Georgia ’s state Senate has approved the Georgia Security and Immigration Act, according to The Atlanta Journal Constitution. The Senate is involved in much debate over the Sen. Chip Roger’s Senate Bill 529 that targets illegal immigrants, which equals anywhere between 250, 000 and 800, 000 people in Georgia, and their employers. Democrat Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond complains that it creates an “amnesty program” while Republicans say that it is the best solution that can be reached as of now. The state’s legislature made several amendments to the bill however. A section that imposed a fee on money wired out of the country by illegal immigrants was deleted, and under the alternate proposal, companies with federal contracts must use a federal verification program to determine the citizenship status of their new hires. Employers will also withhold a six percent tax from undocumented immigrants. These provisions will not take into effect into July of 2007. Private employers will not be affected until the year 2008.

*****

In New Hampshire, the Senate passed a bill that will force businesses that hire foreign workers to register with the state.  The bill will make it easier for law enforcement to locate and punish undocumented immigrants.  Despite passing through the Senate, the bill is the subject of hot contestion.

According to an article by Kathy McCormic, supporters of the bill argue that it is just a step to help deter employers from hiring undocumented immigrants who take jobs away from local citizens.  Critics of the bill point to a wide range of problems in the legislation, including the potential discrimination which the bill could inspire in employers.  The bill will have to go before a House which has killed a number of immigration bills before it can be ratified.

*****

In Ohio, the House voted to discount immigrants when conducting census research to determine congressional seats.  The state is concerned about the growing immigrant population in states such as Florida which, if included in the next census, would strip Ohio of two congressional seats.  The proposal to change the 14th amendment passed easily in the Ohio House, but has elicited negative reactions from the immigrant population within the state.

According to an article by Reginald Fields of The Plain Dealer, a ratification by the US Congress is highly unlikely.  States with booming immigrant populations will be less inclined to support a bill that will discredit a large portion of their populace.  Despite being a long shot, Ohio politicians have risked alienating a large group of their population in order to protect their voice in the U.S. House of Representatives. 

Critics of the legislation complain that the proposal would discount those immigrants who are within the country legally but have not yet attained citizenship while others have questioned why all non-citizens have been lumped together.  Some detractors have raised questions of discrimination in the motives behind this proposal.  These issues may weigh in when the issue goes before the Ohio Senate in the near future.

*****

Mexico ’s government spent approximately close to three hundred thousand dollars to clarify its stance in immigration, according to The Daily Bulletin. Mexico bought a full page ad in The New York Times, Washington Post, and Los Angeles Times, expressing its position on border enforcement, economics, a U.S. guest-worker program, and so forth. The ad was entitled “A Message from Mexico about Migration.” Jennifer Ring, a vice president with Allyn & Co., the Dallas-based public relations firm that created the ad, explained that Mexico ’s ad was part of the government’s effort to 'correct misconceptions' U.S. residents might have about their southern neighbor. It is estimated that combined daily circulation of the three U.S. newspapers is 2.7 million. Mexico ’s manner of advertising its policy is slightly unorthodox, but Rod camp, professor of government at Claremont McKenna College , stated that Mexico used three of the largest newspapers in the U.S. because it is trying to influence a specific ‘elite readership.’

*****

H.R.5023 : To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to repeal the amendments made by the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 requiring documentation evidencing citizenship or nationality as a condition for receipt of medical assistance under the Medicaid Program.
Sponsor: Rep Christensen, Donna M. [VI] (introduced 3/28/2006 )      Cosponsors (15)
Committees: House Energy and Commerce
Latest Major Action: 3/28/2006 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

H.R.5035 : To provide discretionary authority to an immigration judge to determine that an alien parent of a United States citizen child should not be ordered removed from the United States .
Sponsor: Rep Serrano, Jose E. [NY-16] (introduced 3/28/2006 )      Cosponsors (2)
Committees: House Judiciary
Latest Major Action: 3/28/2006 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.