Nance: Bridge and Road Work Ahead, Immigration Legislation Review

BRIDGE AND ROAD WORK AHEAD

MoDOT recently had a ribbon cutting for the Fishing River Bridge on 10 Highway in Excelsior Springs.

One bridge has been completed on Route A near Hardin, and they have started work on the other bridge scheduled for repair.

Another bridge on N highway is being repaired.  The bridge over 69 Highway in Excelsior Springs is closed for major repairs.

Double E highway is to have extensive work perform this December. Bids will be let in October. Cost is expected to be in the $250,000 range.

IMMIGRATION LEGISLATION

In light of the current legislation passed in Arizona, it might be helpful to review the actions of Missouri's General Assembly.

In 2007, the Legislature passed a law [HJR7] making English the language for all official proceedings in Missouri.

In the 2008 Session, the General Assembly passed HB 1549. This law changed the statute regarding illegal aliens and immigration status verification. This legislation was described at the time as among the toughest measures in the country to deal with illegal immigration. Key provisions include;

EMPLOYMENT

Business entities and employers are prohibited from knowingly employing, hiring, or continuing to employ illegal aliens in Missouri. Participation in E-Verify is required for all public employers and business entities receiving a state contract or grant in excess of $5,000 or a state-administered tax credit, tax abatement, or loan from the state.  Participation in a federal work authorization program is an affirmative defense to an allegation that a business entity knowingly hired an illegal alien.

Failing to provide identity information on employees within 15 business days after receipt of the request by the Attorney General will result in the suspension of a company's applicable local licenses, permits, and exemptions until the information is supplied.

Knowingly employing an illegal alien will result in the suspension of a company's applicable local licenses, permits, and exemptions for 14 days.  A second violation will result in suspension for a period of one year, and a third or subsequent violation will result in permanent suspension.

If a business with a state contract or grant or state-administered tax credit, tax abatement, or loan from the state has employed illegal aliens the contract will be terminated and the suspended from doing business with the state for a period of three years.  Additional violations will result a permanent ban from doing business in this state.  The state may withhold up to 25% of the total amount due to the business entity upon termination of the contract.

The Attorney General must maintain a database documenting any business entity whose license, permit, or exemption has been suspended or whose state contract has been terminated. Failure by a municipality or county to suspend any applicable license or permit of a violator as directed by the Attorney General within 15 business days after notification will be deemed a violation of the sanctuary cities provision and subject the municipality or county to the specified penalties.

SANCTUARY CITIES

Any county, city, town, or village is prohibited from enacting a sanctuary policy.  If they enact a sanctuary policy, they will be ineligible for money provided through grants administered by the state of Missouri until the policy is repealed or is no longer in effect.

A government entity or official or political subdivision violates the sanctuary city provision if it prohibits or restricts communicating or cooperating with federal officials on the immigration status of any person in this state. Any member of the General Assembly may request that the Attorney General issue an opinion as to whether the government agency or political subdivision has sanctuary city.

LAW ENFORCEMENT

An arresting law enforcement agency is required within 48 hours to verify through the United States Department of Homeland Security the lawful immigration status of a person charged with a crime and held in confinement if verification cannot be made from documents in the possession of the prisoner or after a reasonable effort by the arresting agency.  Upon verification that the prisoner is an illegal alien, the arresting agency must notify the federal department

If a judge reasonably believes that a person is an illegal alien, bail will be denied until the person can provide verification of lawful presence in the United States.

DRIVER'S LICENSES

The Department of Revenue is prohibited from issuing driver's licenses to illegal aliens and persons who cannot prove lawful presence in the United States.  Missouri will not extend full faith and credit to out-of-state driver's licenses issued to illegal aliens.

The commercial driver's license written test must only be given in English.  Translators will not be allowed for applicants taking the test.

It is against the law to assist any person during a driver's license, non-driver's license, or instruction permit examination process when that person knows or recklessly disregards the truth that a fraud or deception is being committed. Or assisting any person in applying for a driver's license, non-driver's license, or instruction permit when that person knows or recklessly disregards the truth that the application contains or is substantiated with false or fraudulent information or documentation, conceals a material fact, or is otherwise fraudulent or engaging in a conspiracy to commit any of the preceding acts or aiding or abetting in the commission of any of the acts. Violation of this provision is a class A misdemeanor.

