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Savannah Morning News

March 7, 2019

Letters to the Editor

Time running short for immigration bill

House Bill 202 from Rep. Jesse Petrea (R-District 166) is simple and long overdue — it requires the Georgia Department of Corrections to publish a public, quarterly report on the number of non-citizens in the state prison system. The report would also note the number of that group who already are suspected to be here illegally, the home nations and crimes committed along with the percentage of the entire prison population these aliens represent.

Many Capitol observers understand Democrats hope taxpayers don’t ever see any official hard data on any part of the cost of illegal immigration. Now, with crossover day looming, the House Rules Committee — with Rep. Jay Powell (R-Camilla) as chairman — seems poised to prove that it’s not only the Democrats who take that view.

Rules Chairman Jay Powell
Image: Georgia House

Today is Crossover Day, the last day by which legislation must be passed by either the House or the Senate to have a chance to become law.

Powell’s powerful House Rules Committee serves as the filter on what legislation that has already been vetted and passed by the public committee system goes to the full House for a vote on final passage.

Many conservatives were shocked last week when Powell joined the Democrats and expressed his objection to HB 202. He cynically asked Petrea why the bill to shed public light on the number of non-citizens in the prison system and their immigration status was even needed.

The most commonly offered response from conservative voters to Powell’s remarkable question has been, to paraphrase, it is our tax dollars being used to pay for the incarceration of the foreigners, we have a right to know and because it is our state. That’s why.

Right now Georgians who want official information on the cost of locking up criminal aliens are contacting Rep. Powell’s office at 404-656-5141 and emailing him at jay.powell@house.ga.gov to urge him to allow a vote on HB 202. And a lot of others are calling his office to tell him to hold back the bill.

Readers can show Powell which outcome they favor by calling or emailing him. There is still time to change his mind.

D.A. King, Marietta

Here.