Otter backs legislation to deny state aid to illegal immigrants

BOISE – Gov. Butch Otter has endorsed a proposal to deny state services to people who cannot provide valid proof of U.S. residency.

In his State of the State speech to the Idaho Legislature on Monday, Otter urged lawmakers to back a bill sponsored by state Sen. John McGee, R-Caldwell. The bill specifically limits taxpayer-supported benefits to those who demonstrate residency with state-approved identification.

McGee said he will introduce his bill early in the session. He predicted the measure has enough support to pass because it would not require any additional money or new systems of identification.

“There’s plenty of ways to check for citizenship,” McGee told the Idaho Press Tribune. “I don’t suspect this is going to require any new money in order to do this.”

In his speech, Otter said the bill is fair and humane because it targets adult services and “provides reasonable humanitarian exceptions.”

McGee, who represents a district in Canyon County where a fast-growing Hispanic population has given rise to a spate of county ordinances targeting illegal immigration, said the bill covers health emergencies.

The law would save the state money by weaning illegal immigrants from public welfare programs, he said.

“If someone is having a medical emergency, we’re going to make a humanitarian exemption for that,” McGee said. “But if someone’s just going to go down to the Department of Health and Welfare and receive benefits, we’re not going to let that happen anymore.”

McGee said the state will always face problems with forged documents but that the bill makes it harder for taxpayer money to trickle to illegal immigrants.

“You’re always going to deal with fraud,” he said. “But I suppose this is better than just handing (benefits) out willy-nilly. I’m confident we’ll find a way to determine someone’s citizenship.”

Tom Newton, a board member for the Canyon County Area Human Rights Task Force, said McGee’s measure seemed fair.

“On the surface it might be reasonable,” Newton said. “The proof would be in the pudding, I suppose.”

State Rep. Gary Collins, R-Nampa, said Canyon County lawmakers have been waiting for stricter state laws.

“I think there’s been some pretty strong support for it,” he said.