House passes ban on aid to illegal residents

BOISE – Adult Idahoans will need proof they are legal U.S. residents before receiving benefits provided by state or local governments, according to a bill passed Thursday by the House and sent to the governor’s desk.

Senate Bill 1157 aims to cut services to illegal immigrants, but contains some exemptions, such as for children and emergency medical care. It passed 47-21

“This is just an accountability measure in regards to taxpayer expenditures,” said House sponsor Rep. Cliff Bayer, R-Boise.

He cited Gov. Butch Otter’s January State of the State address, which said Idaho needs to take the initiative not to become a haven for illegal immigrants.

Critics, however, argued that the bill is unnecessary and potentially costly.

Rep. Raúl Labrador, R-Eagle, an immigration lawyer and himself an immigrant from Puerto Rico, said illegal immigrants already aren’t entitled to benefits, and the legislation just adds a needless level of bureaucracy.

Bill supporters could not describe how much fraud exists, nor how much money the state would save by passing the measure, Labrador contended.

SB 1157 requires agencies to either use electronic systems to verify a person’s right to benefits or obtain proof of identity – such as a driver’s license, military ID card or passport – a valid Social Security number and a statement swearing the person is legally in the U.S.

Bayer said the bill contains “a lot of humanitarian exemptions.” Other exceptions include medical care for expectant and new mothers and food assistance for dependent children.

But the legislation is “rife with unintended consequences,” and it may affect life-long U.S. residents who lack documents, asserted Rep. Bill Killen, D-Boise. Those people may live in senior centers and have no way to communicate or document their right to benefits, he said.

While sponsors say the bill can save taxpayer money, “In fact, we will probably see a substantial cost,” Killen said.

Rep. Phil Hart, R-Athol, said the bill is about the stewardship of taxpayer money. The Constitution does not contain a provision for offering tax money to foreign citizens, he said.

“We don’t know how many people would be affected by (the bill) because we don’t know how many people are in this country illegally because we don’t track it,” he said.

Hart said the bill doesn’t stop “you from reaching into your own pocket and donating to a charitable organization” to take care of illegal immigrants’ health needs.

“We can deal with it, but we can deal with it in a different way,” he said.

Bayer said private hospitals can continue to provide medical care for illegal immigrants, but they would not be able to ask the state for money to cover some of those costs.

Labrador, who received criticism for voting in favor of making English Idaho’s official language, said he received e-mails saying Idaho is known only “for hate and potatoes.”

“I hope and pray that we can vote this down and show what a great state we are,” he said.