The Sun News
COLUMBIA, South Carolina -- After almost two hours of sometimes emotional public comment, a House subcommittee on Wednesday agreed to advance an illegal immigration clampdown sponsored by a Myrtle Beach legislator.
Rep. Thad Viers, R-Myrtle Beach, sponsored several bills dealing with illegal immigration. They were among dozens on the topic filed this legislative session.
The panel agreed to continue work on two bills - one of them Viers' - that seek to hold employers responsible for hiring undocumented workers.
Viers said the committee will hear from law enforcement officers as well as 15th Circuit Solicitor Greg Hembree before taking further action. Hembree wants to talk about the difficulty of prosecution, he said.
The subcommittee held two lengthy public hearings in the past few weeks and heard more testimony Wednesday, mostly from people who favor the state taking any action it can to stop what they say is a flood of illegal immigrants.
Posted by tyne at February 16, 2007