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Haste makes waste and bad legislation.
The new Georgia Immigration Bill (HB 87) is an overnight, hastily drawn up "compromise" bill, which had some new and very expensive and unfunded additions inserted by Rep. Matt Ramsey. This "compromise" was then quickly passed the final deadline day of the legislative term, probably with few or none of the legislators studying it, as evidenced by the resulting product.
Supposedly this major bill has strong support, but I doubt that 5 percent of those now "supporting" it have read it. There are several parts which have already been found unconstitutional by Arizona appeals courts and will also be thrown out there, after costing taxpayers big legal fees. But some of the other sections that will remain are going to cost state agencies, local governments and private employers huge expenses when they are already suffering (Section 3).
One example is Sections 4, 5 and 6 which makes "aggravated identity fraud" (obtaining employment with a fake ID) a crime punished by up to 15 years in prison and up to a $250,000 fine — as if our prisons are not already overcrowded and releasing felons early — plus the massive expense. This is only one example of multiple problems with this "haste made waste" bill.
To read about the bill, see www.immigration.net and look up the blog by Charles Kuch, an immigration attorney, who has researched it. You will agree it is not smart to put this law into effect because it will not help our problems and it will be a financial disaster.
Robert J. Nealy
Gainesville