Image Credit: TN General Assembly
The Tennessee Conservative [By Olivia Lupia] –
On Monday, several immigration-related bills continued to make progress through the legislative process, with some passing the House despite heated exchanges with Democrats, one clearing a committee, and a proposed constitutional amendment making progress in the Senate.
HB1704 – Criminalizes illegal immigrants found in Tennessee who have a final deportation order
Sponsored by House Majority Leader William Lamberth, HB1704 creates a Class A misdemeanor for anyone with a final deportation order who enters, or attempts to enter, the state or is found in Tennessee’s state lines within 90 days of when their final order was issued.
On the House floor, several House Democrats passionately objected to the bill, erroneously claiming it forces the state to act as immigration enforcement, which is the job of the federal government.
“What bothers me in instead of addressing our infrastructure backlog, instead of ending the grocery tax, instead of fully funding our public schools, fully paying our teachers, you all are on weekly calls with Stephen Miller who’s endorsing an immigration agenda that does not deliver for Tennesseans. This is insanity… Instead of addressing the rising living costs for our constituents, we’re up here debating xenophobia on the House floor,” Democrat Aftyn Behn protested.
Rep. Lamberth defended the legislation, “At some point, we have to get past the rhetoric and to the truth of the matter. There are violent people that have violated the laws of the federal government and these United States to come to this country… Not every single person who comes to this country is a good person and wants to buy into what the United States of America is. Some of them want to commit murder, rape, and robbery. I will stand against those individuals, and I would ask that you stand with us against them. It’s not xenophobia, it’s protecting our citizens from illegal immigrants that would commit crimes against them.”
After a few more heated, and sometimes non sequitur, exchanges with Democrats about illegal immigration and the legal immigration system, the question was called on the bill, ending debate, and the vote was 73-22 in favor along party lines.
The Senate companion of the bill, SB1779, is being carried by Sen. Jack Johnson but has yet to receive a date before the Senate Judiciary Committee. The hearing will need to be scheduled soon given some committees are already announcing their final calendars as the General Assembly is more than halfway through this year’s session.
HB1705– Requires state and local governments to verify citizenship of prospective employees
This legislation would reiterate and clarify already existing legal requirements for all state and local government employers, including counties, cities, and local school systems, to use the federal E-Verify program when confirming the work authorization of employees. As an enforcement mechanism, local governments and school systems would also be prohibited from adopting policies or rules that conflict with the requirement, and the state Attorney General’s office would be granted enforcement authority through the withholding of state funding.
Democrats also objected to this legislation on the House floor, saying it “fuels anti-immigrant sentiment” and taking issue over the potential for withheld state funds.
“It is not solving the affordability crisis, it is not dealing with any of the things that are actually going to improve the quality of people’s lives, but instead is inviting liability through the loss of state funding into our cities, into our counties, and into our LEAs for no clear purpose or reason that’s been articulated by the sponsor or that’s been written within this legislation…This slate of hate that is supposed to prop up the anti-immigrant synergies in our state is wrong and it’s immoral,” said Democrat Rep. Justin Pearson.
These arguments seemingly had little effect on Republicans as they voted 73-21 to pass the bill, with all “No” votes again coming from Democrats. The Senate companion, SB1922, is set to be heard in the Senate State and Local Government Committee today, March 17.
HB2506– Criminalizes doxing of immigration officers
Intending to keep immigration officers safe while they carry out operations, HB2506 would make it a Class E felony for state and local officials to negligently release certain personal identifying information, like contact information or addresses, of federal, state, or local officers involved in immigration enforcement. Additionally, information related to specific operational activities, such as dates, times, location, logistics, or strategies must also be kept confidential.
The bill passed the House Government Operations Committee on Monday with a 10-4 vote along party lines. It has been referred to the House Calendar & Rules Committee to secure a date for a full House vote. SB1464, the Senate companion, has already passed the Senate, so the House floor will be the last hurdle this legislation has to clear before becoming law.
SJR0624– Proposed Constitutional Amendment to Specify Only U.S. Citizens Can Vote
This joint resolution would reaffirm that only U.S. citizens may vote in all Tennessee elections. Sponsors said that while they do not currently believe there is an issue with this in the state, the proposed amendment would ensure that the Tennessee Constitution could not be circumvented in case some point down the line the legislature or any other governing authorities attempted to circumvent state law.
SJR0624 has already passed through two Senate committees and was read on the Senate floor for the second time on Monday, passing without objection on second consideration. The bill will now have to be read and passed by the body once more before being officially declared “passed” and transmitted to the House for its consideration. It has been set on the Senate calendar for Thursday, March 19.
Before it can appear before voters, a proposed constitutional amendment must pass two consecutive sessions of the General Assembly, the first with a simple majority and the second with a 2/3 majority. It can then only be referred to the ballot during a gubernatorial election year.
About the Author: Olivia Lupia is a political refugee from Colorado who now calls Tennessee home. A proud follower of Christ, she views all political happenings through a Biblical lens and aims to utilize her knowledge and experience to educate and equip others. Olivia is an outspoken conservative who has run for local office, managed campaigns, and been highly involved with state & local GOPs, state legislatures, and other grassroots organizations and movements. Olivia can be reached at olivia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
