA

The Georgia legislature keeps coming back with additional bad bills (or at least proposals for bills) that are anti-immigrants.
Not only HB87 passed the Gerogia Congress, there is not a single good bill out there, all of which target immigrants. Not surprisingly, the bills' sponsors are Republicans lawmakers.
House Bill 59: Would bar undocumented immigrants from attending Georgia’s universities and technical colleges even if they pay higher out-of-state tuition (as the current law allows). This bill passed the House Higher Education Committee last month. Sponsored by Rep. Tom Rice of Norcross.
House Bill 296: Would require local school and hospital officials to count the illegal immigrants they serve each year under this bill. Sponsored by Rep. Josh Clark of Buford. This bill would create undue burden on local school and hospital officials (like they do not have too much work to do already), and is probably preempted by Federal law which requires hospitals to treat all emergency room patients, regardless of their immigration status or ability to pay. Similarly, all school districts must educate all children regardless of their immigration status.
Senate Bill 7: Would ban undocumented workers from collecting workers’ compensation benefits for on-the-job injuries. Sponsored by Sen. Bill Heath of Bremen.
Senate Bill 27: Would toughen existing laws to prevent state agencies and counties from hiring undocumented workers for taxpayer-funded projects in Georgia. It's already prohibited by current Georgia law and no proof of the State hiring undocumented immigrants has been shown. Sponsor by Sen. Judson Hill of Marietta.
Senate Bill 65: Would prohibit undocumented immigrants from collecting unemployment benefits (which is already state law). Georgia's Labor Department said Georgia does not have the problem the legislation is targeting.
Senate Bill 104: Very similar to HB 87 and SB 40. But it also would punish motorists who pick up day laborers under certain circumstances. And it would allow warrantless arrests of people who police have probable cause to believe have committed 'any public offenses' that make them eligible for deportation. Sponsored by Sen. Jeff Mullis of Chickamauga.
Senate Bill 174: Would require all jails in Georgia to participate in 'Secure Communities.' The program compares the fingerprints of people booked into jails against a federal database, and if an unlawful immigrant is determined they turn them to ICE for deportation. This is already done in Georgia. Sponsored by Sen. Charlie Bethel of Dalton.
What an awful collection of bad bills that will do nothing to combat illegal immigration, many of these proposals are already in the law. Waste of time of the legislature is not a huge issue for me, but adding idiotic requirements and additional burdening of schools and hospitals is outright crazy.

1 comment:

  1. When the illegals get harassed enough they will leave Georgia, go home or go to Utah, THAT IS THE OBJECTIVE!!!

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