PUBLIC BENEFITS

Aliens unlawfully present in the United States are prohibited from receiving a state or local public benefit unless it is offered under 8 U.S.C. 1621(b. Documentary evidence accepted by the Department of Revenue for obtaining a driver's license will suffice as proof of citizenship, permanent residency, or lawful immigration status. Nonprofit organizations regulated by the Internal Revenue Service are not required to enforce these restrictions, nor are they prohibited from providing aid.

TRANSPORTING ILLEGAL ALIENS

Any person knowingly transporting an illegal alien in this state for the purpose of trafficking in violation of Sections 566.200 - 566.215, drug trafficking in violation of Sections 195.222 and 195.223, prostitution in violation of Chapter 567, or employment will be guilty of a felony punishable with imprisonment for not less than one year, a fine of not less than $1,000, or both.

In the 2009 Session the General Assembly passed HB 390.

This law prohibits college or university students who are unlawfully present in the United States from receiving financial aid, including institutional aid awarded by public postsecondary educational institutions and state-administered postsecondary grants and scholarships awarded by all postsecondary educational institutions.  All postsecondary institutions of higher education must annually certify to the Department of Higher Education that they have not knowingly awarded financial aid to a student who is unlawfully present in the United States.

This session there were three bills considered by the General Assembly on the issue of illegal immigration. None passed but may be reconsidered:

HB 1231 DRIVER'S LICENSE EXAMINATIONS

This bill requires Missouri driver's license examinations to be administered in English so that the applicant can demonstrate his or her ability to sufficiently understand highway traffic signs and safety warnings.  The Director of the Department of Revenue cannot supply or permit the use of language interpreters in connection with the required written and driving tests.

HCS HB 1383 UNAUTHORIZED ALIENS SEXUAL OFFENDERS

This bill would add national citizenship to the information that must be included on a sexual offender registration form and requires the State Highway Patrol to report to the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement or other appropriate federal agency certain information regarding any person on the sexual offender registry who is not a citizen of the United States.

HB 2449 HUMAN TRAFFICKING

This bill creates the crime of trafficking for the purpose of illegal immigration if a person, in exchange for anything of value, knowingly transports or assists in the transport of an illegal immigrant within Missouri with the intent to violate federal immigration laws under Title 8 of the United States Code. Anyone who commits this crime will be guilty of a class B felony.

This bill also makes it a crime for a person to conceal, harbor, or shelter from detection any illegal alien knowing or in reckless disregard of the fact that the illegal alien has entered or remained in the country illegally.  It is also a crime for an illegal alien to transport himself or herself in the state of Missouri.  Anyone who commits this crime will be guilty of a felony punishable by not less than one year's imprisonment, a fine of not less than $1,000, or both.

It is worth noting that the legality of many of these laws were questioned by opponents with the threat of taking the state to court and overturn these laws. I am aware of no court challenge to any of these laws and none of them has been successfully challenged in court.

One of the main sources of technical and other information for the laws passed in Missouri was Kris Kobach Professor of Law at UMKC. He has in his capacity as an attorney represented parties advocating for stricter laws regarding illegal immigration in Missouri and nationwide. He was involved in Arizona's latest laws.

(Immigration information provided by Representative Jerry Nolte)

Ruestman: False Accusations Being Spread

Two weeks ago a Kansas City labor union went about the business to smear my name.  They proceeded to mail cards to my constituents saying I supported hiring illegal immigrants to work in our schools.  This is simply not true.  Not only is this an outright lie, it couldn't be further from the truth.

My bill, House Bill 1960, known as "The School Construction Act" contains a clause allowing local school districts to opt out of paying prevailing wage.  Labor unions oppose this legislation out of a fear of being unable to compete in a free market.  I believe in a free enterprise and I represent citizens, conservatives and Tea Partiers who have always supported Capitalism.  Arbitrarily inflating wages through the government is not capitalism.  Instead, it stinks of socialism.

This labor union would like you to believe HB 1960 would lead to plague of illegal immigrants taking our jobs and working in our schools.  There is absolutely no evidence of this.  The idea that inflated wages saves us from illegal immigrants is outrageous.  The fact remains:  it is illegal to hire illegal aliens regardless of how much you pay them.  This is a prime example of how members of the other party fail to use common sense when making policy.  This proves how desperate unions and their cronies are to keep the law in their favor.  It also shows the lengths they will go to deceive others.

In 2008, I cosponsored and voted for House Bill 1549 bringing about the strictest immigration policy Missouri has ever had.  Details of this bill can be found at:  http://house.mo.gov/billtracking/bills081/bills/HB1549.HTM.

