Politics & Government
Local Assemblyman Tim Donnelly's Push for Arizona-Like Immigration Reform Bill Defeated
Assemblyman Tim Donnelly's (R-Twin Peaks) was rallying lawmakers to pass a strict immigration reform bill that would have enacted tougher enforcement on illegal immigration.
The State Assembly's Judiciary Committee voted down TIm Donnelly's AB26 in 10-3 vote Tuesday. Another immigration reform bill, AB1028, requiring employers to verify legal status of prospective employees, was also rejected.
Donnelly (R-Twin Peaks), who represents Arcadia in the 59th District, was in Sacramento Monday in an attempt to rally lawmakers to pass the strict immigration reform bill modeled after Arizona’s SB 1070.
The bill would have made illegal presence a misdemeanor, eliminated sanctuary cities and imposed stiffer sentences for those caught trafficking illegal immigrants across U.S. borders. The proposed bill would also have applied more pressure on employers to use a federal online system to run background checks on workers.
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Greg Imus, Donnelly's chief of staff, said the bill differed from the Arizona bill on two aspects: anyone caught trafficking minors for sexual slavery would face life imprisonment and ten years would be added to a prison sentence to anyone found guilty of trafficking a woman into state borders and raping her.
The bill came on the heels of Donnelly’s defeated AB63 that would have prevented CSU and community college students from receiving in-state tuition breaks.
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The Assembly Higher Education Committee killed that bill in a 4-2 vote March 29.
According to current state legislation, undocumented students who have attended at least three years in a California high school are able to pay in-state resident tuition fees.
The bill would have also allowed in-state tuition rates to transferred military members, regardless if they had not completed three years at a California high school.
“We believed that tuition breaks should be offered to our military personnel, especially since that opportunity is currently offered to illegal immigrants,” said Imus. “That is not right.”
The committee passed a similar bill drafted by Assemblyman Bob Blumenfield, D-Woodland Hills, which would allow tuition discounts for military families.
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