Posted on 06/01/2010 8:45:41 PM PDT by csd
With one lawmaker citing President Lincolns respect for the rule of law, the Massachusetts Senate passed a far-reaching crackdown this afternoon on illegal immigrants and those who would hire them, going further, senators said, than any immigration bill proposed over the past five years.
The measure, which passed on a 28-10 vote as an amendment to the budget, would bar the state from doing business with any company found to break federal laws barring illegal immigrant hiring. It would also toughen penalties for creating or using fake identification documents, and explicitly deny in-state college tuition for illegal immigrants.
The amendment would also require the states public health insurance program to verify residency through the Department of Homeland Security, and would require the state to give legal residents priority for subsidized housing.
Pretty tough, right? It makes Arizona look like a safe haven for illegal aliens. See, Massachusetts has full blown socialized medicine. They must also balance their budget and raise taxes often. Most residents refer to the state as Taxachusetts already. Where Arizonas law requires that the person in question be suspected of some other act of less than legal suspicion, the good folks in the Democratic controlled Mass. Senate are demanding proof of legal residence before receiving government handouts.
At some point, the welfare state smacks head first into a wall of reality. Illegal immigration costs us all.
But to deny housing and medical attention is unconscionable. While I am sure emergency situations will be taken care of in a hospital, care for less critical diseases will go untreated, endangering the illegal immigrant as well as others.
One thing this bill does not do is join with other states to eliminate the problem at the boarder. It is commendable of the senate for going after American companies that illegally hire workers and turn a blind eye to forged documentation. That is a necessary part of the solution. If there were no jobs for illegal workers, they would not be drawn to America.
Perhaps if the United States government were forced to balance their budget, they would also be forced to deal with the huge expense the problem of illegal immigration brings with it.
Arizona and Massachusetts would not be having the massive problem if President Obama would just do his job.
Well this is cool.
Up is Down. Black is White. Democrats are Republicans.
i cant believe it....
Are we talking about the Massachusetts in the U.S?
I’m still having a hard time with this one myself. The liberals must furious over this one...funny though, that one of the most liberal states in the country passed the law
So, they did it because their state gov’t healthcare can’t handle the illegals?
It’s not “anti-immigrant,” it’s anti-ILLEGAL immigrant law.
Now, will Deval Patrick sign the law? Will it even pass the house?
Hold on, let me whip out my globe.....yep, that’s the one ;)
The Arizona bill is not really “anti-immigrant”. It’s anti-illegal alien.
Has somebody put a common sense ingredient in the water in Mass?
I guess they have to be boycotted too, eh????
Hoist meet Petard.
Well its was passed as a budget amendment, so does the Governor even have to sign it? If so, then its probably a no go.
I'm guessing they ran out of Other People's Money.
I don’t know but people are POd all over the country over illegal immigration. The Democrats are on the wrong side of this argument and among other reasons will pay for this in November. At least I hope.
The border or the illegal "boarders"?
Why can't people get this one simple thing right?
As to the subject, good on Massachusetts! Their passage of their own tough illegal immigration law will help forward the momentum for other state legislatures to do likewise.
Sorry, I should have corrected that myself. That was the original title of the article...Of course I’m not against legal immigration.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.