What the unions won't tell you is that HB1960 will save taxpayers money.  It has been estimated that by opting out of prevailing wage school districts can save up to 25% on school construction, remodeling and maintenance.

If you have problems, questions or wish to express concern over an issue, please do not hesitate to contact me or my Legislator Assistant, Jonathan, at my Capitol office either by phone 573-751-9801 or by e-mail at Marilyn{dot}Ruestman{at}house{dot}mo{dot}gov.

Kraus: Missouri and Arizona: Illegal Immigration Laws

I applaud immigrants who have made the effort to enter and reside in the U.S. legally. They will continue to contribute to making this a great country. However, the lack of secure U.S. borders has created a huge problem of illegal entry and illegal activity, particularly in border states such as Arizona. After the passage of Arizona’s law to address illegal immigration, I have received a number of inquiries asking if the state of Missouri would enact the same law.

In 2008, Missouri took the lead in addressing illegal immigration by passing HB 1549. It was considered one of the toughest pieces of immigration legislation in the country. While opponents of this law questioned its legality, none of the legislation has been successfully challenged in court or overturned because of issues of constitutionality.

The legislation curbed policies that make a state more attractive to illegal aliens. For example, some cities in other states, such as San Francisco, have become “sanctuary” cities and have adopted various policies to protect illegal immigrants. Because of HB 1549, any county, city, town, or village is prohibited from enacting a sanctuary policy in Missouri. If a sanctuary policy were enacted, the local authority would be ineligible for state grants until the policy is repealed or is no longer in effect.

Another provision prohibits the state from issuing driver’s licenses to illegal aliens and persons who cannot prove lawful presence in the United States, which also makes Missouri a less attractive state for illegal residence. In addition, Missouri will not recognize driver’s licenses issued to illegal immigrants by another state.

While Missouri’s laws do not make illegal immigration a state crime, they do encourage full cooperation with the federal government in apprehending illegal immigrants. An arresting law enforcement agency is required within 48 hours to verify the lawful immigration status of a person charged with a crime and held in confinement. Upon verification that the prisoner is an illegal alien, the arresting agency must notify the federal government.

Many people believe it to be unfair to American taxpayers to support and encourage illegal immigration by extending benefit programs for our citizens to those who have chosen not to abide by our immigration laws. The General Assembly also addressed this concern. HB 1549 prohibits the state from extending state or local public benefit programs (unless offered under certain federal laws) to individuals who cannot document that they are in this country legally.

In the 2009 session, the General Assembly also passed HB 390. This law prohibits college or university students who are unlawfully present in the United States from receiving state financial aid.

A number of provisions directly addressed the employment of illegal aliens. If businesses incur penalties for employing illegals, then the jobs that draw many of these individuals into our country will not be available to them, thus ending a major reason for illegal entry.

Because of HB 1549, employers are prohibited from knowingly hiring or continuing to employ illegal aliens in Missouri. If any business participates in a state-sponsored benefit, then it is required to verify employee immigration status within 15 days of being employed. Penalties, up to permanent suspension of applicable local licenses, permits and exemptions, are in place for knowingly employing an illegal alien.

The United States of America offers tremendous benefits to those who live here legally. We enjoy a standard of living and degree of freedom that make this country a magnet to the world’s population. The United States government has set up a legal path to citizenship. I’m all for it and welcome legal immigration. But we cannot tolerate illegal activity, and we, the state of Missouri, have backed up that statement by enacting tough legislation.

Honor Flight Honors Veterans

Last week, we welcomed our World War II heroes to the Missouri Capitol. They filled the House Chambers, and it was a moving experience to be part of the ceremony to honor their service to our nation. It was accurately noted that we are here because they were there.

The veterans were brought to Jefferson City courtesy of a non-profit organization called Central Missouri Honor Flight. Their mission is to honor America’s veterans for their sacrifices by transporting them to the WWII memorial in Washington D.C. Many veterans have never had that chance to see what was built in their memory.

If you are a veteran, you can apply to take an Honor Flight to Washington D.C. At this time, applications are only being accepted for WWII and terminally ill veterans from all wars. The trip is funded by contributions and therefore free to veterans.

I would be glad to send you an application if you provide me with your name and address; you can download one at www.centralmissourihonorflight.com; or you can call (573) 301-5657. The website also provides information if you would like to make a donation to help send these heroes to their memorial.

