Alabama governor signs nations toughest immigration law

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BIRMINGHAM, Ala (Reuters) - Republican Governor Robert Bentley on Thursday signed into law a crackdown on illegal immigration in Alabama that both supporters and critics consider the toughest in the nation.

Under the new measure, police must detain someone they suspect of being in the country illegally if the person cannot produce proper documentation when stopped for any reason.

It also will be a crime to knowingly transport or harbor someone who is in the country illegally. The law imposes penalties on businesses that knowingly employ someone without legal resident status. A company's business license could be suspended or revoked.

The law requires Alabama businesses to use a database called E-Verify to confirm the immigration status of new employees.

"We have a real problem with illegal immigration in this country," Bentley said after signing the law. "I campaigned for the toughest immigration laws and I'm proud of the Legislature for working tirelessly to create the strongest immigration bill in the country."

Alabama is the latest state to follow the lead of a controversial measure passed in Arizona last year. The courts blocked implementation of a provision allowing Arizona police to check the immigration status of people there.

But the U.S. Supreme Court recently endorsed a separate Arizona law requiring employers to use E-Verify. The court also ruled that Arizona could suspend or revoke business licenses of those companies that knowingly hire illegal immigrants.

Alabama's law is unique in requiring public schools to determine, by review of birth certificates or sworn affidavits, the legal residency status of students.

"We fear that it will, in effect, ban the student through fear and harassment," said Shay Farley, legal director of Alabama Appleseed, a nonprofit policy and legal advocacy organization.

Farley said there is also concern about the increased financial burden on schools to collect the information.

"We definitely believe this is the nation's toughest immigration law," said Jared Shepherd, a law fellow with the Alabama American Civil Liberties Union.

The Alabama bill passed the state House of Representatives and Senate by large margins before landing on Bentley's desk. Republicans took over majority control of both chambers of the Alabama legislature last year for the first time in 136 years.

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Texas ready for textbook showdown

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Maybe it's time to move to Texas.

clipped from www.msnbc.msn.com AUSTIN, Texas - Is Texas on the verge of rewriting history, or just correcting it? Among the recommendations facing a final vote: adding language saying the country's Founding Fathers were guided by Christian principles and including positive references to the Moral Majority, the National Rifle Association and the GOP’s Contract with America. Other amendments to the state's curriculum standards for kindergarten through 12th grade would minimize Thomas Jefferson's role in world and U.S. history because he advocated the separation of church and state; require that students learn about "the unintended consequences" of affirmative action; assert that "the right to keep and bear arms" is an important element of a democratic society; and rename the slave trade to the "Atlantic triangular trade.” Dunbar, who home-schools her children and says sending them to local schools would be like “throwing them in the enemy’s flames,” In Texas we have certain statutory obligations to promote patriotism

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Hayworth: 'Birther bill' doesn't go far enough

If Obama is not a natural-born citizen, he is ineligible to be president under the Constitution.

The White House ripped the birther bill as a waste of time and money. "I can't imagine Arizona voters think their tax dollars are well-served by a Legislature that is less focused on their lives than in fringe right-wing radio conspiracy theories," spokesman Bill Burton said to CNN.

clipped from www.azcentral.com Hayworth, who has cited the possibility of "identity theft" as a reason to want to see President Barack Obama's birth certificate, said the Arizona measure is "too narrowly drawn" because it would force only presidential candidates to produce evidence of their citizenship and other qualifications. Hayworth is a former GOP congressman and radio talk-show host who is challenging incumbent Sen. John McCain , R-Ariz., in the Aug. 24 primary. "It's real simple: We now require voters to offer proof that voters are who they say they are," Hayworth said Friday at a news conference in Phoenix. "If we're asking that of voters, shouldn't we ask candidates for every office on the ballot to be able to offer proof that they are who they say they are?" The state House on Wednesday voted 31-29 to pass the legislation that would require all presidential hopefuls seeking access to Arizona's ballot to provide to the Arizona Secretary of State's Office proof that the candidate is a natural-born citizen,

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Concealed Weapons Bill Closer To Reality In Arizona

clipped from www.personalliberty.com Lawmakers in the Arizona House of Representatives have adopted a bill that, if signed by the state’s governor, will allow people to carry concealed weapons without a permit, making the currently required background checks and classes unnecessary. The bill was passed in a 36-19 vote, and if Governor Jan Brewer signs it, as some commentators expect she will, Arizona will join Alaska and Vermont as the only three states that do not require permits to carry concealed weapons. Two states ban them altogether, and the remaining 45 require such permits. In response to critics who say this may increase access to guns for law-breakers, Republican Representative David Gowan, one of the sponsors of the bill, said that "what’s dangerous is when they’re [only] in criminals’ hands, not citizens’ hands."

