Sen. Gooch talks to Republicans

Sen. Gooch talks to Republicans

By Elaine Owen, Editor

“We took bits and pieces of legislation from other states, fixed some of the problems we saw in those bills, and adopted our bill. We believe it will stand the test of the courts,” said Georgia Senator Steve Gooch at the June meeting of the Fannin County Republican Party.

Gooch was talking about HB 87, the Illegal Immigration Reform and Enforcement Act of 2011 that will empower Georgia to protect its borders and reduce the burden of illegal immigrants on the taxpayers of Georgia. It was signed into law May 13 by Gov. Nathan Deal. Provisions of the bill, starting July 1, will authorize police to investigate the immigration status of people stopped for traffic offenses, set new hiring requirements for employers and penalize people who transport or harbor illegal immigrants in Georgia.

Sen. Gooch said that passing the bill was a way to clear the state of illegal immigrants, who cost Georgia millions of dollars by taking advantage of free school lunches, hospital and medical care, and taking jobs from Georgians that are still unemployed.

He acknowledged that opponents of the bill held major protests in Atlanta and described one of the protests at the Capitol.

“People up in the gallery were screaming, shouting, and chanting. It was not pleasant and the Capitol police had to escort them out of the building,” he related.

Not all Georgians agree with the immigration bill. Some South Georgia farmers who depend on migrant workers to pick crops will bear the brunt of the bill’s economic impact.

Gooch said that Gov. Deal has already requested a study to investigate potential labor shortages as a result of the new law. He said he will wait for the results of this study before taking a stance on that issue.

“I know there is some concern about where the farmers will go to find their labor…and that they won’t be able to meet their needs, but I don’t know that will happen,” he said.

Gooch also commented on the Governor’s proposal to use probationers to help fill the farmers’ labor needs.

“I don’t know if it will work, but I think it’s a good idea to give it a try. If probationers want to work, let’s put them to work. I also believe that if the illegals leave Georgia, it will open up jobs for the rest of us.” Gooch emphasized, “I think this is a good move for Georgia. We put a lot of work into it (HB 87) and we adopted what we believe is a good, fair bill.”

The Senator also talked about other bills that were passed by the Senate and those made law during the 2011 legislative session.

SB 122. Water Independence authorizes the creation of public private partnerships to build reservoirs was signed by the Governor May 2, 2011.

Other bills passed by the Senate:

SB 33. Zero Based Budgeting will stop out of control growth of departments and agencies and bring their budgets back into public view.

SB 210. Women’s Right to Action gives women standing to seek punitive damages from doctors and abortion clinics that violate the law.

SB 165. Requires minors who receive an abortion to have a fetal tissue DNA sample be collected and stored. This bill protects young girls who are molested or used as part of a sex trafficking ring.

SB 223. Georgia Government Accountability Act creates a sunset advisory board to review state boards and commissions to determine if they continue to be needed.

SB 177. The Healthcare Compact closes a loophole in the current federal law and prevents federal dollars or tax credits to be spent on abortions.

SB 36. Lawful Carry During a State of Emergency prevents any state government entity from limiting the freedom of gun ownership during a state of emergency. Further it prevents the requirement to register firearms during such times.

SR 20. The Taxpayer Protection Act — A resolution that would restrict the state from spending any money in excess of the previous year budget adjusted for inflation and population. Any additional revenue beyond the spending limitations would fund school districts with unexpected increases in population and then would be required to go into the Rainy Day fund.

The Fannin County Republican Party meets at 7 p.m. the third Monday every month at the Senior Center in Blue Ridge.