Visitors to the Capitol

Students flocked to the Capitol last week, and as always it was a pleasure to have them. Pleasant Lea Elementary (left) brought a large group to Jefferson City. Annella Fritz brought four exchange students to visit. Other visitors to the Capitol included students from Meadow Lane Elementary and Underwood Elementary. I enjoy hosting these schools at the Capitol and the time spent educating 4th graders on how a bill becomes a law and how state government works.

5K Fundraiser for Hope Network

In the district, I had a great weekend. Saturday, my family all participated in the 5K fundraising event for Hope Network. Hope Network reaches out to those in the community that are in need of food, clothing, shelter, and medical care. In the run, I finished 13th behind Tylor, my oldest son, who finished about two minutes before me. My legs were a little tired and sore after the race! Both Carmen and Tannor volunteered to help out.

Extreme Green Remodel

Later in the morning, I visited a home improvement project, Extreme Green Remodel. This project benefitted a couple who attend the Lee’s Summit Community Church. The family has been having health issues, much of them from allergies. To help them, Kevin Enyeart and a group of men from Lee’s Summit Community Church decided to do a “green makeover” of their home. The makeover both replaced items that could cause allergic reactions and made the home more energy efficient. Kevin invited me down and showed me around. I am very thankful that we have caring churches and people that work to help each other. Kevin explained that all materials were donated - from insulation to siding to labor. I commend Kevin, the men doing the work, and the businesses that have donated the material.

With the beginning of the 2010 Legislative Session, the Capitol Report will be issued about once a week. During this time, if you have an event that you would like me to attend or speak at, please contact my office at 1 (573) 751-1459 or e-mail at will{dot}kraus{at}house{dot}mo{dot}gov.

Rupp: Missouri is Tough on Immigration, Too

I watched with interest as Arizona passed "one of the toughest" illegal immigration laws in our country's recent history. I'm assuming when they say "one of the toughest," they are including Missouri's illegal immigration laws, which I sponsored in the Senate and which were enacted back in 2008.

The Missouri law gives our state highway patrol the directive to check the residency status of anyone presented for incarceration. Officers received special training so they can continue to enforce illegal immigration laws, including courses to learn about the administration of deportation. At the same time, the law also calls for employers to use a computer program that checks the legal status of anyone seeking employment in our state, and it establishes penalties for employers who hire illegal aliens. If a company receives a tax credit, a check of the immigration status of the workers is required.

The Missouri law also prohibits municipalities from establishing sanctuary policies. It prohibits the issuance of driver's licenses to illegal aliens, as well as penalties for driver's license fraud. Illegal immigrants are prohibited from receiving state grants or scholarships and other taxpayer benefits. All of these measures were wildly successful from the beginning and continue to be successful today. According to Cpt. Tim Hull of the Missouri Highway Patrol, as of April 24, 2010, the state started the deportation process 540 times.

I think the Arizona law sprang from the same frustrations felt by many Missourians. The federal government has ignored their responsibility to enforce our federal immigration laws. States like Missouri and Arizona have been more than patient in waiting for immigration reform and enforcement, and now our state and Arizona are doing what we can to stem the flow of crime that surrounds illegal immigration.

While we've had great success with these policies, these deportations are only a drop in the bucket compared to the magnitude of illegal immigrants thought to be in our state and country. My kudos to Arizona for taking the same strong stance Missouri has on illegal immigration, because it has renewed the demand for immigration reform throughout our country.

Until our federal government protects our borders and finds a solution to this growing problem, we will continue to protect our state's citizens and their interests.

NEW AUDIO CLIPS POSTED

New audio clips have been added to my multimedia page, located on my Missouri Senate website. This page features audio and video links (both streaming and broadcast quality — when available) for you to listen to and watch on issues I have addressed that are important to me and the citizens of the 2^nd Senatorial District.

The new audio clips on my multimedia page feature me discussing the fiscal year 2011 Missouri budget, which the Senate passed yesterday (4/29) and sent to the Governor. This was done more than a week ahead of the Constitutional deadline of May 7 – a first in our state's recent history.

To view my multimedia page, visit http://www.senate.mo.gov/multimedia/Rupp/RuppMultimedia.html.

