Republicans thwarted on immigration safeguards
Senate Democrats shot down bids by Republicans last week to head off illegal immigration in voting and health care.
Senate Bill 65, authored by Sen. Ted Harvey, R-Highlands Ranch, failed on a 3-2 party-line vote in the State, Veterans and Military Affairs Committee.
Harvey’s intent was to ensure citizens their right to vote by requiring proper identification, such as a birth certificate or passport, in addition to signing an affidavit when registering to vote. The affidavit process alone can be purposely forged or altered by non-citizens, the senator said.
“You have to prove to be a resident of the state to get a driver’s license, and the right to vote is more of a privilege than that,” Harvey explained while summing up his proposal. “It’s important to have some documentation to prove people are who they say they are.”
Democrats adamantly opposed the measure.
“I don’t see a documentation problem that needs a solution,” said Sen. Chris Romer, D-Denver.
In a related issue, Republican senators challenged potential cost shifting methods of a generic, non-patented Rx Drug program brought forth by Democrats on last week in a Health and Human Services Committee meeting.
Senate Bill 1 is an entitlement that allows any Colorado resident who qualifies to enroll in purchases of discount and generic drugs at any pharmacy in the state. The measure was approved 8-1 Jan. 17 by members for consideration in the Appropriations Committee.
During Thursday’s floor debate on the measure, Sen. Dave Schultheis, R-Colorado Springs, proposed an amendment to SB-1 restricting those enrolling in the drug program to legal state residents.
HHS Chairman, Sen. Bob Hagedorn, D-Aurora, is the prime sponsor of SB-1. He called Schultheis’ proposal “a vindictive, vicious amendment…”
Schultheis responded, “I’m not vicious at all,” he said. “I’m trying to uphold the law.”
Filed under: Colorado Senate News, Immigration, Sen. Schultheis, Sen. Harvey