Jul 10, 2006 9:39 pm US/Mountain
Tentative Agreement Reached On Illegal Immigration
By Steven K. Paulson and Jon Sarche, Associated Press Writers
DENVER (AP) ―
Majority Democrats and GOP Gov. Bill Owens on Monday reached a tentative deal on a package of bills that Democrats call the toughest in the nation in dealing with illegal immigration.
House Speaker Andrew Romanoff, D-Denver, and Senate President Joan Fitz-Gerald, D-Golden, said two of the four bills agreed to would deny most nonemergency state services to adult illegal immigrants (House Bill 1023) and require employers to verify that employees are legally in the country (House Bill 1017).
Two bills would send questions to voters in November: one (House Bill 1022) asking whether the attorney general should sue the federal government to demand enforcement of federal immigration laws and another (House Bill 1020) proposing the denial of tax benefits to businesses that know they hire illegal immigrants.
"At the end of the day, everybody who serves in this building as senators or representatives knows we're making Colorado history," Fitz-Gerald said. "We want to be able to look in the mirror and say we did legislation that is tough, enforceable and humane."
The tentative deal followed daylong negotiations between the governor, Democrats, and members of the governor's own party as lawmakers try to wrap up a special session called by Owens to deal with illegal immigration.
"There are still details to be worked out. The negotiations and discussions are moving in the right direction," said Owens' spokesman, Dan Hopkins.
Republican leaders earlier refused to join majority Democrats in a proposal to recall a bill calling for a lawsuit against the federal government to add a "legislative declaration" that the state does not want to provide services to illegal immigrants. The measure already has been approved and is headed to voters in November.
"It takes two-thirds to recall it. It's essentially a letter to Santa Claus. It looks like they are banning state services to illegal immigrants, but I don't think you can dupe the voters," said House Minority Leader Mike May, R-Parker.
The measure will ask voters whether the attorney general should sue the federal government seeking to force it to enforce immigration laws.
May said he still supports the cornerstone legislation from Democrats (House Bill 1023), which Democrats want to amend to add provisions that would protect the homeless, people with mental illnesses and people who may have lost their identification. Lawmakers also plan to amend it so that a court could sever unconstitutional provisions of the bill, which goes into effect Aug. 1, if a court has a problem with any of the provisions.
"It protects children and protects public health and safety," Fitz-Gerald said. "These are important exceptions so that we are not ruining the world in which we live."
She said she hoped other states would follow Colorado's lead with similar laws so the federal government would "get the message that this issue can be tackled even in this hot political atmosphere."
(© 2006 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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