The Indiana General Assembly has formed an interim study committee on immigration to review possible legislation pertaining to the hiring of illegal aliens by Indiana businesses. There was legislation proposed in this year’s legislative session, S.B. 335, which appeared to be a comprehensive bill which not only placed responsibilities on employers in their hiring procedures, but also included provisions for the training of State and Local law enforcement officers to enable them to identify illegal law breakers. This proposed legislation appeared to have bipartisan support but was buried, and never brought to the floor for a vote, by the politicians who opposed it.
Several states including Arizona, Oklahoma, S.C., Colorado and Georgia have enacted similar legislation over the past few years and the results seem to indicate positive results. It’s time for legal Hoosier citizens to expect the same job protection from our legislators. With the recent announcements of plant closings and the slowdown in the RV industry, this area of Indiana has been hard hit. It’s imperative that every working Hoosier is a legal resident and those who have been laid off should demand that only legal residents are employed.
Jackie Walorski is our local legislator on the summer study committee. Please contact her and express your opinion on this issue. Her email address is
h21@in.gov, her phone number is 1-800-382-9841, or write her at the Statehouse at 200 W. Washington St., Indianapolis, In. 46204.
You should also make sure that the candidates running for state office in the fall election also support state legislation to address this problem. The illegal invasion has been taking place for the past 20 years and it’s time to take action. And don’t tell me it’s a federal problem, it’s our problem.
Bob Schrameyer
901 Player Drive
Goshen, In. 46528
574-533-2585
July 23, 2008