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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Eye On Boise

Despite overwhelming testimony against, Senate panel passes immigration bill

The Senate State Affairs Committee hears from attorney Maria Andrade midway through a long hearing Friday on SB 1271, the last remaining immigration bill this session, which drew extensive opposition. The committee sent the bill to the Senate's 14th Order for amendment. (Betsy Russell)
The Senate State Affairs Committee hears from attorney Maria Andrade midway through a long hearing Friday on SB 1271, the last remaining immigration bill this session, which drew extensive opposition. The committee sent the bill to the Senate's 14th Order for amendment. (Betsy Russell)

The Senate State Affairs Committee has voted 6-1 to send SB 1271, the last remaining immigration bill this session, to the Senate's 14th Order for amendment, after a two-hour hearing that drew extensive testimony overwhelmingly opposed to the bill. Among its provisions: Anyone falsifying documents for employment could be sent to prison for 14 years.

Numerous people who testified said the immigration legislation has stirred up anti-Hispanic sentiment in their communities. Raquel Reyes of the Community Council of Idaho, formerly the Idaho Migrant Council, said, "This bill only adds fuel to the flame of those who would have an enforcement-only solution.. .. Both federal and state laws already exist to go after individuals using forged documents to go after employment." She said the real problem is a "broken system." "This bill is creating real tension within the communities," she said. "Immigrants ... are being harassed because of the color of their skin." She told the story of an incident between two schoolchildren; the girl gave the boy a flier about Cinco de Mayo, and when he saw a Mexican flag on it, he said, "You are an illegal alien, I will get my daddy's gun and shoot you." The girl was a U.S. citizen and a child of U.S. citizens; the boy was suspended from school for a day. "It is likely he is only repeating what adults are saying," Reyes told the lawmakers.

Senate Majority Leader Bart Davis proposed sending the bill to the amending order to add an "e-Verify safe harbor," a provision like the one in unsuccessful legislation from Sen. Mike Jorgenson, R-Hayden Lake, to absolve employers from sanctions if they use the "e-Verify" system to check on an employee's legal status. Brent Olmstead, lobbyist for a coalition of agriculture and business groups, testified in favor of the bill - the only entity other than the bill's sponsor to testify in favor, while 13 people testified against - but said after the hearing that if Davis' amendment were added, his group would oppose the bill.

Davis said the felony penalty and 14-year prison term "sure seems very strong," but he didn't propose changing it. Sponsors of the bill said that was intended to apply to those in the business of manufacturing false documents, but as written, if the employee filled in his name on the falsified document, he'd be eligible for that penalty as well. The bill also includes two-year misdemeanor penalties for employers and employees in false-document cases.



Betsy Z. Russell
Betsy Z. Russell joined The Spokesman-Review in 1991. She currently is a reporter in the Boise Bureau covering Idaho state government and politics, and other news from Idaho's state capital.

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