All around us, states are taking action to deal with the high financial and security costs of illegal immigrants. Texas is sitting in the shadow of states like South Carolina, Alabama, Georgia, Maryland, and now Louisiana!
Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal signed two pieces of legislation into law on Thursday, July 7th that will require and encourage businesses to use E-Verify. HB342 requires all state and local contractors to use E-Verify, while HB646 requires all private businesses to verify the legal status of their new hires by providing employers that use it a safe harbor against sanctions. Louisiana becomes the sixth state to pass E-Verify since the Supreme Court ruled in favor of state enforcement of E-Verify earlier this year. Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina and Indiana have also passed E-Verify bills. Plus, Virginia passed legislation earlier this year.
Here we sit in Texas not only without E-Verify to cut off the magnet of jobs to illegal immigrants, but the TX legislature's regular and special sessions ended with a failure to pass a simple anti-sanctuary cities law! House and Senate leadership played games and ran out the clock on this important issue because they were under pressure from business special interests who want cheap labor. This is unacceptable!
Help us move Governor Perry to take action by doing two things starting today:
1) Call and/or fax his office today. Tell Governor Perry's staff that you want Texas to end sanctuary cities and mandate the use of the E-Verify system to ensure Texas jobs go to citizens and legal immigrants. Tell them we cannot afford illegal immigrants accessing social services like Medicaid!
Phone: (512) 463-1782 or (512) 463-2000 Fax:(512) 463-1849
2) Will you help us reach 2,000 signatures to send a message to Governor Perry? This letter is going out across the State of Texas.
If you share our frustration with Texas' inaction on illegal immigration, please consider SPREADING THE WORD and endorsing the letter below:
AN OPEN LETTER TO TEXAS GOVERNOR RICK PERRY
June 30, 2011
The Honorable James Richard 'Rick' Perry
Governor of the State of Texas
State Insurance Building
1100 San Jacinto
Austin, Texas 78701
Governor Perry:
We write to express, in the strongest possible terms, our disappointment over the outcome of the regular and special sessions of the 82nd Legislature, in which every single one of the dozens of common-sense immigration reform bills died.
As you are most likely aware, the overwhelming body of polling data shows that Texans are extremely concerned about the effects of unchecked illegal immigration on our state. A recent University of Texas / Texas Tribune poll of 800 registered voters in Texas found the following:
Texas voters consider illegal immigration to be the most important problem facing the State of Texas, with the lack of border security ranking a close second.[1]
Fully 87% of Texas voters, including 71% of Hispanic voters, support the passage of a law requiring employers to verify immigration status for their employees, with 70% of Texas voters 'strongly supporting' such a law.[2]
Roughly 69% of Texas voters oppose 'sanctuary city' policies which prevent the enforcement of immigration laws.[3]
Despite an overwhelming consensus among voters on the need for urgent action on illegal immigration, the Texas State Legislature blocked all bills filed in the regular and special sessions relating to employment verification,[4] sanctuary cities, [5] cost reporting[6] state licensing,[7] or any other common-sense immigration reform policies. The vast majority of immigration-related bills filed in the State Legislature were prevented from even receiving a committee hearing, much less a floor vote.[8]
Although we do not necessarily hold you completely responsible for the inexcusable actions of the House and Senate members during the regular and special sessions, the ball is now squarely in your court. It is solely within your power as Governor to call the legislature into session and demand that they complete the important work that they promised their constituents they would do.
Further, you have the inherent power, as the Chief Executive of the State of Texas, to issue one or more executive orders[9] to address illegal immigration, if you only choose to do so. You have the inherent executive power, for example, to issue an executive order requiring the use of E-Verify for all state employees and by all state contractors, following the examples set by the governors of Florida,[10] Virginia,[11] Idaho,[12] Rhode Island[13] and Minnesota.[14]
It is a point of pride for many Texans that our Governor is receiving a great deal of attention as a potential contender for President of the United States. Your bold conservative message has clearly struck a chord within the hearts of many Americans. That said, the American people are hungry for a statesman whose bold words are followed up with bold action.
All eyes are on you, Governor. Please don't let Texas down.
Sincerely,
THE UNDERSIGNED (CLICK HERE TO SIGN THE LETTER)
JoAnn Fleming, Executive Director (volunteer) Grassroots America - We the People
www.gawtp.com (903) 894-7204 home office or (903) 360-2858 cell
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