Anti-illegal immigration bill won’t go to full House
Anti-illegal immigration bill won’t go to full House
BOISE – One of three immigration-related bills introduced in the Idaho Legislature this session was killed in committee Thursday, as lawmakers questioned the idea of suspending business licenses to punish businesses for hiring undocumented workers. Athol Rep. Phil Hart, a third-term Republican who co-sponsored the bill, told the Idaho House State Affairs Committee he wants to eliminate any incentive for undocumented immigrants to come to Idaho to seek work. “The United States is a magnet for those people, and they’re coming across the border in droves,” he said. The bill, HB 497, also included misdemeanor penalties for using false identification to secure employment; and misdemeanor and felony penalties for falsifying records for someone else to use for employment. The bill was opposed by the Food Producers of Idaho, the Idaho Farm Bureau, the Idaho Retailers Association, the Idaho Community Action Network and the Idaho Association of Commerce and Industry. Two other immigration bills still are pending in a Senate committee. One seeks to penalize employers who knowingly hire undocumented workers and ban driver’s license tests in any language other than English. The other penalizes the use of false documents for employment. Brent Olmstead, lobbyist for an array of farm and business groups that oppose all three bills, said, “This is a federal issue.” http://www.spokesman.com/stories/201...nt-go-to-full/ Hart’s immigration bill fails in committee Rep. Phil Hart’s, R-Athol, bill to help curb illegal immigrants from working in Idaho failed to clear committee Thursday due to questions over the licensing restrictions of the legislation. The Hart plan focused on punishing employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants and would have given a “three strikes” solution to the problem. Upon the first violation of the code, employers would have been required to terminate that employee and sign a court document saying they had done so. If the second infraction occurs, the employer would lose his business license for up to ten days. If an employer is caught a third time, he would lose his business license for up to one year, though the length of that punishment would be up to the judge presiding over the case. Employers who went three years between violations would have been able to have their strikes wiped off their record. Businesses with three strikes would not be allowed to close shop and morph into a new business to avoid the penalty, Hart said. The bill also provided general misdemeanor penalties for workers who provided false identification to gain employment, as well as any person who aided that person in their efforts, such as a Department of Motor Vehicles clerk. Employers could have found “safe harbor” under some parts of the Hart plan. Employers would not have been required to use the federal E-Verify system to determine the legal status of a new worker under the bill, but would have been strongly encouraged because it could have provided an absolute defense from prosecution for employers. If a worker was determined as legal by E-Verify, an employer could not face any prosecution. If an employer chose to use the federal I-9 verification system, which is required by the federal government anyway, the employer would have been able to show a “good faith” effort to verify employees, which would have also been a shield against prosecution. Lawmakers offered sharp criticisms of the plan before the vote. Rep. Lynn Luker, R-Boise, questioned the fairness of pulling business licenses. He noted that though many of the businesses that operate in the state have business licenses in some form, not all do. He said that he was unaware of a license required to grow fruit. Luker was also skeptical of a prosecutor’s ability to keep track of all the licenses that could have potentially been involved. “How would it be consistently applied?” asked Luker. Hart said that under the 1986 Immigration Control and Reform Act, pulling business licenses is the only thing that the state could do to prevent employers from using illegal immigrant labor. Rep. Ken Andrus, R-Lava Hot Springs, a farmer himself, was critical of the lack of enforcement outlined in the bill. Andrus asked Hart about the effects of raids upon dairy and fruit picking operations. “What happens to the cows – does the Humane Society come in and milk the cows?” asked Andrus. Several groups represented at the hearing opposed the legislation because they felt it isn’t the state’s duty to get involved in immigration. Bruce Olmstead, representing the Idaho Business Coalition for Immigration Reform, and Alisha Clements, representing the Idaho Community Action Network (ICAN), echoed each other’s sentiments on the bill. “The state does not issue green cards, the state does not issue passports … this is a federal issue,” said Olmstead. Clements said ICAN members are in favor of comprehensive immigration reform, they don’t want to see an enforcement-only method of dealing with the problem. She said the bill “falls very short” of accomplishing that goal. She urged lawmakers to consider finding ways to bring illegal workers from the “underground economy” into the “real economy” so the state could reap the financial benefits of having more workers paying taxes. Before voting, Andrus said he appreciated what Hart was trying to do, but he felt it went in to wrong direction. “I would rather see a monetary penalty rather then a revoking of a license,” said Andrus. He added that all the lawmakers were for immigration reform, especially if it resulted in guest worker limits being raised to provide an adequate workforce for the state. Luker offered a motion to gut the bill of the “three strikes” provisions and keep the sections on providing false identification for employment, but that move failed. The bill was then killed on a voice vote. http://www.idahoreporter.com/2010/ha...-in-committee/ |
