Newspaper continues to push rejected illegal alien-friendly legislation

The liberal AJC is still trying to sell the now all-but-dead HB 120 scam. The morning after Rep Kasey Carpenter’s “instate tuition” bill formally expired due to an absence of Rules Committee attention, AJC reporter Greg Bluestein lamented the GOP had lost a chance to win over more immigrants and Latino voters. A real mensch, Bluestein is always very concerned about the Republican’s well being.

In today’s ‘Capitol Recap’. AJC Premium Editor Jim Denery did a rerun of the Bluestein goop. Update: The AJC also printed the same “news” in the Sunday edition.

Neither of them seem to understand or care that Kasey Carpenter is a shameless huckster. Neither of them seem to understand simple immigration law and neither seem to be able to process news of federal court decisions reported in their own newspaper.

We have lost count of the number of news outlets that falsely reported that “DACA recipients” were the target of Carpenter’s first two versions of HB 120 on instate tuition and that “DACA” was part of the bill language. Triple dog dare: Show us the numbers of the lines that contain “DACA.”

The reality, easily verified by actually reading those bills, is that DACA was never mentioned in the language. We think the various reporters swallowed Carpenter’s carnival barker, verbal presentation of the bill without reading the legislation. Either that or as often happens with the agenda-driven Atlanta Journal Constitution, staff and management were in on the hustle.

This writer pointed this “DACA” discrepancy out to House legislators in committee.

So did a retired federal immigration agent in a letter to legislators.

I also pointed out that the liberal AJC has reported the 11^th circuit appellate court has ruled that illegal aliens with DACA are illegal aliens. How much “lawful presence” do they have? Zero.

 

Carpenter finally did actually insert “DACA” language into his Orwellian, ‘Hail Mary’ latest version. In addition to the existing instate and out-of-state tuition fees, he also invented a new proposed tier of tuition rates: “Opportunity Tuition” – for illegal aliens who would be known as “Opportunity Students.”

It wasn’t “instate tuition” at all. Carpenter should feel cheated. He concocted this goofy Newspeak wording but the AJC ignored his work.

Americans and legal immigrants from most other states would not be allowed to pay the lower “Opportunity Tuition” rates. Only illegal aliens who landed in Georgia before 2013 (*or who move in with parents who say they were here in 2013) could get that special deal. At least until the next time these liberals couldn’t bear the “unfairness” of borders and immigration laws. Then it would be back to the Gold Dome to change that 2013 date to 2021 or whatever year they decided represented “justice.”

Georgia is home to more illegal aliens than green card holders according to the anti-enforcement Georgia Budget and Policy Institute.

The danger to pro-enforcement Georgians of the AJC’s constant hard sell is that most Georgia legislators know more about Martian trigonometry than they do about immigration. In large part we blame this on reading and believing the AJC.

I left a voicemail for Denery late Friday afternoon. I don’t expect a return call and I don’t expect the AJC correction I asked his editors to run.

We created factual info (but with verification) on HB 120 here and here and here and here .

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Updated 11:42 March 13 – corrected title on editor Jim Denery.

Updated 10:15 AM March 14 – addition of info on GBPI.

*Updated 6:04 PM March 14 – added detail of illegal aliens moving in with parents.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New voter ID concept from Georgia Speaker David Ralston.

The below audio is from WSB radio.

On the right side of our Homepage readers can see our new #BigTruckTrick counter that provides the number of days since Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp promised to take action on illegal immigration in a state with more illegal alien than Arizona – and more illegal than green card holders. We hope you will share it. Click on the #BigTruckTrick link!

 

 

Partial update: They passed. Voting records on both bills described below,  HB 34 and HB 268. More coming along with entire list of House members to whom I sent “heads up” warnings about these two pieces of legislation long before they voted.

ATTENTION REPUBLICAN SENATORS: UPDATE March 11, 2021 8:54 AM: Easy way to amend to insure belt and suspenders care: “Nothing contained in this Code section shall be construed to invalidate, override, or amend any licensing compact entered into by the State of Georgia or to permit the issuance of a license without verification under Code Section 50-36-1.“ Which is what Sen Thompson did on SB 45, lines 48 & 49.

