Barnett’s immigration bill gets hearing
By Joey Berlin
Originally published 02:10 p.m., February 28, 2008
Updated 02:10 p.m., February 28, 2008
An immigration reform bill cosponsored by Emporia Sen. Jim Barnett was the subject of a Federal and State Affairs Committee hearing Wednesday at the Statehouse.
Senate Bill 458, introduced by Sen. Peggy Palmer, would require Kansas employers to use the government’s E-Verify system to confirm that a prospective employee is a legal resident of the U.S.
Palmer calls the bill the Kansas Illegal Immigration Relief Act. Proponents of the legislation had their day in front of the committee on Wednesday. Barnett said the hearing became highly emotional.
“Testimony was received from a father who lost his daughter from an accident that involved an illegal alien that ran a stop sign,” Barnett said. “And there was candid discussion about exploitation of illegal immigrants by businesses that knowingly hire them, then they pay cash and therefore (avoid) taxes.”
Opponents of the bill will speak in front of the committee next week. After that, the committee chair will decide the timetable for working the measure. Bill 458 is exempt from the deadline of “Turnaround Week,” meaning it doesn’t have to make its way out of the Senate by the end of this week to continue being part of this legislative session.
Also Wednesday, Barnett said the Senate bill that would allow Emporia Unified School District 253 to lose no more than 2 percent of its funding based on adjusted enrollment made its way out of committee and can now head to the Senate floor. The measure was introduced as a way to alleviate the damage the Tyson layoffs would have on the school district.
Brittanicus (anonymous) says...
Even though a number of states are enacting strict employer sanctions law. Even better is a Federal law of bypartisan nature, moving through the Congress called THE SAVE ACT.
According to the actual bypartisan co-authors to the save act its now 147. Included are 3 Democratic Senators and 5 Republicans. House Democrats number 48, and House Republicans number 90.
House Speaker Pelosi is trying to overturn this enforcement ONLY Federal law.
"Incredible as it may seem amidst talk of recessions, job cuts and stagnant wages, NumbersUSA's Capitol Hill Team finds reports and signs everywhere that House Speaker Pelosi is negotiating to give millions of U.S. jobs to foreign workers,"
READ THE RAW FACTS THE NATIONAL NEWS SUPPRESSES AT NUMBERSUSA
February 28, 2008 at 5:26 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
ozland (anonymous) says...
Does Sen. Barnett charge the taxpayers for mileage while he drives back and forth to Topeka?
February 29, 2008 at 6:55 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
alfalfa (anonymous) says...
Hope I don't come off as a snot, but what if he does charge mileage? The reason so few people with any sense at all run for office is they are subject to needling and bellyaching every day, with not much compensation in the case of the House and Senate of Kansas. It is pretty hard to maintain a business and serve in Topeka. I might not agree with Barnett 100% of the time, but I think he is a good man with the best of intentions for the people of Kansas. On any given issue, there will be people on both sides of it who feel strongly they are right. I want people in government who do what they believe in their heart to be right for common good, no matter how much pressure they come under from opposition groups. That is a very hard job. If Barnett or anyone else is getting mileage to drive back and forth to Topeka, that is just fine with me.
February 29, 2008 at 7:24 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
create (anonymous) says...
It's okay with me too if Barnett and others who serve us as state reps and senators charge off their mileage. Anyone who itemizes gets to deduct mileage IF THEY ARE COMMUTING. I'd say that driving to Topeka in order to work as a representative of the community is commuting. For many years, I drove to Olpe to teach and always deducted mileage because I was commuting to work from Emporia.
February 29, 2008 at 10 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )