House Vote Needed to Resolve Stalemate
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Senate ready to move.
Columbia, SC- Today the South Carolina Senate called on the House to seek a vote for free conference powers that will allow their joint legislative committee members to meet in open negotiations with Senate members to end the current stalemate on illegal immigration reform. Two-days ago the House agreed to take a vote on true immigration reform but unfortunately used excuses to remain silent on the issue. Verification options for private employers is the only major hurdle left to reach an agreement.
“Sadly, the House dropped the ball in drafting any provisions, so the Senate version of the bill is the only bill that addresses private employer verification. Unless the House is willing to accept that version of the bill or give its committee members free conference powers to add new provisions, they are killing this bill,” says Senate Pro Tempore Senator Glenn McConnell (R-Charleston). “They had over a year to write provisions on private employer verification but failed to do so in either our bill or their bill.”
McConnell went on to say, “The only way we are going to move this discussion forward is for the House to act by voting to grant free conference power to their joint committee members on immigration reform.” Read more
Letter from Senator McConnell to Representative Harrison on Immigration Reform
Filed Under Caucus, Top News, McConnell | 2 Comments
Please find below a letter from Senator McConnell to Representative Harrison on immigration reform:
Dear Mr. Harrison:
I am in receipt of the Speaker’s letter to Senator Ritchie and to each member of the conference committee on immigration reform, and I feel compelled to respond so that the House conferees understand not only the constraints under which they operate but also the constraints under which the Senators Ritchie, Campsen, and Sheheen must operate.
Click here to download the rest of the letter.
Senate Forces House to Take Stand on Private Employer Verification
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Columbia, SC - Today, Senator Jim Ritchie (R-Spartanburg), Chairman of the Joint Legislative Conference Committee on illegal immigration reform, forced House conference committee members to return to their body and get a vote on private employer verification. The Senate’s Illegal Immigration Reform Act is the only bill that has ever included a requirement for private employers to verify the legal immigration status of new hires. Recent political maneuvers by the House put the bill in jeopardy due to their refusals to include private employers in their legislation.
“The House has ducked this issue from its inception, the House returned the Senate bill without addressing private employers, the House sent their own immigration bill to the Senate without addressing private employers, the House voted to nonconcur with Senate amendments that include private employers,” says Senator Ritchie. Read more
S.C. Senate OKs budget; McConnell gets $5 million more for Lowcountry schools
Filed Under Caucus, ryberg2, Top News, Rankin, McConnell, Leatherman, Peeler | 2 Comments
The state Senate approved a $7 billion spending plan Wednesday after a 12-hour session that had coastal lawmakers sparring for cash and ended with promising state workers a 1 percent raise.
Final deals were reached just after 10 p.m. after Charleston and other Lowcountry legislators were promised millions to shore up spending for their schools, as well as more tourism promotion cash as soon as the economy turns around.
That cleared the way for the budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1 to head back to the House. A joint conference committee will work out final deals in the next few weeks amid fears a weak economy could prompt more spending reductions. Read more
