Alabama Gets Strict Immigration Law as Governor Relents

[alp227]

Source: NYT

Only a day after calling a special session and urging the Alabama Legislature to make more changes to the state’s immigration enforcement law than the modest ones they had passed, Gov. Robert Bentley on Friday signed the bill into law anyway.

The governor’s decision was arguably the quickest of several reversals that have taken place in recent weeks as politicians in Montgomery, the capital, debated the need for changes to Alabama’s immigration enforcement law, considered the strictest and most sweeping in the country.

The Legislature had seemed poised just weeks earlier to pass a bill that would make a number of changes to the original law that were intended to address complaints by business groups, local law enforcement officials and legal Alabama residents.

But in the last few days of the session, which ended Wednesday, another version of the bill gained steam, one that preserved more of the original law and also added some controversial provisions, like one requiring the state to publish the name of every illegal immigrant who appears in court for a violation of state law.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/19/us/alabama-gets-strict-immigration-law-as-governor-relents.html

[lib2DaBone]

1. ..while the watermelon crops rot in the field....

.. the conservative mind at work.... sick bastards.

[pampango]

2. Alabama editorial: The revision does nothing to tell ... Alabama is welcoming and tolerant.

Last year's HB 56 gave the state's reputation a terrible black eye. This year's HB 658, the rewrite and revision, delivered another black eye and kick to the ribs for good measure.

The revision does nothing to tell industry recruiters Alabama is welcoming and tolerant.

It's hard to see how Alabama's immigration law does anything toward promoting economic growth, at least economic growth in Alabama. HB 56 and its evil brother HB 658 give economic recruiters in other states all the ammunition they need to keep industries and businesses from locating in Alabama. They present Alabama as a closed, intolerant, unwelcoming state.

Bentley could have vetoed HB 658 and called for repeal of HB 56. All Alabama needs is E-Verify to make sure workers are eligible to hold jobs. But Bentley missed another chance to do right, and Alabama will continue to pay the price.

http://blog.al.com/birmingham-news-commentary/2012/05/our_view_alabama_gov_robert_be.html

One of the attorneys challenging Alabama's law, Mary Bauer of the Southern Poverty Law Center, said she was disappointed that Bentley had signed the bill and given up on making more changes for now.

"The governor has been struggling to get votes for his amendments, but to give up after one day is dismal," she said.

She said some of the revisions passed by the Legislature make the bill worse than the original enacted in 2011. "Alabama is distinguishing itself as the worst of the worst," she said.

http://www.necn.com/05/18/12/Ala-governor-thwarted-on-immigration-law/landing_politics.html?&apID=ae808dfc0aac4306a332e3ca4f485177

"They present Alabama as a closed, intolerant, unwelcoming state." - Couldn't have said it better myself.

Scott Beason is the republican state senator who pushed HB 56 and n ow HB 658. Below is a video of him speaking to the Alabama tea party about HB 56.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=Vy1umo1j-r0

[DFW]

3. This is the state that arrested a German visiting the Mercedes factory there

Maybe if Mercedes pulls out and moves to Arkansas, they'll get the message? If it had been
my wife (who is German) they had arrested, and if I were CEO of Daimler-Benz (which I'm
not), I would have ordered the move the next day, telling the people of Alabama that Germany
had suffered enough under the Nazis, and when Alabama Republicans started treating our
visiting managers like they might have been under the Nazis, it was time to go.

[madrchsod]

4. we used to have migrant workers but that ended in the 80`s

thanks to reagan millions of migrants were given citizenship. they got real jobs ,paid taxes ,and put their kids through college. then came nafta that ruined the farmers and street vender's in mexico. so they came north for the very jobs we need people to do and they did them. now we want them out.

but let`s not forget the irish who are the second largest illegal group in the usa. and i would be remiss not to mention the poles and other eastern european people who are here illegally but do not get the shit the mexican and central americans get....gee could the difference be the color of their skin?