July 05, 2006 08:00 AM UTC

Democrats Announce Special Session Legislation

• 10 Comments
• by: Colorado Pols

Click below for the full press release, including the list of bills sponsored by Democrats…

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For the special session on illegal immigration, Democratic House and Senate leadership have created a package of bills that is tough, practical, fair and in accordance with Governor Owens? ?call.?

?The meter is running and the people of Colorado expect effective solutions to this problem, not symbolic gestures,? said House Speaker Andrew Romanoff, D-Denver. “The proposals we’ve crafted for the special session are legal, enforceable, and affordable.?

?We must pass tough, fair, and practical solutions to Colorado?s illegal immigration issues,? said Senate President Joan Fitz-Gerald (D-Coal Creek Canyon). ??The Legislature will address the employment that attracts illegal immigrants to Colorado and the services that are provided to them.

?There has been a chronic failure of the federal government to adequately address illegal immigration. ?The Colorado Legislature will make use of the tools at the state?s disposal to address the problem.?

Special Session Legislation listed with prime sponsor of the bill:

State services for U.S. citizens
? Sen. Hagedorn
? Prohibits state and local governments from providing services to illegal immigrants, except children, emergency services and K-12 education, which are mandated by federal law.

Fines for employers who submit fraudulent information
? Rep. Solano
? Imposes significant fines on employers who submit false or fraudulent employee documentation to the state regarding identification of their employees.

Prohibits tax benefits for employers who hire illegal immigrants
? Rep. Benefield
? Prohibits businesses from exempting taxable wages earned by undocumented employees.

Requires employers to withhold state income taxes
? Rep. A. Kerr
? Requires employers to withhold tax on compensation paid to an employee whose compensation is reported on Form 1099 and who has failed to provide a valid taxpayer identification number

Voter registration and voting requirements
? Sen. Gordon
? Requires a person to provide verifiable identification, in terms of citizenship, to register to vote, and vote.

Concerning human trafficking related crimes
? Rep. Borodkin
? Criminalizes coercion of involuntary servitude

Concerning human trafficking related crimes
? Sen. Shaffer
? Makes the act of threatening an individual with reporting illegal status to officials for the purpose of extorting money a felony.

Concerning human trafficking related crimes
Sen Williams
Criminalizes the act of extorting money in exchange for not disclosing illegal status

Timely Colorado Supreme Court responses for ballot initiatives
? Sen. Veiga
? Measure ensures a timely response from the Colorado Supreme Court concerning proposed ballot initiatives by changing the term ?promptly? to ?30 days?

Concerning age limits for common law marriages
? Sen. Boyd
? Raises the age of consent in common law marriage to conform to the statutory age requirements contained in the Uniform Marriage Act