Posted on 05/03/2006 9:38:44 AM PDT by NormsRevenge
SACRAMENTO - Even as the national debate rages over illegal immigration, California legislators are weighing bills that take aim at the issue on fronts ranging from such public benefits as driver's licenses and in-state tuition rates to better investigation of the citizenship status of state prison inmates. Many of the bills are authored by Republican legislators looking to reduce public benefits to undocumented immigrants and investigate what they cost the state in resources and infrastructure.
One bill would eliminate in-state discounted tuition rates for undocumented immigrants to attend community colleges and the California State University system. Another would allow the governor to declare a state of emergency based on illegal immigration. And another would have the state do a more thorough job investigating the citizenship status of those in prison.
Democrats have opposed most of the efforts, and some are looking at expanding benefits for illegal immigrants, such as Sen. Gil Cedillo's effort to once again pass legislation that would allow undocumented immigrants to obtain California driver's licenses.
Assemblywoman Audra Strickland, R-Westlake Village, has authored the tuition bill, AB 2053, which would delete current law allowing students who have graduated after attending high school in California for at least three years to receive resident tuition rates, regardless of their legal residency.
Given the state's limited financial resources, she said, it needs to put priority on those who have legal residence first.
"I'm a teacher and I wholeheartedly support people getting an education to improve their lives and to get a better job," Strickland said. "But I believe that the privilege of state tuition should be solely available for those who are obeying the law and are legal residents of the state of California."
Democrats have opposed similar efforts in the past. Assembly Speaker Fabian Nuñez, D-Los Angeles, opposes the Strickland bill.
Cedillo also opposes it and has proposed his own bill, SB 160, which would allow undocumented students who currently qualify for resident tuition rates to also qualify for scholarships, which they currently do not.
"We should be trying to nurture and develop the talent in California," Cedillo said. "We shouldn't be trying to send students out of California. (Denying in-state tuition rates) has had this effect of creating a brain drain in the past."
Cedillo also is trying again to allow undocumented immigrants to obtain California driver's licenses. State law did allow that practice previously, but Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger persuaded the Legislature to repeal the law, saying he would agree to reauthorize it if security concerns are addressed.
Cedillo has twice persuaded the Legislature to pass the bill with language to address the security concerns, but Schwarzenegger vetoed both, still citing security and the need for more details to be worked out at the national level first.
The same bill is again working its way through the Legislature, and Schwarzenegger has not given any indication he has changed his position.
Assemblyman Sam Blakeslee, R-San Luis Obispo, had proposed a bill earlier this year that would require the state corrections system to do a better job investigating the immigration status of prisoners.
Currently, the state does an inadequate job documenting which prisoners are illegal immigrants, and therefore has trouble obtaining federal funds meant to reimburse states for the costs of illegal immigration, Blakeslee said.
That would also allow the state to turn those prisoners over to the federal government for deportation after their sentences end, he added.
"The amount of money we get depends on how many individuals we identify," Blakeslee said. "We're identifying only a fraction of those felons who are in our criminal system. The bill would have been self-funding."
The bill was killed in the Public Safety Committee by Democrats, who cited legal concerns and said it was redundant because the state already had programs to identify illegal immigrants in the prisons.
Blakeslee is now hoping to persuade Schwarzenegger to put a similar version of his bill in effect through executive order.
God bless our troops wherever they may be.
Be nice to know what % of "legals" are anchor babies.
ping
This is One-Bill-Gill Cedillo lamenting the loss of illegal aliens' intellectual talent from California. I saw the pictures of the illegals protesting, and I don't think we'd experience any sort of "brain drain" if all 3 million of them left. It might actually raise the collective IQ of CA. No, wait; we still have more dems than Republicans.
I hope the Republican minority can do the job.
...it's a BLUE STATE - all of these bills will be defeated.
I repeat: we should give California back to Mexico. Politics would be more fun without the radical lefties living out there.
"The Sexta Circunscripción proposal would enlarge the Mexican Congress and add a 6th electoral super-district. But if you look at the circunscripción map of Mexico, you see that Mexico's territory is completely covered by 5 circunscripciones. So where would the 6th one be?"
"According to the proposal, the U.S.A. would be the 6th electoral circunscripción, but only Mexicans would be voting! Mexicans in the United States would be voting in Mexican elections by absentee ballot, not through their home states, such as Chihuahua or Chiapas, but as Mexican residents of the Sixth Circunscripción, what you and I call the U.S.A."
