Sanford signs immigration bill

Gov. Mark Sanford will sign a long anticipated immigration reform bill into law this afternoon. Touted as one of the toughest plans in the nation, the bill requires all SC businesses to verify new employees are in the country legally, bans illegal immigrants from receiving college scholarships and grants and allows fired workers replaced by illegals to sue their former employers.

Immigration bill passes House, heads to governor

In a vote of 94 to16, the House agreed Thursday to a Senate amended immigration reform bill.

The bill, which now heads to the governor, gives S.C. employers two options to ensure a potential employee is in the country legally. Employers must either check a potential worker’s Social Security number against a federal database or secure a copy of an employee’s drivers license.

Immigration bill gets new life

The Senate approved an immigration bill Tuesday that requires employment verification by all S.C. employers, moving the state a surer step closer to its first such law.

Sen. Glenn McConnell, R-Charleston, said negotiations with the House of Representatives indicate the bill is likely win approval there, too.

The Senate easily fought off an attempt to amend the bill, and then moved the measure on to the House.

The bill requires employers to use the E-verify system, or a state driver's license, to confirm the immigration status of employees, under penalty of losing their business licenses if they willfully neglect to do so.

Senate rejects immigration bill

The S.C. Senate rejected 26-20 an illegal immigration bill that creates new rules on how S.C. employers verify the residency of employees and includes heavy for businesses that knowingly hire illegal immigrants.

Senate President Pro Tem Glenn McConnell, R-Charleston, said the bill heartily endorsed by the House and Gov. Mark Sanford is "unworkable." McConnell argued portions of the bill that would fine businesses and put their business licenses at stake would not withstand a court challenge.

McConnell also revived an earlier illegal immigration crackdown and offered amendments to it to send to the House.

The bill the Senate rejected would have required employers to verify the immigration status of all workers either through an electronic system or by a valid S.C. drivers license.

Democrats plan to stall immigration bill

House Minority Leader Harry Ott said he will divert debate today on a controversial immigration bill, forcing lawmakers who say they are anxious to pass a bill this year to forestall discussion for at least a day.

Uneasy about new Senate-passed legislation on the issue, caucus members took sharp aim at the bill, which is expected to come up today in the House.

Sanford: Immigration bill not tough enough

Gov. Mark Sanford said again Thursday the immigration bill passed by the Senate falls short of his expectations. Sanford called on citizens to let lawmakers know of their displeasure with the bill.

The bill, which woud require employers to take additional steps to verify the employees they hire are in the United States legally, doesn't require employers to use an electronic verification system Sanford prefers. Instead, the so-called E-verify system is one of three options an employer would have. A valid S.C. drivers license and a state form to verify immigration status could also be used. 

"By stripping out the e-verify requirement last night, the Senate has taken out the single most effective part of this immigration reform bill," Gov. Sanford said. "For anyone who cares about real immigration reform, the time is now for them to email or call their Senator or House member - or better yet show up in person at the State House on Tuesday to tell their elected leaders face-to-face how they feel."

Land takes floor to filibuster immigration bill

S.C. Senate is in recess after Sen. John Land began a filibuster to an immigration bill the Senate is attempting to pass.

Both the House and Senate have voted on immigration bills that require employers to take additional steps in verifying whether the workers they hire are in the United States legally.

But a conference committee appointed to ironing out the differences in the bill has not been able to agree on a final version.

The Senate has drafted a new bill and added it to a House bill that essentially gives the General Assembly a way out of its stalemate.

But Land, D-Clarendon, said the Senate's immigration bill would hurt farmers in his district.

Quote of the Day so far: Jake Knotts

"So you mean to tell me that if the Sunset Grille, right over here in Lexington County, has dishes stacked up and wants to hire a dishwasher they have to go to the (S.C.) Employment Security         Commission first?"

                                -- Sen. Jake Knotts, R-Lexington, expressing concern the proposed immigration bill that would require employers to verify citizenship before hiring through an online system would be inconvenienced.

House Dems take stand on immigration bill

House Democrats say they have  a message for their Republican counterparts: no free conference powers on immigration.

Minority Leader Harry Ott Tuesday put Caucus members on notice asking them not to vote to give Republican conferees the power to "re-write the immigration bill."

"If we stick together, we can keep that from happening," said Ott, D-Calhoun.

Immigration squabbling continues

The House and Senate have continued their squabbling over passing stricter state requirements against hiring illegal aliens.
While there are disagreements over the bills, the main dispute has been parliamentary procedure.

The bill requires "free conference" powers to reach a compromise, allowing negotiators leeway to script a new version in conference committee. Free conference requires a two-thirds majority, a hurdle neither house might be able to clear.