Georgia Immigration" - (Google) News Sweep - 3/31/'06
Georgia Immigration" - (Google) News Sweep - 3/31/'06
3/31/'06 - The following article(s) were found in the media. Several stories are provided ... with links to the original sources ... for your convenience:
- In Georgia, Immigration Is No Peach (WSBTv - Business Week)
- Special: Hispanics say no to SB 529 (Atlanta Latino)
- Legislators beat the clock (AJC)
- Perdue won't say whether he will sign immigration bill (AP)
The following story was found in 40+ media publications ...
Original Source:
http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/mar2006/nf20060331_2461.htm
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http://www.wsbtv.com/money/8381113/detail.html
In Georgia, Immigration Is No Peach
As One Of The Top Destinations For Hispanics, The State Is At The Forefront Of The Controversy About A Proposed Law That Would Slam The Door On Undocumented Workers
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While immigration has proven to be a volatile issue nationally, there may be no place where it's as polarizing as Georgia. On one side is a large and relatively well-off community of immigrants like Lopez. Their success and rising demand for more workers has made Georgia one of the top new destinations for immigrants, particularly Hispanics.
On the other side are state politicians who are just beginning to wrestle with the challenges that California and Texas have been dealing with for years. They, and many of their constituents, worry that the influx of new people will drain the state's resources, for everything from education to unemployment benefits.
ACTING ALONE. The debate is coming to a head now because of a disconnect between Washington and state capitols like Atlanta. As the U.S. Senate is poised to consider a new immigration bill that would allow the nation's estimated 11 million illegal immigrants the opportunity to win citizenship and create a broad temporary worker program, many state politicians are moving the opposite direction.
Fearful of the potential problems from growing illegal immigrant populations, they're taking immigration issues into their own hands. Among the 368 immigration-related bills that are pending in 42 states, Georgia's proposed Security and Immigration Compliance Act is perhaps the toughest and most prohibitive.
"We wanted to take a comprehensive approach," says Republican Georgia Senator and former talk show host Chip Rogers, who initially proposed the legislation. "We were concerned about social benefits, safety issues and employment issues," he said during a short break in the legislative session in Atlanta on Tuesday evening, after the state House of Representatives passed the version of the bill adopted by the state Senate on Monday. "I think we accomplished that by passing the most comprehensive immigration bill of any state."
CONTROVERSIAL BILL. The bill won't become law until it's signed by Governor Sonny Perdue, a step that he is expected to take. Yet it has already divided the state. There were demonstrations on Mar. 24 and the organizers plan more for April. Some state lawmakers are appalled at how punitive the proposed legislation is, for both employers and the illegal immigrants themselves.
"Any time a state tries to compensate for a failure of the federal government, you get into trouble," says Sam Zamarripa, a Democratic Senator from Atlanta, who voted against the bill. "The most dramatic impact of this law is that it is scaring people in the Hispanic community," according to Zamarripa.
The proposed law would require employers to maintain valid employment authorization documents for employees in order to claim a tax deduction for wages, and to verify the legal status of employees through a federal work authorization program if the business held contracts with state or local agencies.
THE "GOOD APPLES." Similarly, state agencies would be required to verify the immigration status of applicants before doling out benefits such as unemployment or Medicaid, although there are exceptions for emergency medical treatment and disaster relief among others. Eliminated was a proposed 5% surcharge on out of country wire transfers for those who could not prove valid citizenship status, but in its place, lawmakers substituted a 6% withholding of wages for contract workers without a valid taxpayer identification or social security number.
Lopez makes the argument that the law may simply be counterproductive. He understands the struggles of illegal immigrants intimately. He grew up in Durango, Mexico and entered the U. S. in 1981. He became an American citizen in 1986 when Congress passed the Reagan administration's Immigration Reform and Control Act. He points out that many illegals don't pay taxes out of fear of drawing attention to their immigration status. "The way to get rid of that is to legalize people," he says. Eventually, others would be able to start businesses and help the local economy by paying taxes and offering jobs.
In his grocery store, which caters to Hispanics, Lopez often hears customers complain about how they are perceived as outcasts by their non-Hispanic neighbors. But he also acknowledges some of the problems undocumented workers bring with them. "We got our good apples, and our bad apples," Lopez says, pointing out that just like other cultures and communities, there are those that commit crimes or do not pay taxes.
A GOVERNOR'S VIEW. Gov. Perdue felt that illegal immigration had become a problem his state, even before the Georgia law was proposed. According to his press secretary, Heather Hedrick, although Gov. Perdue continues to believe that immigration control should remain a federal responsibility, states still must closely guard eligibility for state-sponsored benefits. "People who are ineligible should not receive state benefits," she says.
Gov. Perdue will have 40 days from the end of the legislative session, which finished on Mar. 30, to veto the bill or sign it into law. Sen. Zamarripa has lobbied Gov. Perdue to delay signing the bill in hopes that the federal government will take action superceding the proposed reforms in Georgia.
Such measures would certainly have an impact on Georgia's economy. An estimated 200,000 to 250,000 illegal immigrants live in Georgia, according to a June 2005 Pew Hispanic Center study. Although not as high a percentage as in Texas or California, Georgia is considered one of the new destination states for Hispanics.
FINANCIAL REPERCUSSIONS. According to a 2005 study at the Selig Center for Economic Growth at the University of Georgia's Terry College of Business, Georgia ranked 10th nationally in terms of Hispanic market size [$10.6 billion], and 3rd by rate of growth [696%] of Hispanic buying power between 1990 and 2005, making Georgia perhaps the most attractive Hispanic market for business in the nation because of exploding ranks and increasing wealth. Only North Carolina and Arkansas have higher growth rates in Hispanic buying power, and neither of those states is considering immigration bills related to state benefits, education, or employment, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Indeed, Hispanic advocacy groups say that state laws such as the one pending in Georgia fail to solve the problems with the immigration system and only serve to polarize the issue. "It sends the wrong message and unleashes an environment of division and hate," says Clarissa Martinez, Director of State Policy for the National Council of La Raza, a Latino advocacy group based in Washington, D.C.
Sara Gonzalez, President & CEO of the Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce echoes those thoughts: "This sends and ugly message; it targets Latinos, telling them they are not welcome."
Still, some see a glimmer of hope in the proposed changes in Georgia, since the bill will not become law until signed by Gov. Perdue, and may be preempted by federal legislation. "This has been a wake up call for the Hispanic community," says Gonzalez. After detailing the problems she sees with Georgia's efforts at immigration reform, Martinez says with some element of hope, "we might now see an opening for a civilized debate."
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http://www.atlantalatino.com/detail.php?id=5535
Special: Hispanics say no to SB 529
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| Sen. Sam Zamarripa (D-Atlanta) and Rep. Pedro Marin (D-Duluth), showed their support of those who met in front of the state Capitol on March 24 for the commercial boycott and labor stike. Protestors expressed their concern for the aprroval of SB 529, introduced by Sen. Chip Rogers (Photos: Mario Guevara/AL) | |||||||
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03/30/2006
Approximately 80,000 people didn't work and didin't buy anything last Friday during the economic boycott summoned by "Alianza 17 de Marzo".
This is an special coverage with photos about what happened in Georgia during, maybe, one of the main protests against SB 529, a bill proposed by Sen. Chip Rogers (R-Woodstock).
A lack of necessary permits stopped "Alianza 17 de Marzo" protestors from garnering more participants; nevertheless, students from Georgia State University urged high school students to leave their classrooms and join the march.
Nearly 100 students from Cross Keys High School, where 70 percent of the students are Hispanic, left their classrooms to protest in front of the high school with banners and signs.
At the same time, at least 200 people gathered outside the state Capitol to join the protest. Democratic Sen. Sam Zamarripa, the only Hispanic representative in the House of Representatives who showed his support of the march, met them and advised protestors to march peaceably and pray that the governor opposes the legislation.
According Teodoro Maus, ex general consul of Mexico in Atlanta and member of Alianza 17 de Marzo, "this has really been the best turn out from Latinos that we could have given the state government. It's a great day in history that we are claiming for the dignity of all Latinos. Public transportation services that close to 100,000 immigrants use daily reported a 90 percent decrease from its users."
In the afternoon, "Alianza 17 de Marzo" leaders proclaimed their victory at a local restaurant at the end of the day after boycotting their services all over the state.
Various representatives of the group reiterated that Hispanics have rights like all human beings, that they are heroes for risking their lives to provide better futures for their families, and that they pay taxes and take jobs that Americans don't want.
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http://www.ajc.com/news/content/metro/stories/0331legmain.html
Legislators beat the clock
Budget approved as Assembly races to put final touches on session
By JIM THARPE, NANCY BADERTSCHER, SONJI JACOBS
Published on: 03/31/06
The Georgia Legislature sprinted toward the finish line of its 2006 session Thursday night, approving a record state budget, tougher penalties on sex offenders and new limits on government seizure of private property.
The General Assembly's 236 members had until the end of Thursday, their 40th day of business, to approve legislation or let it die for the year.
Much of this year's session was colored by election-year politics, as Republican majorities in the House and Senate pushed voter-friendly legislation they hope will help them make a case for re-election this fall. The final day was a scramble to finish that work.
Republican Gov. Sonny Perdue addressed the General Assembly on Thursday evening, making a last-minute push for passage of his proposal on eminent domain. The bill, which cracks down on government's ability to condemn private land for public projects, was approved overwhelmingly.
Perdue praised lawmakers' efforts this session.
"As you return to your communities, I think you'll have good things to say and a solid record of accomplishment," Perdue told the House.
Legislators overwhelmingly approved legislation to keep sex offenders in prison longer and place tough new restrictions on their release. The bill includes a mandatory minimum sentencing of 25 years to life for certain sex crimes with the minimum time served on a life sentence of 30 years.
The two chambers waited until the final hours to pass an $18.6 billion budget for fiscal 2007. The measure, which takes effect July 1, includes much of what Perdue wanted, including 4 percent raises for teachers, nearly $1 billion in construction money for new schools and roads, and $10 million to supply each teacher in the state with a $100 gift card they can use to buy supplies.
In the final hours, GOP leaders added to the budget more than 300 local projects — sometimes called pork barrel spending — worth $6.5 million.
Lawmakers also gave final approval to a bill permitting the prosecution of anyone who causes the death of an unborn child, regardless of the stage of pregnancy. The measure was opposed by abortion rights supporters, who saw it as an attempt to give the unborn the rights of citizens.
There were some high-profile failures as the legislative clock ticked down. The so-called "stream buffer" bill that would have allowed landowners outside metro Atlanta to build closer to drinking water reservoirs and their feeder streams failed on a lopsided vote.
Rep. Chuck Martin (R-Alpharetta) tried to help the floundering bill with amendments that he said could resolve most objections. But the House killed his amendments, which Minority Leader DuBose Porter (D-Dublin) said were like putting "perfume on the pig.
"It still smells," Porter said.
A controversial bill that would make it easier for Atlanta Gas Light to build a $300 million pipeline from the coast to Atlanta at their customers' expense appeared dead in the final hours. HB 1325, sponsored by the heaviest hitters in the House, never made it out of the Senate Rules Committee.
Throughout the day the Capitol buzzed with activity as lobbyists, activists and busloads of children on school tours jammed the marble halls.
Rachel Fowler of Decatur and an angry squad of Garden Club members were buttonholing state senators about changes made to House Bill 1097, which they believed would have permited the clear-cutting of trees near billboards.
Fowler hoped to get the tree-cutting provision deleted before lawmakers adjourned. The provision was taken out in the House version of the bill and added back in by the Senate, Fowler said.
