Rep. Kinzer still pushing ahead on Kansas immigration bill

TOPEKA | Olathe state Rep. Lance Kinzer said today he will still push ahead with an Arizona-styled immigration bill that was handed a defeat late Monday afternoon.

"I think it's a good bill as originally drafted," Kinzer said. "I'd like to see us pass a strong, meaningful immigration reform bill this sesssion. I am going to continue to do what I can to see that happens."

Kinzer was tweaked by the very committee he chairs when the panel tabled the bill that would require police to check the legal status of those they suspect might be in the United States illegally.

The measure also would require state and local governments and their contractors to run citizenship checks on new hires and require proof of citizenship for anyone seeking public aid.

State Rep. Pat Colloton, a Leawood Republican, led the legislative assault on the bill. She claimed it would lead to racial profiling and potentially hurt charities that don't comply with the law by costing them their grant money.

Kinzer noted that he tried to compromise on the bill. He offered amendments that would have lightened some of the penalties and added a provision that would forgive businesses that may violate the law inadvertantly. His amendments were narrowly rejected on Monday.

Kinzer said his amendments detail the areas where he thinks it's reasonable to compromise. He said it was too early to know what strategy he might pursue if he can't get the bill out of the House Judiciary Committee.

"We'll just have to see what opportunities present themselves. I am certainly interested in trying to contiue to make sure we advance the debate and take it one step at a time."

At a news conference today, Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback sidestepped a question about whether he would sign the bill.

He said it was a bad idea to answer hypothetical questions about what bill might get sent to his office or whether it would be signed into law. He said he would have to see what the bill looked like in its final form before answering that question.

This story was originally published March 15, 2011 at 1:40 PM with the headline "Rep. Kinzer still pushing ahead on Kansas immigration bill."