The University of Idaho Argonaut

Idaho’s immigration bills should be passed after revisions

An Idaho immigration bill was shot down yesterday by the Senate State Affairs Committee, and for good reason.

SB 1303, aimed to penalize employers that knowingly hire undocumented workers.

Another bill, SB 1271, would make it a crime to use false documents for employment. The Senate State Affairs Committee will decide this bill’s fate soon.

Certain aspects of 1303 render it ridiculous and over-reaching.

Bill proposer Sen. Mike Jorgenson, R-Hayden Lake, said he plans to remove two provisions in the bill. One provision would make it a felony for churches or other charity organizations to aid illegal immigrants, and the other would ensure driver’s license tests are only in English.

To stop religious groups from donating food and services to anyone is to force them to abstain from what they believe their purposes are.

Forcing English on anyone taking a driver’s license test in Idaho is discriminatory against not only Spanish-speaking immigrants, but also refugees and other groups of immigrants.

Any reasonable person understands immigration laws are necessary to an extent. It’s the crazy legislators with anti-immigration agendas that cause the trouble.

Bills stuffed with silly provisions do no good. They waste the government’s time with issues that will not pass, and certainly shouldn’t pass, while the government could be productive.

SB 1303 and 1271 should pass next year after the state budget crisis has been solved and without any of these idiotic provisions.

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