Why, haven't you heard? Prop 187 led to the downfall of the Republicans in California, and ushered in a permanent Democratic majority.</ Sarcasm>
I have NEWS! The people from Mexico are not the only people that want into this country. People from all over the world want to come to the USA, and Mexicans are not better than any of the rest. Send the illegals home! If the illegals go home, two needing a home and freedom can replace these immediately, if ever needed.
Mexicans have attacked the USA from within. Where in the world can you find this? Mexicans are coming inside of the USA telling the legal citizens how to vote. This is not going to work.
Passed easily but the liberal courts spit in the voter's eye, again.
Goody Luck,
They'd have better chance in Hell. Very difficult to get pass the Mexican Kangaroo Court down there.
Oh really?? More fun??
Those of us who have lived in this state all our lives, have our families here, have our jobs here, don't agree with you.
California DOES NOT belong to Mexico. Read the history.
Hey folks, just saw these 2 posts at SteinReport.com, under the article dated May 02, 2006 "Tancredo Says Protests Triggering Backlash"...here is the 1st post:
"As a veteran of the U.S. Army from 1990-1994, I can honestly tell you what is coming. If what you have seen so far has frightened you, the next phase of what you are about to see will frighten you literally to death - into oblivion.
I've seen the hatred for the United States. As a member of various military intelligence battalions during the 1990's I've heard my share of planned takeovers of all lands within the continental United States of America!!
One such group is La Raza and their pressure to seize our border states for the creation of a "New Mestizo Nation" called Aztlan.
If you truly want this country spared, I have developed a form letter for you and as many other people as you can get to send it to Senators Tancredo and Lott, as well as to your own Congressmen and Senators.
Our Congress and Senate need an ultimatum from the people. Visit the following link which will take you to my forum post. The post is the letter I am asking MILLIONS to send in!
This isn't like any other letter you have seen. This is the ultimatum which should give your representatives nightmares at night for not heeding the desires of the people sooner.
http://www.alipac.us/ftopicp-122643.html
#122643
I look forward to seeing your letter hitting their desks or email boxes!!
Pro Patri Vigilans!
Death to Aztlan!!
Posted by: Concerned Veteran on May 2, 2006 10:53 PM"
So, what do you folks think of this comment at SteinReport.com? Here is the 2nd post:
"I can not believe what is happening to our country.
I work in an underserved area as a physician and I know first hand the attitude of many illegal immigrants in this country. They have no respect for this nation and it's people. Please America, stop this. Our government seems to not care about us. Please stand up!
Their nerve in public will be their destruction.
ESTABLISHED FACT
All elected and appointed government officials, and government employees---in their capacity as fiduciaries of public monies---are required, by law, to be bonded by state bonding insurance carriers. The express purpose of bonding government employees is to protect the public's money. Each state sets their own regulations, and selects a bonding insurance carrier.
Public entities that mandate bonding include: Municipalities, counties, townships (government employees of licensing agencies, and the like), school districts, ambulance districts, volunteer fire departments, community college districts, public universities, transit authorities, landfills, sewage treatment facilities, public works maintenance facilities, airports.
IMPACT
Taxpayers' concerns center on instances when elected and appointed public officials used government agencies fraudulently, and misused tax dollars----to build muster zones----allowed illegals to use phony documentation to get government benefits, auto licenses, building permits, welfare, food stamps, health care, school subsidies, and other government benefits, to vote in elections, to vote on tax-exempt municipal financing issues, and the like using false documenation. These are examples of fiduciary negligence by a bonded government employee, and would violate the state's bonding regulations, and the bonding requirements of the carrier.
SUMMATION
USING THE PUBLIC ASSETS OF STATE GOVERNMENT---- to pass legislation to allow undocumented immigrants to obtain fraudulent driver's licenses and other government benefits----IS FIDUCIARY NEGLIGENCE BY A BONDED GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL. MISUSE OF PUBLIC AGENCIES AND PUBLIC FUNDS WOULD INCUR FINES OR IMPRISONMENT UNDER BONDING RULES.
State income tax revenue runneth over
Story:
The state is collecting record-breaking tax revenues this year, outstripping even the most optimistic fiscal forecasts and setting the stage for a debate among lawmakers over what to do with the bounty as they craft next year's budget.
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