‘Arizona-style’ crackdown on illegal immigration proposed for Georgia

HB 87 was developed by a special House-Senate committee that held hearings last fall on the immigration issue. Under the proposal, law enforcement officers would be authorized to determine the immigration status of someone they have stopped or detained for a possible violation if they suspect the person is an illegal immigrant.

The person could then be held by police for verification of their immigration status even after the basis for the original probable cause for the stop has expired. This bill makes it a crime to transport, harbor or encourage illegal aliens to enter this state.

The bill would also require business owners with more than five employees to provide evidence they have used the federal E-verify system to check the citizenship status of their employees. HB 87 would also provide Georgia residents an ability to sue a police force or other government agency in Superior Court if they believe the agency is not enforcing the immigration law.

Supporters of the proposal say it is in response to a breakdown in federal enforcement of immigration laws and is aimed at protecting employment opportunities for legal residents. Opponents claim enactment of the measure would adversely affect Georgia businesses, with an especially negative impact on the agriculture and tourism industries.

My thoughts continue to be, “we are a nation of laws, and what part of illegal isn’t understood?” This issue continues to fester because of the failure of the Federal Government to deal with this problem which has created a patchwork of laws throughout the 50 states which makes it problematic to effectively enforce.

HB 87 was assigned to the House Judiciary Non-Civil Committee for its consideration.

Zero-Based Budgeting: On Jan. 27, the State Senate voted unanimously to override former Gov. Perdue’s veto of legislation adopted last year that would have required the state to implement a zero-based budgeting process. Legislation passed by both the Senate and House of Representatives in 2010 would have required lawmakers, over a four-year period, to scrutinize the entire budget, including the continuation portion, under a zero-based system. After adjournment of last year’s session, then-Gov. Perdue vetoed the bill. Senators approved the veto override by a vote of 52-0.

But later in the day, Speaker David Ralston announced the House will not be bringing up the override, instead opting for new legislation, HB 33, to implement zero-based budgeting. The Speaker’s rationale was based on the timeline dates in last year’s legislation that could not be met since this year’s budget process has begun and the state would not be in legal compliance. As a longtime sponsor and advocate of the need of zero-based budgeting, I am more than pleased that your legislature is on track to pass this needed tool to correct the budget process and effectively look at waste and unneeded bureaucratic spending.

Water transfers: The State Board of Natural Resources has voted to approve new regulations governing inter-basin transfers of water in Georgia. Under the new rules, the director of the Environmental Protection Division (EPD) should consider environmental and economic standards in deciding whether to grant a permit to transfer water from one river basin to another.

I am among many rural legislators who want tighter restrictions on inter-basin transfers out of concern the practice will result in their areas’ water supply would be severely affected by transfers to the metro Atlanta region. This week, I introduced a comprehensive bill that would add needed provisions to law for the future protection of state waters.

QBE study committee: Gov. Nathan Deal announced his plans to appoint a study committee to review the Quality Basic Education funding formula used by the state to determine how much of the state’s budget is distributed among local school systems.

The committee may make recommendations for adjusting the formula, which has been in place for more than 25 years. I commend the Governor for looking into the current funding formula since this has long been a source of contention as to how much the state spends and reimburses county schools and how much is locally raised through property taxes.

General Assembly Online: Throughout the session, you can read the details and check the status of legislation and watch live broadcasts of House and Senate proceedings online at www.legis.ga.gov. For additional information, please visit my recently redesigned website, www.alanpowell.net, where you can sign up to receive legislative newsletters by email.

State Rep. Alan Powell (R-Hartwell) represents the 29th District (Franklin, Hart and Madison counties) in the Georgia House of Representatives. Contact him at 507 Coverdell Legislative Office Building, Atlanta, GA 30334; by phone at 404-656-0202; or by email at alanpowell23@hotmail.com.