“Reciprocity”

Professional licenses are public benefits in Georgia. The Georgia Chamber of Commerce is well aware of that fact as they opposed the law that created it. I was there.

We have been here before, just a few weeks ago: (“Libertarian pushed Gold Dome ‘reciprocity’ bill…”) would dismantle screening process for illegal aliens accessing professional licenses.”)

The people who run Georgia are tired of the “mo’ money” delays involved in the process of verifying lawful immigration status of applicants for public benefits.

Georgia law (OCGA 50-36-1) put in place in 2006 and improved several times after that says that applicants for public benefits must swear they are either U.S.citizen or an eligible alien on a notarized affidavit. They are supposed to show “Secure and Verifiable ID” Then, that lawful presence status is supposed to be checked in a federal database called SAVE  (SAVE is not doing their job correctly and we will expose that fact after session). But the state law still stands. Professional licenses are public benefits. Contrary to the mislabeling by numerous state and local departments that administer public benefits, this is not a “citizenship affidavit” – but a verification affidavit. One need not be a U.S. citizen to qualify for benefits, merely a lawfully present alien.

The Georgia Chamber of Commerce is asking House members to vote yes on at least two bills, HB 34 and HB 268. While we have not had time to carefully study these bills (update, Feb 27. we were correct on initial analysis), a quick appraisal tells us they are designed to provide “reciprocity” with other states on professional licenses – and to skip the verification process described above.

If an individual who has a license to be an occupational therapist in California, for example, moves to Georgia the plan is eliminate much of the licensing process here to put this person to work almost instantly – and to bypass the Georgia law for immigration verification.

These bills are apparently on the Rules calendar today. I have notified several members with the below and they tell me they will now vote “no”  – and that author (s) are not aware of existing law.

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Sent to several members and to Kim in the Speaker’s office this morning:

“After a very quick look: HB 34 has no language I can see that requires compliance with OCGA 50-36-1 (verification of lawful presence for public benefits). Professional licenses are public benefits . A yes vote is a vote to dismantle existing law on illegal immigration. In a state with more illegals than AZ. The senate will take careful note of that fact. I promise.  A 30 second “isn’t it true” question should wake people up?   I assume same for Chamber of Commerce HB 268. Reciprocity write up here.

Unless I have missed it in a big hurry, here they all need: “Nothing contained in this Code section shall be construed to invalidate, override, or  amend any licensing compact entered into by the State of Georgia or to permit the issuance  of a license without verification under Code Section 50-36-1.”

Updated – Libertarian pushed Gold Dome ‘reciprocity’ bill (HB147) would dismantle screening process for illegal aliens accessing professional licenses *UPDATED WITH ADDITION OF IDENTICAL SENATE BILL (SB45) INFO

Military spouse not automatically legal immigrant. Wash Post story:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/this-army-veteran-served-his-country-will-his-undocumented-wife-be-deported/2017/03/29/c60429c8-09bf-11e7-a15f-a58d4a988474_story.html

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Below are two letters put on House member’s desks on the floor today.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ACTION NEEDED: HB 228 being held up in ‘Special Committee on Election Integrity’ – would add ” BEARER NOT U.S. CITIZEN – NOT VALID VOTER ID” to foreign national’s drivers license and ID Cards in Georgia

FEBRUARY 23, 2021 BY D.A. KING (EDIT)

Which drivers license would you rather see used as “proper identification” at polls in the 2022 elections?

 

HB228 is now hostage in the Republican-controlled Special Committee on Election Integrity. It is in the sub-committee Chaired by Rep Bonnie Rich.

Rep Rich needs some polite input. Here is her contact info.

We also need calls to Speaker Ralston’s office!

 

ELECTION INTEGRITY REFORM – TWO COMMON SENSE STEPS IN HB 228

1) We hope to amend current law to clearly exclude non-citizen ID and driving credentials from the list of “proper identification” acceptable for voting purposes. This bill should be regarded as a simple housekeeping bill, as we assume the absence of similar language was an oversight in previous legislation effecting vote security.

