Va. legislature to target illegals

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RICHMOND — More than 100 bills proposing reforms in the way that the state handles illegal aliens have been introduced in the first two days of the General Assembly — ending any speculation on how important the issue is to Democratic and Republican lawmakers.

"Without question, it is a big issue," said House Speaker William J. Howell, Stafford Republican.

The bills range from the denial of bail for violent criminal illegal aliens to directing the Virginia State Police to create a special unit of at least 100 trained officers tasked with investigating and enforcing immigration violations.

Gov. Tim Kaine, in his State of the Commonwealth Address Wednesday night, dedicated 14 of 131 paragraphs to the subject.

"We are a nation of laws," said Mr. Kaine, a Democrat. "It is our obligation to enforce those laws, and we should continually assess the consequences of illegal immigration."

Some Republicans called Mr. Kaine's comments "fluff," noting that he mentioned the benefits of immigration and existing Virginia laws against illegal aliens, including one in 2005 that barred illegal aliens from receiving non-emergency public benefits.

However, in his State of the Commonwealth address last year from Jamestown, Mr. Kaine never mentioned the issue.

"It is evidence of the fact, in the last year, the issue has become of heightened interest in the public consciousness; there is no question about that," said Claire Guthrie Gastanaga, lobbyist for a coalition of Hispanic organizations that represents the interests of immigrants.

"There are already twice as many bills, and we are not done by a long shot," she said, adding that by her count 53 bills regarding illegal aliens were filed last session.

The issue, which has been prominent in Northern Virginia, influenced some of the most competitive races in the November legislative elections that resulted in Democrats winning control of the Senate.

The new Democratic leadership in the Senate said during a press conference yesterday that immigration would be one of the party's top six priorities for the 60-day-legislative session.

The three lawmakers who addressed the issue at the press conference were from Fairfax or Prince William counties.

"We need immigration solutions that make sense and help communities better deal with the immigration issue," said Sen. George L. Barker, Fairfax Democrat who defeated an incumbent in a race largely defined by the issue of illegal aliens. "Helping to prevent overcrowding and having employers check their employees' citizenship status electronically will help."

Sen. Charles J. Colgan, Prince William Democrat and Finance Committee Chairman, repeated his desire to require Virginia contractors to check the legal working status of their employees.

Mr. Colgan said he wants state contractors to use a system similar to the federal government's E-Verify.

A Virginia State Crime Commission task force on illegal aliens has forwarded to the General Assembly more than a dozen reform proposals, including a presumption against bail for criminal illegal aliens and a plan to enter into local-state-federal agreements to build jail space for illegal aliens awaiting deportation.

Still, some Republicans were skeptical that Democrats will be serious about passing bills aimed at cracking down on illegal aliens.

"I hope they want to take the issue seriously, and we will see this year," said Delegate Jackson H. Miller, Prince William Republican. "Last year, they were not serious about it."