Dems take on illegals

Romanoff seeking bipartisan solution to 'broken' system

Myung Oak Kim, Rocky Mountain News

Published February 11, 2006 at midnight

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Democrats are wading into traditionally Republican territory - the issue of illegal immigration.House Speaker Andrew Romanoff, D-Denver, said Democrats are drafting six bills that will be introduced next week.

Describing the current immigration system as "broken," Romanoff said he wants a "bipartisan solution" and he expects the General Assembly to pass immigration bills from both sides of the aisle.

Among other things, bills by Democrats would require - if financially possible - local law enforcement to notify immigration officials if they are detaining illegal immigrants, commission a study on the effect of illegal immigration on the state economy and urge Congress to pass a comprehensive immigration reform bill.

Rep. Gwyn Green, D-Golden, is drafting a bill that would punish businesses that contract with people who smuggle illegal immigrants into the country.

Romanoff said he plans to introduce a bill that would change civil rights laws to protect legal immigrants from harassment.

Three Democrats also are leading the push for a ballot initiative, first introduced in 2003 by anti-immigrant crusader U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo. It would bar illegal immigrants from receiving state or local government services other than those required by federal law.

Romanoff wants the state "to lead by example" and not give contracts to firms that knowingly employ illegal immigrants. That's why he expects bipartisan support for a bill proposed by Rep. Bill Crane, R-Arvada, which includes that language. He said Democrats may also support other Republican bills.

Crane said he is glad to hear about Democratic support.

"I don't think (Democrats are) trying to steal our thunder," Crane said. "I think the citizens of Colorado have spoken about this issue and we need to, as a body, react to the problems."

Political experts say Democrats feel compelled to deal with illegal immigration, but face the dilemma of crafting solutions that don't alienate their constituents.

The illegal immigration issue "seems to have just exploded on the agenda this year," said John Straayer, a political science professor at Colorado State University. "There are an awful lot of people out there, not just the lily whites among us, who are concerned about" this problem.

"Neither party," he added, "can let one of its fringes run off and try and drag the issue in a direction that will cause a public backlash."

The first of 12 Republican bills regarding illegal immigration was killed recently in a Senate committee. The additional bills would, among other things, target employers who hire illegal immigrants and government agencies that use a don't ask/don't tell policy toward immigrants.

Eight House Republican bills on immigration will be heard in hearings Feb. 21.

Rep. David Schultheis, R-Colorado Springs, laughed at Romanoff's claim of bipartisanship and accused Democrats of trying to upstage Republicans, who have proposed illegal immigration-related bills before that were killed largely along party lines.

"If it's supposed to be a bipartisan effort, how come I haven't been brought into the effort . . . to help craft the bills?" Schultheis asked.

"They're coming into this whole game very late, and they know this is going to be a major election issue, so they need to come out and do something."

Schultheis predicted that Democrats will refuse to vote on the Republican bills so that the Democratic bills can be considered. Romanoff bristled at that accusation.

"This is not a kindergarten here," Romanoff said. "I think we need all hands on deck. I've never suggested that my party has some kind of monopoly on good ideas."

Local Democratic political consultant Steve Welchert said he expects Democrats to support legislation that would punish employers who hire illegal immigrants. Like Romanoff, Welchert emphasized that immigration is a problem that must be fixed on a federal level.

He called much of the state legislation political "posturing."

Lifetime Democrat Waldo Benavidez, head of the Auraria Community Center, a Denver social service agency, said his party has been too politically correct about the immigration problem.

Benavidez, 66, said working class communities, and many Hispanic residents, have long been fed up with illegal immigration. He said he joined the ballot initiative crusade to give voice to those people.

Benavidez said Democrats are entering the immigration debate out of necessity.

"If they do not take some kind of position on it, like sanctioning employers, they are going to lose these elections this year."

He said immigration has traditionally been a Republican issue in Colorado.

"Hopefully it's changing."

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