2) We also propose to change current law to require DDS to add the phrase “BEARER NOT U.S. CITIZEN – NOT VOTER ID” to all drivers licenses and ID cards issued to foreign nationals.

In numerous occasions, it has been illustrated by curious citizens that poll workers are not aware of the LIMITED TERM credentials now issued by DDS to foreign nationals and are trained to accept “any Georgia-issued drivers license/ID…” as proper ID at the polls.

We are not saying we have direct knowledge of non-citizen voting, only that in today’s troubled times, the legislature should employ both a belt and suspenders to increase voter confidence in the entire system and eliminate room for error and confusion.

**We are also making it clear that the Motor Voter system of voter registration can and has allowed non-citizens to register to vote around the nation. According to the Associated Press and NPR and the Pew Center,  Motor Voter registration is far from perfect.

Pew: “California’s rollout of automatic voter registration didn’t go as planned.

It seemed like a good idea: Cut the bureaucracy by adding voters automatically and welcome more residents to political participation. Since April 2018, when California residents go to the Department of Motor Vehicles to register a car or get a license, they are added to the state voter rolls — unless they opt out.

 But DMV officials later found more than 100,000 registration errors in the first year, including some voters registered to the wrong party. And at least one noncitizen (state officials still are investigating how many in total) was accidentally signed up — a significant error since noncitizens aren’t allowed to vote.”

The Washington Free Beacon informs us of The Public Interest Legal Foundation (PILF), a Foundation that focuses on election integrity law. PILF found that the State of Illinois has admitted that a minimum of 574 non-citizens was added to their voter rolls and at a minimum 19 of them actually cast votes in the 2018 election.
Read More: Does Automatic Voter Registration Lead To Illegal Voting; Yes | https://wbckfm.com/does-automatic-voter-registration-lead-to-illegal-voting-yes/?utm_source=tsmclip&utm_medium=referral

It is our intention to stay far away as possible from mistakes made in California and other states concerning illegal voting. This legislation is a timely, commonsense and easy safeguard. We look forward to answering objections to these two simple steps to voter security reform in Georgia.

• Please that Georgia issues the same drivers license to all non-citizens – including, as reported by the Associated Press, illegal aliens with deferred action on deportation.

 

 

 

A former reporter at the liberal Atlanta Journal Constitution newspaper known for multiple, unapologetic accuracy blunders is apparently now a “Communications Associate” at the Georgia Municipal Association (GMA). GMA is the powerful lobbying entity for Georgia’s more than five hundred cities and towns. We hear the job change was effective January 1, 2021.

We were happy to take the time to post two requests for correction sent to the AJC editors last year on stories created by Coyne and approved by her editors. Maybe it paid off?

Last February Coyne reported on a silly, but simple bill from anti-enforcement Democrats (apologies for the repetition) in the Georgia House that was virtue signaling against use of the term “illegal alien” (also “alien” and “illegal”) that we were proud to have helped install in multiple state laws. Through Coyne, the AJC reported that under the legislation, “illegal alien” would be replaced with the term “unauthorized immigrant”. One problem with the story was that “unauthorized immigrant” was not anywhere in the text of the bill. Apparently Coyne wished it or just made it up. Her yarn left out the changes to the other icky words – illegal and alien.

As we noted in our post last year (AJC inventing “facts” on state legislation again – HB960 and “illegal alien”), as so often happens, “Georgia’s flagship newspaper” was not credible or compelling much less complete, which is kind of their, you know…slogan.

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In November 2020, another Amanda Coyne story on the application process for poll workers in Gwinnett caught our eye. Coyne and her editors managed to muck it up by telling readers that the I-9 form is a “tax form.” It’s not.

From our Immigration Politics GA post then (AJC gets it wrong again: Correction should not be expected on Form I-9 yarn)

The yarn, headlined “Application process stymies 200 + plus would-be poll workers in Gwinnett” explains at length that people who wanted to work at Gwinnett County polls have not been contacted after completing an application. The Gwinnett application is online and requires an easy and quick registration if you want to see it.

From the liberal AJC via reporter Amanda Coyne:

“Gwinnett County’s human resources department requires potential poll workers to submit an I-9 form before their application is moved over to the elections department. The I-9 is a tax form that allows the county to pay poll workers. Applicants are supposed to get an automated email after submitting their application with instructions on how to submit the tax form, country spokesman Joe Sorenson said. Nothing in the job posting or application indicates the I-9 is necessary to move forward.”

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, the people who administer the I-9 form describe it as the ‘employment verification’ form that it has been since 1986.

From the USCIS I-9 website:

Use Form I-9 to verify the identity and employment authorization of individuals hired for employment in the United States. All U.S. employers must properly complete Form I-9 for each individual they hire for employment in the United States. This includes citizens and noncitizens. Both employees and employers (or authorized representatives of the employer) must complete the form.”

Alas, as is usually the case the agenda-driven editors at the AJC, they did not run a notice of correction as requested. But after our post, they did change the online copy to reflect the actual purpose of the I-9 form, but again, as usual, there was no note of the correction. This is a near daily practice for the AJC staff for whom the internet seems to mean never having to say you’re sorry…

We see from Linkedin that Amanda Coyne, the new communications associate at GMA, was editor-in-chief of University of South Carolina’s The Daily Gamecock and earned a bachelor’s degree in political science with a minor in women’s and gender studies.

Good luck with that, GMA.

 

 

 

“A 2019 11th Circuit Appellate Court decision ruled that DACA does not provide lawful status and denied a group of DACA recipient’s lawsuit demand for admission to the three public-funded public Georgia universities that do not allow illegal aliens to attend at any tuition rate.”

Rep. Kasey Carpenter revolts against local GOP to defend his in-state tuition bill for DACA recipientFebruary 2, 2021

by Brian K. Pritchard

FetchYourNews.com

Dalton’s Republican state Rep. Kasey Carpenter (R-Dalton) denounced his home GOP on the House floor in defense of his legislation (HB 120) to grant illegal aliens in-state tuition rates. The bill would allow undocumented international students living in Georgia to pay less tuition than Americans and legal immigrants from most other states in Georgia’s public universities and the technical college system.

“As far as DACA recipients receiving in-state tuition rates, These individuals are here thru no fault of their own. They are or will be taxpayers in the state of Georgia. I am interested in creating more givers than takers to our economy. Affordable College education is a step in that direction. The state pays the same rate whether that student pays in-state or out-of-state tuition. It is the university or college that takes the hit. Many take that hit on students from surrounding states. The federal government has failed America in regard to immigration. Unfortunately, we have to come up with the best solutions with the situation we have been handed. Making lemonade out of lemons,” Carpenter told FYN.

For the academic year 2019-2020, the average tuition & fees for Colleges in Georgia is $4,721 for in-state and $16,879 for out-of-state, according to collegetuitioncompare.com.

Last week Rep Carpenter made a short speech to the Georgia House blasting his bill’s opponents, lamenting the period in history when the U.S. had “a show-up” immigration policy, verbally merged ‘immigrants’ with illegals – and with an audible groan from an off-camera House member, cited the biblical story of Joseph and his family in ancient Egypt to defend his tuition legislation.

The now growing controversy began when the Whitfield Republican Party sent out an email opposing the legislation shortly after its introduction. The email read, “Carpenter is renewing his attempts to make Georgia a magnet for a new wave of illegal.” Rep Carpenter responded with a Facebook post saying his tuition bill was crafted for DACA recipients and would “only apply to individuals considered lawfully present in Georgia as of 2013, aka DACA.”

Carpenter had the following to say about Whitfield GOP, “My problem with our local GOP is they sent out miss information about this bill without even calling beforehand. Sometimes local parties have individuals involved with their own agenda. It doesn’t speak to the entire party but A select few.”

A 2019 11th Circuit Appellate Court decision ruled that DACA does not provide lawful status and denied a group of DACA recipient’s lawsuit demand for admission to the three public-funded public Georgia universities that do not allow illegal aliens to attend at any tuition rate.

DACA is a 2012 executive amnesty program put in place by then-President Barack Obama that grants deferred action on deportation along with a work permit and Social Security Number to illegal aliens. Georgia issues driver’s licenses and official state ID Cards to DACA recipients as well as other “public benefits.”… There is more here from FYN.com