(Arkansas) House panel rejects bill to deny services to illegal immigrants

[pampango]

http://arkansasnews.com/2011/02/23/house-panel-rejects-bill-to-deny-services-to-illegal-immigrants/

A House committee today voted down a bill that would deny state benefits to illegal immigrants except in emergencies. House Bill 1292 by Rep. Jon Hubbard, R-Jonesboro, failed in the House State Agencies and Governmental Affairs Committee in an 8-9 vote. The vote in the 20-member committee was strictly along party lines, with all eight Republicans present voting for the bill and all nine Democrats present voting against it.

The room was packed for the morning portion of the meeting, with some in the audience wearing anti-HB 1292 buttons and some wearing Tea Party or Secure Arkansas badges. Secure Arkansas tried unsuccessfully to place a ban on state benefits for illegal immigrants on the November 2010 ballot.

Hubbard said Arkansas has to do something to discourage illegal immigrants from coming into the state because the federal government is not enforcing federal immigration laws. He accepted the amendment to exempt prenatal care with reluctance.

State Health Officer Paul Halverson testified that if the state Health Department were to begin checking the immigration status of everyone who receives services, some would choose not to seek treatment. “If in fact the Health Department becomes known as an immigration agent for either the state or the federal government, and it has an impact of keeping people away, then in our opinion it has a far more negative impact on the health of the state,” he said.

[sinkingfeeling]

1. I am so happy this bill went down, but know the tea baggers will try again.

[gatorboy]

2. Heard audio of idiot Hubbard speaking to the committee this morning.

These guys can barely tie their shoes but they have jobs to make friggin' laws...

And he's too stupid to realize that illegal immigrants are already banned from benefits in this state. The real problem with his bill was it was worded in a way that even legal immigrants would be banned. Arkansas Repugs that ran on "jobs" have been wasting an awful lot of time with these type bills.