Last session day for Alabama lawmakers to fix disastrous immigration law

 

As you embark on this last day of the legislative session, please remember these reflections about last year’s legislative process — a process that rushed through the disastrous law that is HB 56. Remember, too, the devastating impact it has had on the state of Alabama.

“And we were kind of caught in a box. We either vote for it or against it. If we voted against it, it looked like we were supporting illegal immigrants into our state. So we voted for it. I made some mistakes, and I’m going to try to correct those.”

-- SEN. GERALD DIAL, 13TH DISTRICT

“If things could have been taken at a slower pace, the ‘unintended consequences’ would not have occurred.”

-- REP. JOHNNY MAC MORROW, 18TH DISTRICT IN REGARDS TO THE QUICK PASSING OF HB 56

“Obviously that was never intended to not be allowed.”

-- REP. MIKE HUBBARD, 79TH DISTRICT, said of the fact that a military ID is not listed as a valid form of identification in order to purchase a car tag in HB 56.

“The longer the bill has been out, the more unintended consequences we have found. ... All of us realize we need to change it.”

-- SEN. SLADE BLACKWELL, 15TH DISTRICT

“Clearly crazy and causing a lot of confusion for people who just moved into the state.”

-- SEN. DICK BREWBAKER, 15TH DISTRICT, said in regards to growing lines in order to obtain a car tag due to HB 56's demand for proof of citizenship.

“When the bill (HB56) came through the Senate, it had very limited debate. I felt at that time that it was a cruel law, that it was discriminatory, that it would create profiling.”

-- SEN. BILL BEASLEY, 28TH DISTRICT

“But we have to at least put out there that we think the bill should be repealed because of the economic cost to the state.”

-- REP. PATRICIA TODD, 54TH DISTRICT

“Everybody seems to understand that there have been some unintended difficulties that need to be addressed. ... Nobody intended to create problems for American citizens.”

-- FORMER SEN. LARRY DIXON, 25TH DISTRICT, AND CURRENT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE ALABAMA STATE BOARD OF MEDICAL EXAMINERS

“Having to prove legal residence for every transaction with state or local government, including renewing a driver’s license, is too cumbersome. Criminalizing giving charitable aid to undocumented immigrants goes too far.”

-- SEN. JABO WAGGONER, 16TH DISTRICT

“This has become a symbol of racial prejudice in Alabama. It’s hurting us with economic development. It’s hurting the image of this state. It brings us back to the days of Bull Connor and the marches and the hoses and the dogs.”

-- SEN. ROGER BEDFORD, 6TH DISTRICT, said voting for the immigration law in 2011 was the worst vote he's ever made.

“This is the type of incident that many Alabama economic developers feared. ... It will be used by competing states with international prospects.”

-- NEAL WADE, FORMER ALABAMA DEVELOPMENT OFFICE DIRECTOR, said of the arrest of a German Mercedes executive in Tuscaloosa for failure to comply with the HB 56 provision. 

“It’s a sad state of affairs and it is an emergency for Alabama farmers right now. Many farmers are threatening to not plant next year.”

-- JERRY SPENCER OF GROW ALABAMA

Please don’t make the same mistake this year. You know better than to rush a bill that will make matters worse for our state. The people of Alabama are counting on YOU.