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GOP leader calls for health care repeal, replace (OneNewsNow.com)

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• GOP leader calls for health care repeal, replace (OneNewsNow.com)

  "WASHINGTON - The U.S. health care system is in serious need of changes, but the Democratic plan to overhaul it is badly flawed and should be repealed and replaced, the Senate Republican leader says. Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky said Saturday in the GOP radio and video address that "nobody is satisfied with the health care system as it is." Costs are out of control and "people are being squeezed out of the market," he said. But he said the health care bill signed by President Barack Obama this week doesn't solve those problems and undermines what is best about health care in this country - a wide variety of medical options and innovations. The main health care law and a companion "fix-it" measure aim to crack down on insurance industry abuses and to reduce federal deficits by an estimated $143 billion over a decade. Most Americans would be required to buy insurance for the first time or face penalties. McConnell was emphasizing a new GOP political approach opposing Democrats' health care measures that proposes "repealing and replacing" the bill rather than just repealing the new health care law. Republicans say they can push for parts of the health care overhaul without adopting elements they don't like, such as tax increases. "We can do better," he said. "We can expand access to people with pre-existing conditions. We can keep people from being kicked off their plans. We can lower costs and premiums. We can do all of these things without undermining the things we do best and without raising taxes that kill jobs in a bad economy." Republicans want to appeal to tea party supporters and other conservatives upset at the size and scope of the legislation, while acknowledging that many people, including moderate Republicans and independents, want to see changes in American health care. Obama said this week that he welcomes a political fight with Republicans over efforts to repeal the bill. Repeal is highly unlikely because Republicans are now in the minority in both houses a

  tags: leader, gop, calls

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Bloody Sunday, 2010: House OKs health bill

GOP: 'This is not about uninsured; it is about socialized medicine'

clipped from www.wnd.com Democrats in the House needed 216 votes to pass the Senate's version of a sweeping health-care package Barack Obama has been pushing with all his presidential might. They tallied 219. Democrats hailed the vote as a landmark victory. Republicans in Congress, however, who voted in a solid block to oppose the measure that many argue grants the federal government far too much power at far too much of a cost, blasted the bill during the debate as the "mother of all unfunded mandates." "The American people know you can't reduce health-care costs by spending $1 trillion or raising taxes by more than one-half trillion dollars. The American people know that you cannot cut Medicare by over one-half trillion dollars without hurting seniors," said Rep. Dave Camp, R-Mich. "And, the American people know that you can't create an entirely new government entitlement program without exploding spending and the deficit." "From a pro-life prospective, I find absolutely no comfort in this executive order,"

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GOP to use amendments as tactic

Again what is Not talked about is the Positive ID Chip that goes along with this heathcare plan.
www.positiveidcorp.com/
Be sure to read through all it. Know what it is, and show others as well.

clipped from www.washingtontimes.com Even though Democratic leaders on Sunday conceded they didn't yet have the votes to pass President Obama's overhaul out of the House, Senate Republicans are threatening to put up hundreds of amendments — one of the few weapons in their limited arsenal — to force Democrats to take difficult votes on politically sensitive subjects. Amendments don't have to be relevant to the subject matter under the controversial tactic Democrats are using to avoid a filibuster, so Republicans can force Democrats to take tough votes on any number of matters, such as closing the detention facility for terrorism suspects at the U.S. Naval Base Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Democratic leaders said they can't risk passing any amendments to the bill, even if they agree with them. If they were to pass, it would require more time — and possibly more votes — to marry the Senate legislation with what passed in the House.

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