South Carolina’s attempt at legislating against illegal immigration crept forward Tuesday morning after a Senate subcommittee adopted a draft bill.
The Senate judiciary subcommittee held its fifth meeting to review its proposals for the S.C. Illegal Immigration Reform Act. Most of Tuesday’s discussion involved senators giving one more review to the bill and suggesting changes to staff. The draft legislation, has not been filed as a bill.
Sen. Jim Ritchie, R-Spartanburg and subcommittee chairman, said South Carolina needs immigration reform because its neighboring states have already passed similar bills.
“Unless our state takes some action this spring we are very likely to be overwhelmed with illegal immigration,” Ritchie said.
The bill proposes several measures that would add tax requirements for businesses that employ undocumented workers, and it would set up a path for state and local law enforcement officers to become immigration officers. It would also require contractors and subcontractors doing business with the state to participate in a federal program to verify employee identification numbers.
On Tuesday, the lawmakers discussed some new provisions that would match existing federal law such as making it a felony to harbor or move undocumented immigrants. One provision would mirror an Alabama law that penalizes businesses that fire documented workers and replace them with illegal employees.
The subcommittee has listened to testimony from dozens of people, including business representatives, law enforcement officials, local government leaders, and academics who study the issue.
Legislators are looking into the issue because of demands from concerned citizens. However, businesses and the state’s Hispanic community are lining up against state immigration reform.
“This is a battle where we have to work with other groups in South Carolina,” said Louis Bell of the Latin American Council of South Carolina.
Reach Phillips at (803) 771-8307.
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