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Immigration bill unlikely to live

BY JEANNINE KORANDA

Eagle Topeka bureau

TOPEKA - It appears unlikely that the Legislature this year will pass a law cracking down on illegal immigrants and employers who hire them.

For the second time Friday, the House blocked a full debate on a compromise immigration bill.

Rep. Arlen Siegfreid, R-Olathe, the chamber's chief negotiator, said he would "be the most shocked person in Kansas" if his Senate counterpart called the committee back to renegotiate the bill.

It failed 55-67 on a House vote on whether to accept and begin debate on the negotiated bill lacking the signature of one negotiator, Rep. Judith Loganbill, D-Wichita.

Loganbill had criticized the bill for not being tough enough on employers who hire illegal immigrants.

The vote sent the measure back to the negotiating committee, so it could be revived, but many lawmakers weren't hopeful.

"We won't have an immigration bill," Siegfreid predicted.

One of the main sticking points for House substitute for Senate Bill 329 was the lack of criminal penalties for employers who intentionally misclassify workers as independent contractors to avoid paying taxes and having to check whether the worker is in the country legally.

But that wasn't the only problem with the bill.

Rep. Brenda Landwehr, R- Wichita, who worked on the House's original -- and much stricter measure -- called the negotiated proposal "smoke and mirrors.".

While most representatives seemed to have voted against the measure because of the misclassification issue, Siegfreid estimated about 17 opposed the bill because it did not include any requirement that businesses use the federal E-Verify system to check employees' eligibility to work in the country.

After a second round of talks, the committee had passed out a bill with what Loganbill deemed "cosmetic changes."

The new version slightly expanded the severity of felony offenses that would disqualify arrested illegal immigrants from being eligible for bail.

"I believe this is the last train out of Dodge," Rep. Charles Roth, R-Salina, warned the House.

Not having an illegal-immigration reform measure would be more honest than the current proposal, said Sen. Peggy Palmer, R-Augusta, who had sponsored her own strict reform bill early in the session.

"There was really no purpose in putting through this watered down, no-teeth bill," she said.

Reach Jeannine Koranda at 785-296-3006 or jkoranda@wichitaeagle.com.