Reform Watch: Wyoming House Rejects Anti-Immigration Law
This pass Monday, a committee of the Wyoming House rejected an anti-immigration bill similar to Arizona's. The law cracks down on employers of illegal immigrants and illegal immigrants in general.
Rep. Pete Illoway, R-Cheyenne, introduced the bill but it died when no member of Wyoming's House Minerals, Business and Economic Development Committee moved to vote on the bill. There were strong concerns that the anti-immigration bill would raise constitutional issues about police treatment of suspected illegal immigrants.
"This is not anti-immigration; it's not anti-Hispanic," Illoway said. "It could be called a legal versus illegal bill."
Illoway's bill would have authorized state law enforcement to arrest suspected illegal immigrants without a warrant if they violated laws which would have deported them. The bill also illegalized employing illegal aliens, required employers to implement the E-Verify system and established an offense for failure to carry papers proving legal status. The bill would have allowed Wyoming state residents to bring action against the local government and police department for failing to enforce the law.
"What I heard today was finally, is there is a problem here in Wyoming, and it needs to be addressed," Illoway said. "No, this bill is probably not where we wanted to go. But it's a first step because people finally say, 'Oh, there is a problem. Let's go ahead and work on this thing.'"
Wyoming is an interesting case because it has a Republican governor, Matt Mead, and its legislature is dominantly Republican as well. The chances of an anti-immigration bill passing in Wyoming was favorable, but it was the same incumbents who killed the bill.
But the incumbents were not acting on their own volition alone. Business and industry group representatives have voiced practical problems this bill would have on their businesses if passed.
"We're already subject to a number of these requirements under federal law," said Jonathan Downing, spokesman for the Wyoming Contractors Association.
"Part of our concern is you'll have two systems going along," Lynn Birleffi said, a lobbyist for the Wyoming Lodging & Restaurant Association. Compliance to both systems would burden employers who rely on workers from different countries.
Rep. Pete Illoway, R-Cheyenne, introduced the bill but it died when no member of Wyoming's House Minerals, Business and Economic Development Committee moved to vote on the bill. There were strong concerns that the anti-immigration bill would raise constitutional issues about police treatment of suspected illegal immigrants.
"This is not anti-immigration; it's not anti-Hispanic," Illoway said. "It could be called a legal versus illegal bill."
Illoway's bill would have authorized state law enforcement to arrest suspected illegal immigrants without a warrant if they violated laws which would have deported them. The bill also illegalized employing illegal aliens, required employers to implement the E-Verify system and established an offense for failure to carry papers proving legal status. The bill would have allowed Wyoming state residents to bring action against the local government and police department for failing to enforce the law.
"What I heard today was finally, is there is a problem here in Wyoming, and it needs to be addressed," Illoway said. "No, this bill is probably not where we wanted to go. But it's a first step because people finally say, 'Oh, there is a problem. Let's go ahead and work on this thing.'"
Wyoming is an interesting case because it has a Republican governor, Matt Mead, and its legislature is dominantly Republican as well. The chances of an anti-immigration bill passing in Wyoming was favorable, but it was the same incumbents who killed the bill.
But the incumbents were not acting on their own volition alone. Business and industry group representatives have voiced practical problems this bill would have on their businesses if passed.
"We're already subject to a number of these requirements under federal law," said Jonathan Downing, spokesman for the Wyoming Contractors Association.
"Part of our concern is you'll have two systems going along," Lynn Birleffi said, a lobbyist for the Wyoming Lodging & Restaurant Association. Compliance to both systems would burden employers who rely on workers from different countries.
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