Joan Brown, a Garden Club member from Atlanta, said, "It's part of their sneakiness. It's the way they do business. But we think we can stop it."
The last day of the Legislature is renowned for lawmaking shenanigans. Amid a long, chaotic day, language can be inserted or deleted that can totally remake a piece of legislation. There is often big money at stake and the Capitol's hallways crawl with lobbyists nervously monitoring hallway television sets and talking with their clients by cellphone.
By the time the sun set, the Garden Club ladies had apparently won the day — the tree-cutting provision had been axed in a conference committee and the "improved bill" was awaiting final passage.
Even before Thursday, much of the Republicans' agenda for their second year in control of the Legislature had already passed.
Bills cracking down on illegal immigrants and their employers and expanding rights for gun owners had already been approved by both chambers.
Lawmakers had also passed controversial legislation refining a state requirement that voters show photo identification at the polls. It has already been signed into law by Perdue.
And they had already approved Perdue's proposals lowering class sizes in public schools and requiring systems to spend 65 percent of their money on the classroom. Lawmakers also passed a bill that would permit Georgia high schools to offer courses in the history and literature of the Bible.
Not all legislation approved Thursday was heavy-duty stuff. Lawmakers continued the time-tested habit of increasing the number of state symbols by designating the red drum as the official state saltwater fish and the Southern Appalachian brook trout as the official state cold water game fish.
One of the first bills to gain final approval Thursday amends the state's wild animal laws to allow severely disabled Georgians to own "service" monkeys. Supporters of House Bill 695 say the trained monkeys can help disabled people maintain their independence by doing little jobs such as opening cans, fetching drinks and turning out the lights.
The General Assembly's final day is often a time for goodbyes, especially in an election year when some lawmakers have decided to run for higher office or retire.
At least a dozen state representatives are not expected to return, and the House stopped Thursday evening to say fond farewells, several that bridged party lines. The House honored Rep. Terry Coleman (D-Eastman), a 34-year veteran and the last Democratic speaker, who is retiring.
Speaker Glenn Richardson (R-Hiram) gave up his place at the speaker's rostrum so Coleman could deliver his goodbye from what was his perch in 2003-04. Tears came as Coleman talked of his 34 years in office, his family and Capitol friends. "Thank you, all members of the House past and present for, such a great honor."
AJC staff writers can be reached at: Jim Tharpe, jtharpe@ajc.com; Nancy Badertscher, nbadertscher@ajc.com; and Sonji Jacobs, sjacobs@ajc.com.
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http://news.mywebpal.com/news_tool_v2.cfm?show=localnews&pnpID=909&NewsID=707579&CategoryID=13280&on=0
| Perdue won't say whether he will sign immigration bill | |
| 03/30/06 ATLANTA (AP) — Gov. Sonny Perdue isn't saying yet whether he will sign a sweeping immigration bill, which received final passage in the Georgia Legislature this week. But the Republican governor said Wednesday he did not think the bill was ''anti-immigrant.'' Perdue said Wednesday that Georgia needs to strike a balance between being a welcoming state for newcomers ''whether they come from Alabama or Michigan or Mexico'' while also ensuring that taxpayer dollars are used for people in the state legally. Perdue said he thinks ''it's only right'' to expect that the state's social services are dedicated to people eligible to receive them. ''And that's one of the things the bill does,'' Perdue said. Perdue spokesman Dan McLagan said the governor's legal team would be studying the bill and he would decide in the coming days whether to sign it. The immigration bill was a top priority for Republican leaders in the Legislature this session. And while Perdue has not publicly staked but a position on the bill it is widely expected that he will sign it. The Georgia Security and Immigration Compliance Act would verify that adults seeking many state-administered benefits are in the country legally. It would also sanction employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants and mandate that companies with state contracts check the immigration status of their employees. The bill is believed to be the first comprehensive immigration bill to make it through a statehouse this session, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
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Erik Voss
erik@ICAtlanta.org
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