Eye On Boise
Farmers, retailers, IACI, ICAN oppose Rep. Hart’s immigration legislation Brent Olmstead, lobbyist for the Milk Producers of Idaho, said an array of groups oppose HB 497, Rep. Phil Hart’s immigration bill, and they include the Food Producers of Idaho, the Idaho Farm Bureau, the Idaho Retailers Association, the Idaho Association of Commerce and Industry, and more. Rep. Brent Crane, R-Nampa, noted that it’s just one of three bills on the topic pending in this year’s Legislature; he asked Olmstead which bill his coalition, the Idaho Business Coalition for Immigration Reform, is backing. “We will likely as a coalition not support any of them,” Olmstead responded. “This is a federal issue.” An Idaho Community Action Network board member, Alicia Clements, also spoke out against the bill, saying “only Congress can deliver” a solution to the immigration issue, and that Hart’s bill would simply impose more costs on the state. “It’s going to cost us a lot of money that we need for schools and other programs, and … it’s not going to work,” she told the committee. In brief for Idaho on Feb. 19, 2010 Immigration bills protested BOISE (AP) -- Immigrant advocacy groups want Idaho lawmakers to dump three bills targeting illegal workers and companies that employ them, on grounds such reform should be left to the federal government. Catholic Charities of Idaho and the Idaho Community Action Network were among critics of the bills at a press conference Feb. 15. The strictest of the measures pending in the Idaho Legislature, sponsored by Sen. Mike Jorgenson of Hayden Lake, would require companies to use the federal E-Verify system and would suspend a business' license if it were caught knowingly hiring illegal workers. Christine Tiddens, a Catholic Charities spokeswoman, said the measures up for consideration sow "chaos and fear." Dairy industry fights counties BOISE (AP) -- Livestock groups snubbed by the Idaho Supreme Court this month are now asking Idaho lawmakers to come to their defense by scaling back local authority over large dairies with thousands of cows and tons of manure. On Feb. 11, Idaho Dairyman's Association lobbyist Ken McClure told the Senate Agricultural Affairs Committee that Idaho should limit counties to siting dairies, but not allow them to pass stricter standards governing air and water quality than those already on Idaho's books. Counties oppose the proposal, saying state environmental laws do little to address cumulative effects of large dairies which have helped make Idaho the nation's third biggest milk-producing state, but have also led to pollution concerns. |
“What happens to the cows – does the Humane Society come in and milk the cows?” asked Andrus
No the Americans that did that work prior to the invasion will eagerly do it...what a moron. |
Maybe somewhat off topic but still relevant to the discussion of the topic:
THE HEROIN ROAD A lethal business model targets Middle America Quote:
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Heroin Road cont.
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Black tar moves in, and death follows
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The good life in Xalisco can mean death in the United States
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How meth took hold on an Indian reservation
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Meth Addiction Steals Lives on Indian Reservations Throughout North West
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Morongo Indian Reservation, East of San Bernardino:
the other side of the Indian story concerning meth... News From Indian Country 9-09 Quote:
There truly has been a meth problem at Morongo in the near past. I haven't seen anything concerning Mexican dealers at Morongo. http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=...lTx9g3FPDDq9bQ |
Tribes taking varying paths in war on meth
Indians viewing issue as 'critical' Diana Marrero The Desert Sun Washington Bureau August 20, 2006 American Indian tribes and tribal groups are getting creative in fighting what they consider an epidemic on tribal lands - methamphetamine use. In Oklahoma, Indian archery and the traditional game of Cherokee marbles have taken on new meaning in the past couple of years as vehicles for teaching students about the dangers of meth and other drugs. Some tribes, such as the Lummi Nation of Washington, are fighting meth with one of the harshest punishments at their disposal: banishment. Still others are integrating traditional ideas and healing into alternative sentencing options through new drug courts. And the Morongo Band of Mission Indians in California is among dozens of tribes who have sent employees to meth training programs to help them spot the signs of addiction. ''Several years ago, this wasn't Indian country's biggest substance abuse issue,'' said Jackie Johnson, executive director of the National Congress of American Indians. ''Now, meth is clearly one of those critical crisis areas.'' The group - which considers fighting meth a top priority - is working with the Partnership for a Drug Free America on designing a national ad campaign to warn American Indians about meth addiction. It also plans to address the problem at its annual convention in Sacramento in October. The organization, which represents at least 250 tribes across the country, launched a major effort earlier this year to draw attention to what it says is an alarming rate of meth abuse on tribal lands. Since then, the White House has created an interagency working group to address meth in Indian country, the Senate has held a hearing on the issue and tribes are creating a national task force to combat the problem. Worries in Riverside County In Riverside County, most of the tribal officials reached for comment either reported they did not have a major problem with meth or did not want to discuss the issue publicly. But local health officials say meth abuse is a problem countywide. "It is the No. 1 drug of choice in Riverside County right now and has been for a number of years," said Maria Lozano, a behavioral health specialist at the county's mental health department. Even though only 1.4 percent of the county's population is American Indian, they comprised about 2.2 percent of the nearly 5,000 admission cases for meth addiction last year at publicly funded facilities in Riverside, according to statistics kept by the California Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs. Statewide, about 4.4 percent of the nearly 79,000 admissions were American Indian, while only 1.2 percent of the state's population are tribal members. Local police officials say the number of meth-related calls received by the Riverside County Sheriff's office is rising even as the number of labs declines because meth is imported from Mexico. Meth is a problem across the region, including on Indian lands, said Fred Fierro, the task force commander for the Coachella Valley Narcotics Task Force. While the local tribes are generally supportive of law enforcement efforts, some Mexican drug pushers have been known to live on the reservations and traffic the drug from there, he said. Waltona Manion, a spokeswoman for the Morongos, said she did not know how prevalent meth use among tribal members is, but the tribe sent its counseling staff to a recent meth training session to help them spot the signs of meth addiction and learn to work with meth users. "It is a part of their proactive approach to their social service," she said. The National American Indian Housing Council also has provided meth training to Morongo housing authority officials. "The most tell-tale signs are rapid weight loss and extreme paranoia," said Jay Barton, a retired police official who helps train the organization. Nancy Conrad, a spokeswoman for the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, said she did not have any information about whether meth was a problem for tribal members. But Mary Belardo, the former chairwoman of the Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla tribe, said several tribal members on her reservation can't seem to kick the meth habit. "The whole valley has a problem," said Belardo, who now works at the tribal clinic. "It's a strange drug and it seems to be very powerful. People who get hooked on it, get really hooked." Jacob Coin, a spokesman for the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians based in San Bernardino, said he did not think the tribe had a problem with meth. However, Coin said the tribe has worked hard to combat the root of many social problems by creating jobs. "When people have no economic opportunities and little other opportunities, these people tend to be swept away by these social ills," he said. Rich, poor afflicted But wealthier tribes, such as the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma, also feel the effects of meth. Earlier this year, law enforcement officials announced one of the biggest meth busts in the region, netting 93 arrests and breaking up a trafficking ring that distributed drugs at three casinos in Oklahoma. Some tribal officials hope returning to tradition also will help them combat the meth problem. B.J. Boyd, with the Cherokee Nation's behavioral health services, said traditional activities can reach youth in a way a speaker in a classroom can't. Substance abuse changes In the past few years, meth has replaced alcohol as the No. 1 substance abuse problem in Indian country, tribal leaderssay. The consequences have been even more devastating. American Indians are more likely than other racial groups to use meth, according to a 2004 survey by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. At the time, 1.7 percent of American Indians had used meth - compared to .7 percent of whites, .5 percent of Latinos and .1 percent of blacks. Indian activists say those numbers have grown. Some tribes report much higher abuse rates. It's the biggest problem facing tribal police now, said Chris Chaney, Bureau of Indian Affairs' director of law enforcement. Chaney said tribes are being hit hardest because of sheer geography. Until recently, meth was primarily a problem in the West, home to most Indian tribes. "One of the reasons is the vast majority of Indian country is west of the Mississippi [River]," he said. In California, meth has created disturbing problems, say officials with the California Indian Legal Services. In nearly everycase they have worked on in which Indian children are taken from their home, at least one parent is using meth or the baby tested positive for the drug at birth. |
I'm sorry, I went way off topic - I got started and I couldn't stop.
If the moderator would like to cut the material out of this thread and place it in a new thread elsewhere, that's fine. |
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