June 21, 2006 08:00 AM UTC

Democrats Propose Special Session Alternative

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• by: Colorado Pols

Colorado Democrats took an interesting tact yesterday in response to Governor Owens’ plans to call a special session on illegal immigration. From the Rocky Mountain News:

Democratic lawmakers called on Gov. Bill Owens on Tuesday to abandon his plan for a special session to revive a ballot measure denying illegal immigrants taxpayer-funded services. They instead offered their own immigration strategy.

The Democrats proposed taking $3 million left from bills the Republican governor vetoed this session and using the money to beef up enforcement of existing immigration laws. They also proposed requiring employers to verify a worker’s legal status and employment eligibility.

“If the governor believes they’re getting services illegally, he shouldn’t wait until November,” said House Speaker Andrew Romanoff, D-Denver. “He should call his Cabinet (on) the carpet now and make sure the agencies in charge of providing services are doing their job.”

Romanoff and Senate President Joan Fitz-Gerald, D-Coal Creek Canyon, said that state and federal laws already bar most state services to illegal immigrants.

“The truth is, it’s not the services drawing people to the state illegally; it’s the jobs,” Romanoff said. “If we want to stem the flow of illegal immigration, we need to target the source – the employer.”

Republican lawmakers denounced the Democrats’ proposal, saying that anything short of special session to put a measure on the ballot to deny illegal immigrants services is unacceptable.

“None of this has anything to do with the issue that has brought us to this point,” said House Minority Leader Mike May, R-Parker. “It’s about something bigger than Democrats’ desire to protect their political backside – the citizens of Colorado’s right to vote on the issue.”

Owens will consider the Democrats’ request, said Dan Hopkins, spokesman for the governor, but his special-session agenda is unlikely to change.