NEW QUESTION OF THE WEEK ON WEBSITE

A new question this week is posted on my website which asks:

With all the attention being paid to illegal immigration reform due to new laws passed by Arizona, do you feel the legislation that I passed in 2008 is sufficient or should we go even further? My bill passed in 2008 (HB1549), and includes the following provisions:

• Prohibits municipalities from establishing Sanctuary Policies
• Prohibits Illegal Immigrants from receiving public benefits, including state scholarships and grants
• Authorizes members of the MO Highway Patrol to get the official training necessary for them to enforce immigration law in Missouri
• Requires state law enforcement officials to verify the status of individuals taken into custody if a citizenship status determination cannot be made, and denies bail to individuals who cannot prove lawful presence, and since 2007, the Missouri Highway Patrol has detained over 520 people under this vital program
• Prohibits issuance of driver's licenses to illegal immigrants and creates penalties for driver's license fraud
• Prohibits Missouri employers from hiring illegal aliens and enacts tough penalties including suspension of business licenses, termination of contracts and barring entities from doing business with the state
• Private employers who are found to have hired illegal immigrants face penalties and they are mandated to use E-Verify for any future hiring
• Mandates that all public employers and any company using state tax credits, or companies that have a contract or grant with the state in excess of $5000 use the E-Verify system to check the status of its employees

Response:

• Missouri's 2008 Immigration Reform Laws are sufficient
• Missouri should do more to combat illegal immigration

Please go to my web page at: http://www.senate.mo.gov/10info/members/mem02.htm and click on "Question of the Week" in the upper right hand corner to respond to the survey.

PREVIOUS QUESTION RESULTS

The previous question was:

SJR 25 - Missouri Health Care Freedom Act
In response to the recent federal health care legislation passed by Congress, the Missouri Senate is considering SJR 25 – the Missouri Health Care Freedom Act, a constitutional amendment that would state that no federal law shall compel an individual or employer to participate in any government or privately run health care system. Do you support or oppose this constitutional amendment that would allow each individual Missourian to choose for themselves the type of health care plan they want to participate in?

Results:
83% support SJR 25
17% opposed SJR 25

Thanks to all who responded to the question.

As the 2010 legislative session unfolds, I will continue to keep you, my constituents, apprised of all major developments, and I look forward to continuing to serve your needs and priorities in Jefferson City. As always, if you have any questions about this week's column or any other matter involving state government, please do not hesitate to contact me. You can reach my office by phone at (866) 271-2844.

Ruestman: Illegal Immigrants Working in Schools? Of Course Not!

I've recently come under attack from a Kansas City labor union for a bill I'm sponsoring that would lower your taxes and help our schools.  They claim I support the hiring of illegal immigrants to work on our school buildings.  Not only have I been a strong advocate of ending our illegal immigration problem, I cosponsored the toughest immigration reform in Missouri, House Bill 1549

In 2008, HB 1549 was passed and signed into law creating the strictest immigration policy Missouri has ever had.  I cosponsored it and I voted for it.  Among other things, it provided for the following:

• Allowed the Highway Patrol to dedicate specific patrolmen to be trained in enforcing federal immigration laws;
• Prohibited any county, city, town or village from enacting sanctuary policies.  Any municipality that does so would be ineligible to receive state grant money;
• Illegal aliens are prohibited from receiving any state or local public benefits;
• Requires certain employers to e-verify citizenship status of employees;
• Prohibits the Department of Revenue from issuing drivers' licenses to illegal aliens and does not recognize licenses issued to illegal aliens from other states.
• Denies illegal immigrants bail;
• Created the crime of transporting illegal aliens; and,
• Requires arresting law enforcement agencies to verify the immigration status of a person charged with a crime.

The School Construction Act, HB 1960, allows school districts to opt out of mandated wage requirements.  Labor unions are fighting this bill because their prevailing wage law artificially inflates wages to their benefit.  This bill supports free enterprise solutions for our schools in this time of budget constraints, by reducing the cost of constructing new buildings.  It allows local construction companies to bid and consequently hire more local workers, create more competition and reduce construction costs on a taxpayer-funded project.

My record stands for itself.  There is no reason to believe this bill would cause an influx of illegal immigrant workers.  Beyond that, it is a violation of state and federal laws to hire an illegal immigrant!  Laws are in place to prevent such things from happening and inspections abound.

The School Construction Act would allow schools to decrease the costs of school buildings by up to 25% and save YOU, the taxpayer, money!  It would allow more projects to go forward in this poor economy which would create jobs!  Perhaps it is that the labor unions support higher taxes and fewer jobs?  Why is a Kansas City labor union worried about rural school districts saving some money?

If you have problems, questions or wish to express concern over an issue, please do not hesitate to contact me or my Legislator Assistant, Jonathan, at my Capitol office either by phone 573-751-9801 or by e-mail at Marilyn{dot}Ruestman{at}house{dot}mo{dot}gov.