INDIANAPOLIS | Many of the most controversial provisions of an anti-illegal immigration proposal previously approved by the Indiana Senate were stripped from the legislation Thursday by a House committee.
The amended version of Senate Bill 590 no longer requires a police officer to check the immigration status of any person the officer reasonably suspects is in the country illegally.
Also removed was an order that state and local governments use only English in official communications, and a mandate that the state police sign a deal with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to enforce federal immigration law in the state.
The legislation still requires state and local governments and any business doing business with government to use the federal E-Verify system to confirm all employees are legally entitled to work in the United States.
In addition, any person receiving welfare, unemployment benefits or in-state tuition would have to swear he or she is a legal resident, and a business would be required to repay the state if it hires an illegal worker who then goes on unemployment.
The House Public Policy Committee is slated to vote on the amended bill at 7:30 a.m. region time Friday. If approved, the measure then would go to the full House for a final vote.
State Sen. Mike Delph, R-Carmel, the sponsor of the legislation, listened attentively to more than three hours of testimony in favor of and opposition to the measure. He would not say whether he supports the House committee changes but said "there are a lot of good things remaining in the bill."
Senate President David Long, R-Ft. Wayne, said the changes had been worked out between the House, Senate and Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels. Long said he intends for the Republican-controlled Senate to agree to the House version, assuming the Republican-controlled House approves the revised proposal.
State Rep. Mara Candelaria Reardon, D-Munster, said she wants the federal government to take the lead in enforcing immigration law but believes the changes "make a bad bill better."
Even with the changes, Joel Rodriguez, Gary's director of economic development, said the proposal signals Indiana does not welcome new residents.
"If we're going to allow this type of bill to be passed, no matter what type of amendment we add to it, I can only say one thing -- If you put syrup on crap, it doesn't make it pancakes," he said.