Mike Delph is furious, and rightly so.
Indiana is unlikely to begin cracking down on businesses that knowingly hire illegal immigrants anytime soon.Lawmakers apparently killed a proposal to do just that late Thursday night after a legislative conference committee could not agree on a final version of a bill that would have yanked the license of offending employers.
Business and manufacturing lobbyists were all smiles and handshakes afterward, but declined to comment until the session ends today.
Hispanic leaders were jubilant.
WHY?
What part of "these people are here illegally and are not entitled to any job, property, or benefit accruing to citizens and legal residents" do these people not get?
The immigration bill's apparent defeat came after months of debate. And it left Delph bitter."I'm a guest in the circus," said Delph. "It's corruption. And you can quote me on that."
Even after watching his bill collapse in the committee, Delph kept working behind closed doors to put together a proposal that would have restored most of his original bill without $1.5 million in funding he initially called for -- a sticking point for some other lawmakers.
But with the hours ticking down, Delph said key legislators killed his bill.
"I think this has been a well-orchestrated effort, bipartisanly from both leaderships, to try to kill the bill," said Delph. "Unfortunately, the will of the people is losing now and it's a shame."
Another reason to Remember November.
Sen. Dennis Kruse, R-Auburn, offered a new version of the proposal that gutted the proposed penalties on employers that knowingly hire illegal immigrants.Asked why he had gutted Delph's proposal to revoke business licenses -- a measure that Kruse had voted for twice -- Kruse said he was listening to voices of many with concerns.
"I am not totally against it, but down here at the end, I think a lot of questions have been raised by a lot of people," said Kruse. "I just don't think that big of a penalty should be rushed into."
And yet another reason to remember November. I don't care if the guy is a Republican, he needs to be removed from office. It's time to stop listening to liberal whiners and crooked businessmen who exploit illegals.
Remember November. Clueless incumbents out, regardless of party.
