House Vote Needed to Resolve Stalemate
Filed Under Caucus, Top News, Ritchie, McConnell
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.”
Today, in an effort to keep alive negotiations between the two bodies, Senator Jim Ritchie (R-Spartanburg) obtained a unanimous bi-partisan agreement from the Senate to vote on the question of giving Senate conference committee members free conference powers after the House votes. Free conference powers will allow the committee members to add the provisions, currently not in either bill, needed to reach an agreement.
“The Senate today took the extraordinary step of goodwill by agreeing not to engage in extended debate before a vote,” says Senator Ritchie, “if the House will vote for a free conference committee and allow the process to move forward.”
If this fails, the House can return to negotiations and accept the only language in either bill on private employer verification for workers thereby producing as strong a comprehensive illegal immigration reform bill as possible for the citizens of South Carolina. We will then work to resolve the few other issues currently preventing any legislation from becoming law.
“We like all South Carolinians are bound by the rules. Because of the House’s lack of action, the rules require free conference powers to consider any new provisions to the illegal immigration reform bill,” says Senator McConnell.
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