Sun-Sentinel
TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- A Legislature reluctant to tackle immigration policy in an election year made its first foray into the issue this week with a proposal to kick out of the country illegal immigrants in Florida's prisons who volunteer to be deported.
Even that measure, approved on a bipartisan vote in its first Senate committee stop, is billed by supporters more as a cost-saving measure than a bid to crackdown on illegal immigrants.
With the Legislature's annual lawmaking session half over, the hot-button issue of illegal immigration has largely been absent from the agenda. Bills to deny illegal immigrants state benefits such as food stamps and require companies to verify the legal status of employees have been idled as state legislators have dealt with a $3 billion budget shortfall.
"I don't know who is blocking it, but they're doing the public a disservice," said Rep. Don Brown, R-DuFuniak Springs, who is sponsoring one of the toughest bills targeting illegal immigrants. His bill would, among other things, prohibit so-called "sanctuary cities" where local police are barred from enforcing immigration laws.
Posted by tyne at April 3, 2008