Heather Gillers, writing for the Indy Star, reports that an Indiana House Committee watered down the Senate immigration bill, SB 590, a bit.
According to the article, the bill no longer tasks local law enforcement from enforcing federal immigration law; but rather focuses more on employment issues. One of the provisions requires a calculation of costs of illegal immigration to the State and directs the office of management and budget to bill the federal government for that cost. Good luck with that. Maybe we can use it as a set off for our $2 billion debt to the feds. (Despite which, expect to hear about a balanced budget and surplus when Gov. Daniels goes on the Presidential campaign trail.)
Still, as passed by the House committee, the bill:
1) Prohibits governmental bodies from restricting other governmental entities from providing information to immigration enforcement entities.
2) Prohibits a governmental entity from restricting enforcement of immigration laws.
3) Prohibits law enforcement from seeking verification of a person’s immigration status if the person is in contact with law enforcement solely as a witness, victim, or reporter of a crime.
4) Prohibits a business from taking a tax deduction for payments to an illegal immigrant unless the employer was using the E-verify program.
5) Requires the Department of Corrections to evaluate the immigration status of a committed offender.
6) Requires a state or local government to obtain a verification of citizenship or qualified immigration status executed by the applicant for public benefits which generally includes, among other things, licenses and welfare benefits.
7) Requires the department of agriculture to list agricultural jobs for which there is a critical need for workers and a wage rate for any such job.
8) Authorizes the Department of Workforce Development to seek reimbursement of unemployment benefits paid to an illegal alien if the employer did not use the E-verify system.
9) Restricts the ability of governmental entities to contract with employers that do not use the E-verify system and provide assurances that the business is not employing illegal aliens. Requires contract terms to the effect that the contractor will not employ illegal aliens.
10) Prohibits an individual from commencing day labor without completing an attestation required under federal law.
Still a lot of objectionable things in this bill, yet it’s not as bad as it was in February. Legislative guy Gautam Kumaraswamy at Purdue has the details. Against this were the churches, Chamber of Commerce, Association of Municipalities, Cities and Towns, Indiana Bankers Association, the University caucus, the Farm Bureau, and some police associations. Gone are the prohibitions against using itin’s, that would have made it difficult or impossible to open a bank account for foreign students, investors and their spouses. Gone is the reasonable suspicion standard for traffic stops and detention, along with a lot of other garbage. It seems as though Senator Delph would be glad to put this behind him.