Immigration issue takes center stage

Sen. Shirley McKague, R-Meridian, was put on the spot in a House committee when she presented her joint memorial to Congress decrying illegal immigration.

That’s because the measure contains statements including “illegal entry into the United States by tens of millions of illegal immigrants … should be considered an invasion” and “The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America (SPP) are being used to nullify the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution.”

“You’re making some pretty broad assumptions,” said Rep. Eric Anderson, R-Priest Lake. “I’m having a hard time seeing how they nullify the Declaration of Independence.” McKague responded, “I’m convinced because it’s been proven to me, but I can’t convince you at a forum like this.”

The nonbinding memorial to Congress, SJM 111, passed the committee on a 10-6 vote after representatives first tried to send it to their amending order, only to learn they can’t amend Senate joint memorials.

Afterward, McKague said the measure was her third try. The first version, introduced as SJM 110, was e-mailed to her by the John Birch Society, of which she’s long been a member, but when she proposed it in the Senate State Affairs Committee, senators raised concerns about an unconstitutional clause, demanding “ending birthright citizenship for children of illegal immigrants.” McKague removed that, and then had to amend it again, this time to accommodate farmers’ concerns, she said.

Among the changes: A line that originally called for “rejecting any form of amnesty for illegal immigrants” has been replaced by one calling for “immediately implementing a guest-worker program that requires guest workers to apply for work visas and that establishes compliance and enforcement standards.”

Rep. Mark Snodgrass, R-Meridian, who already has announced that he’ll run against McKague in the GOP primary this spring, questioned McKague as to why she proposed a guest-worker program without any anti-amnesty language. “Congress will make that determination,” McKague responded.

She was a bit miffed after the meeting. “I think it’s important that Congress gets the message that this is a problem,” she said. “That’s the whole idea of it – the details Congress will figure out when they get to it.”

Otter signs liquor, water, group home bills

Among bills signed by Gov. Butch Otter this week was SB 1382, proposed by Tamarack Resort, to let it have 12 special nontransferable liquor licenses instead of just three. The governor also signed into law all three bills to scale back the North Idaho water rights adjudication.

He also signed HB 465 into law, untying strings on local planning and zoning that kept them from regulating group homes for sex offenders and drug addicts in single-family residential neighborhoods. “Let me make this entirely clear: This law must not be used as a hammer by local government to merely close down these facilities and turn a blind eye to the important role that transitional housing plays in our system,” Otter wrote in a two-page signing message.

‘Madam speaker’ gets House applause

Rep. Margaret Henbest, D-Boise, presided over the House of Representatives for much of a morning this week, filling in for Speaker Lawerence Denney. When the first representative rose to present a bill, Rep. Cliff Bayer, R-Boise, and said, “Madam Speaker,” Henbest responded, “That sounds great, doesn’t it?” and the House broke out into a round of applause.

Henbest is a highly respected six-term representative who is not running for re-election. Giving her a chance to preside as speaker, said House GOP spokesman Chuck Malloy, is “basically a tribute to her.” Rep. Shirley Ringo, D-Moscow, when she introduced a bill, said, “Thank you, Madam Speaker,” and added, “It makes my day to see you up there.”

Permanent absentee bill killed

The House State Affairs Committee has voted to kill HB 624 – a measure sponsored by the committee’s chairman, Rep. Tom Loertscher – to give disabled people, those serving full-time in the military or those serving full-time as missionaries, the opportunity to qualify for permanent absentee voter status. County clerks around the state had proposed an option for permanent absentee status for any voter who wants it. Disabled people and others were used as examples of those who could benefit, prompting Loertscher to then propose his bill.

A motion to amend Loertscher’s bill to give the option to any voter was defeated, and then the motion to kill the bill passed. Afterward, Loertscher said, “This was an effort to try to fix a problem that the counties said was a reason they were bringing the bill in the first place. The committee spoke – that’s fine with me. I was just trying to have some kind of compromise.”

Anderson gets taste of Taser

Rep. Eric Anderson, R-Priest Lake, said, “Oh, oh geez, stop, whoa,” as he was hit by a stun gun in a Capitol Annex stairwell, in a televised stunt he volunteered for as new regulations regarding stun guns were considered in the Legislature. One bill, HB 601, which would have required a concealed weapon permit to carry a stun gun or Taser, died on a tied vote in committee; another, SB 1438, would ban felons, fugitives, minors and illegal aliens from possessing the weapons; it passed the Senate unanimously.