Alabama Is On the Verge of Passing Another Bad Law
Rather than take steps to correct the humanitarian crisis created by Alabama鈥檚 anti-immigrant law, the state legislature appears poised to pass another law as ill conceived as its predecessor.
Rather than take steps to correct the humanitarian crisis created by Alabama鈥檚 anti-immigrant law, the state legislature appears poised to pass another law as ill conceived as its predecessor.
Time is running out for the state that passed the nation鈥檚 toughest anti-immigrant law. This is the last week of the legislature鈥檚 regular session and, astonishingly, the effort to reform the state鈥檚 anti-immigrant law 鈥� and repair the damage it has done 鈥� is being led by the very people responsible for the disaster that is HB 56.
They are Rep. Micky Hammon, who stated that he intended the law to 鈥渁ttack every aspect of an illegal immigrant鈥檚 life,鈥� and Sen. Scott Beason, who is notorious for his comments suggesting the way to deal with the 鈥渋mmigration problem鈥� is to 鈥渆mpty the clip.鈥�
Other state legislatures have come to see the Alabama debacle as a cautionary tale of what not to do. But, here in Alabama, as of now it looks as though the state will repeat its mistake by allowing these legislators to dictate state law out of hate and for political gain. If their lead is followed, the crisis in Alabama will only worsen.
While the legislation seems to be taking the exact same path it took last year 鈥� with their individual measures from Hammon and Beason passing their respective legislative bodies and then going to a closed-door 鈥渃ommittee鈥� for picking and choosing between provisions 鈥� the leadership appears to be distancing itself from the process.
In a recent news report, the president pro tem of the state Senate, Del Marsh, said that he had not been a part of meetings on the legislation, does not know what the current measure includes and gave Beason free rein over the measure.
He has even been quoted as saying, 鈥淪cott said he鈥檚 going to go over the legislation, and if it鈥檚 at a point that he likes where it鈥檚 at, we鈥檒l bring Micky鈥檚 bill to the floor, and Scott will sub his bill.鈥�
It鈥檚 also less than five months since a federal judge released a ruling that damned last year鈥檚 legislative debate 鈥� finding it was laced with racism. The judge specifically called out Hammon for discriminatory comments and went as far as to acknowledge the entire law likely was based on discrimination. 听In the 108-page ruling, the judge cited numerous examples of derogatory comments and ethnic stereotypes used by lawmakers in their discussion.
This so-called 鈥渞eform鈥� bill is nothing more than window dressing 鈥� apparently aimed at appeasing the state鈥檚 business leaders even though the majority of small businesses and the state鈥檚 farmers will continue to suffer. And, in some areas, the bill actually makes the original law much worse.听
If this law passes, the crisis in Alabama will only deepen. And, given the added unconstitutional provisions it will create, the Southern Poverty Law Center will be forced to file more lawsuits against the state of Alabama.听
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