TX Republicans File Far-Ranging Immigrant Bills

[sonias]

Texas Tribune 1/27/11
Texas Lawmakers File Far-Ranging Immigrant Bills

(snip)
State Rep. Leo Berman, R-Tyler, has made national headlines for his “birther” bill that would require a candidate for president or vice president of the U.S. to show proof of natural-born citizenship to be placed on the ballot in Texas. He has also filed proposed legislation designed to provoke a legal challenge to the 14th Amendment, which bestows citizenship on anyone born in the U.S., regardless of the status of the child’s parents. House Bill 292, if passed, would prevent a county's local registrar from issuing a birth certificate to a child born to undocumented immigrants in Texas.

“Instead, they will be given a notice of birth, with instructions to take it to their own consulate or embassy to get citizenship papers or a birth certificate from the country of their parents,” Berman said, explaining his bill. “If it passes, we expect to be sued immediately, and that’s exactly what we’re looking for — we want to be sued in federal court so that federal judges will finally read the 14th Amendment.” After that, he said, it’ll only be a matter of time before the federal government realizes the amendment was ratified in 1868 only for those children born in the U.S. to black slaves.

Berman has also authored a bill — HB 294 — that would ban undocumented immigrants from suing legal Texans. They could not seek “equitable relief as a counter claimant or a cross claimant,” according to the legislation.

“If you have an accident with a car driven by an illegal alien, you are going to pay for your own car. But if you hit them, they are going to get an attorney, an abogado, and they are going to try and sue you for everything you’re worth,” he said. “I have asked several lawyers, and they said it is constitutional.”

The top two haters in the Texas House - Debbie Riddle and Leo Berman. Both have been ridiculed by Anderson Cooper on TV but neither seems to get it. In fact they revel in their hate. I can only hope that one day, they get what they have espoused their whole lives thrown right back at them.

I know, I know that's not very nice. But frankly - these are two people who have so much hate in their hearts they are beyond salvation.

:puke:

[mbperrin]

1. Don't know what part of the 14th Amendment they don't get.

Section 1. All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.


Anyone subverting these Constitutional truths is breaking the law. They will need another amendment to change this one.

So are the lawyers who are "helping" with this taking advantage of ignorant, know-nothing clients, or are they ignorant, know-nothing lawyers?

Just askin'.

[sonias]

2. Berman's lawyers are probably just looking for a fight

These are the kind of lawyers that the right would call "activist". Every progressive law or idea they want to repeal becomes a challenge for them.

The voting rights case that came out of Texas for example NAMUNDO v Holder. The attorney in that case Greg Coleman was that type of lawyer. He was bought and paid to destroy the VRA. That was the intention of that lawsuit that went all the way to the Supreme Court. It wasn't just about excepting this tiny MUD from the VRA. By the way http://legaltimes.typepad.com/blt/2010/11/top-texas-advocate-dies-in-plane-crash.html">Coleman was killed in a plane crash in November of last year.

He might be gone but there are plenty of others like him who think it is their duty in life to tear down laws that were made to remedy inequality. They are just so above the rest of us. :eyes: