Immigration study passes committee

A bill that calls for a statewide study to determine the fiscal impact of illegal immigrants on Utah's economy passed out of a House committee Friday, but will likely face an uphill struggle for passage with its attached $150,000 price tag in a dire budget year.

HB107, sponsored by Rep. Stephen Clark, R-Provo, came out of a summerlong series of hearings held by an interim task force on immigration. Clark, a member of the task force, told the committee that he asked many who testified on the contentious subject what, if any, data they had on the real cost of illegal immigration in the state, and only received anecdotal responses.

"We heard all kinds of emotional testimony about the economic impact of illegal aliens," Clark said. "But, every time I asked about the data, nobody could give me an answer."

Clark said information he'd gathered from other western states that have conducted studies on the topic show mixed results. Texas claims a net yearly cost of $487 million, while Arizona, a state with some of the toughest immigration policy in the country, said illegal immigrants contribute $260 million annually.

Clark noted that cost was just one aspect of the issue and laid blame at the feet of the federal government that he said has failed to address the problem.

"If we had the ability to enforce illegal immigration we would have this solved," Clark said. "The federal government has tied our hands … we need to do what is best for the citizens of Utah. We need to know if it's hurting us."

The initial version of HB107 called for a one-year delay of SB81 — last year's immigration reform bill that is set to take affect on July 1 this year. Clark said he removed the clause in a substitute, feeling that it may create a roadblock for passage of the mandate for a study, the part he said was the essential element of the bill.

The change garnered mixed responses from committee members. Rep. Brian King, D-Salt Lake, said he thought it was "unwise" to move forward with SB81 without the information the study would provide, while Rep. Francis Gibson, R-Mapleton, told the committee that 75 percent of his constituents did not want the bill delayed, and commended Clark for the change.

Several committee members also noted that the fiscal note for the study, $150,000, could prove its downfall, in spite of the need for the study.

HB107 passed the House Business and Labor Standing Committee on an 8-4 vote, and will move to the House floor for further debate.

E-mail: araymond@desnews.com