Immigration bill moves ahead in South Carolina, stalls in Oklahoma and Tennessee
In South Carolina, a tough immigration law is making its way through the House, while similar bills stalled in Oklahoma and Tennessee; South Carolina’s House Judiciary Committee voted fifteen to seven to pass a bill that requires law enforcement officials to check the immigration status of individuals they encounter; the legislative session ends in two weeks, and the bill still needs to be approved by the full House; immigration bills in Oklahoma and Tennessee were tabled until next year
In South Carolina, a tough immigration law is making its way through the House, while similar bills stalled in Oklahoma and Tennessee.
On Tuesday, South Carolina’s House Judiciary Committee voted fifteen to seven to pass a bill that requires law enforcement officials to check the immigration status of individuals they encounter.
The legislative session ends in two weeks, and the bill still needs to be approved by the full House. The Republicans, who control the House, have made this piece of legislation a priority and hope to rush it through.
If approved, the bill would still need to be worked out in a joint Senate conference committee to resolve any differences from the Senate version of the bill, which was passed earlier this year.
Meanwhile immigration bills in Oklahoma and Tennessee were tabled until next year.
In Oklahoma, the proposed law lacked enough support and with the legislative session rapidly drawing to an end, there was insufficient time to hammer out a compromise.
The bill targeted human smugglers who preyed on illegal immigrants seeking to enter the United States. The bill would have authorized state and local law enforcement officials to recommend illegal immigrants for certain temporary visas to give them incentive to report any illegal activity.
The bill’s critics say that it did not go far enough with some Republicans arguing that the law should include penalties for non-smugglers as well. Democrats opposed the bill on the grounds that immigration enforcement is the responsibility of the federal government and state governments should not be responsible for it.
In Tennessee, the proposed immigration bill was tabled due to the high costs of implementing the measure.
The bill, similar to Arizona’s SB1070, would require law enforcement officials to check the immigration status of individuals suspected of entering the country illegally. Representative Joe Carr and Senate Republican Caucus Chairman Bill Ketron said that it would cost an estimated $3 million to implement the bill.
The two lawmakers plan on reintroducing the bill next legislative session.
