Lawmakers Focus on Illegal Immigration : Legislation: More than half of the 23 bills introduced in Sacramento that would affect undocumented immigrants were authored by elected representatives from the San Gabriel Valley.

THE REGION —  San Gabriel Valley legislators are tackling the issue of illegal immigration this year like never before, driving the debate in Sacramento with a flurry of proposals designed to crack down on the problem.

Responding to a rising public outcry, the lawmakers introduced a dozen new bills this year to fight illegal immigration. It is an unusually large slate from the local delegation--more than half of the 23 immigration-control bills offered in the entire Legislature this year.

The new initiatives vary in severity and scope--everything from a ban on public housing for illegal immigrants to a proposal to transfer undocumented felons in state prisons into jails in their country of origin.

All but two of the local bills were submitted by Republicans, but Democrats from the region say they are beginning to draft proposals of their own.

One of the bills, by Sen. Newton Russell (R-Glendale), moved to the center of the immigration debate this week. Russell’s proposal would make it illegal for tax-supported job referral agencies to assist undocumented immigrants.

But one day after Gov. Pete Wilson endorsed that bill, key Assembly Democrats raised the stakes on Wednesday by amending it to include tough sanctions against employers who hire illegal immigrants.

Almost all of the other bills have been defeated or shelved with little chance of revival before the end of the session next month.

Nevertheless, the lawmakers say they will not give up. They believe they are laying the groundwork for future legislative success and putting pressure on their colleagues by raising public awareness of the issue.

“It looks like this issue is finally coming to the forefront,” said Assemblyman Richard L. Mountjoy (R-Arcadia), who submitted five bills. “People are hearing from their constituents, and illegal immigration is moving up on the agenda.”

But immigrant-rights advocates and Democratic legislators say the burst of activity smacks of political opportunism. Others contend that the new anti-immigration bills will only fuel an undercurrent of racism against Latinos.

“Historically, we’ve seen that this is nothing new. We’ve seen it demonstrated every time the economy takes a turn for the worse. Even though immigrants didn’t cause the recession, they are blamed for the problems,” said Claudia Martinez, state policy analyst for the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund.

Martinez said the organization has been working with other groups to defeat the new bills not only because they violate the civil rights of illegal immigrants, but because they will hurt legal immigrants.

Opponents of the new measures are particularly offended by Mountjoy’s efforts. His proposals would bar illegal immigrants and their children from public schools and state colleges, and require proof of legal residency to obtain a driver’s license.

Although all five of his bills have died in committee, Mountjoy still tries to attach anti-immigration amendments to other legislation on the floor whenever he can, forcing votes by the full Assembly.

These aggressive tactics have led two first-year Assembly members from the area--Diane Martinez (D-Rosemead) and Hilda L. Solis (D-El Monte)--to accuse him of immigrant-bashing. They represent districts that are next to or near Mountjoy’s district.

“He does things in such a tone and manner that it is just purely divisive and highly inflammatory,” said Martinez. “His proposals take the form of immigrant-bashing; they don’t deal with the real issues.”

But Mountjoy maintains that his ideas have received strong support from inside and outside his district, including the Latino community. At one recent public hearing, Mountjoy boasted that he could probably win election in some of the neighboring districts with heavily Latino populations.

The back and forth between the get-tough rhetoric from conservatives and charges of racism from liberals has made it extremely difficult to build a consensus on any immigration proposal.

“These Republicans are only offering extremist ideas, Draconian solutions, and legislation that is really impractical. And the Latino organizations are just defending a situation that is really indefensible,” said lobbyist Arnoldo Torres, who once headed the League of United Latin American Citizens.

“There is no debate. It’s not intended to be a debate,” he said. “At no time do we deal with the realities. What we deal with are simply the polemics of posturing.”

Of the 12 bills submitted by local representatives this year, only one has been passed and signed into law. The legislation, written by Sen. Frank Hill (R-Whittier), accelerates deportation hearings for illegal immigrants in state prisons.

Another bill, Russell’s proposal on tax-supported job referral agencies, appeared to be heading for the governor’s desk but its future is now uncertain.

Democrats on the Assembly Ways and Means Committee changed the focus of the legislation this week by tacking on amendments that would allow the state to seize the businesses of employers who repeatedly hire illegal immigrants.

On Thursday, Russell was still studying the amendments and considering whether he should drop the bill.

Like many of his colleagues, Russell is making his first foray into the issue. The senator decided to get involved after his constituents identified illegal immigration in a questionnaire as the state’s most important social problem.

“We recognize that this is primarily a federal issue, but there are things that we can do at a local level too,” said Russell, who represents the Pasadena area. “I know this is something my district is very concerned about.”

It is that kind of public response that has lead San Gabriel Valley lawmakers who have not been active on the issue before to begin studying the problem. Or, at the very least, to hold public hearings and inspect the Mexico-California border.

The legislators’ new interest in the subject has been reflected by politicians across the state who believe that illegal immigrants are draining the state treasury. Several other lawmakers have submitted bills and Wilson recently unveiled his own set of proposals to attack the problem.

But because the majority of illegal immigrants crossing the border are bound for Los Angeles County, this region’s representatives in Sacramento and Washington are carrying the bulk of the new legislation.

Almost every local Republican in the state Legislature has written a bill or two on illegal immigration this year.

The exception is Assemblyman Paul Horcher (R-Diamond Bar), who began preparing a bill after seeing a survey that showed 95% of his district believes immigration to be a major problem.

“I haven’t completed my research yet, but I’m serious about the issue. There’s been a groundswell of concern from the constituents, and my job is to represent them,” he said.

Horcher, a second-term Republican with an independent streak, said he is interested in pushing legislation that will draw bipartisan support and stand a better chance of survival than most of those proposed this year.

With the rising public concern about the issue, the politics of illegal immigration are beginning to shift. Both President Clinton and California’s two Democratic senators have chimed in this summer with proposals.

Sen. Art Torres (D-Los Angeles), whose district includes Monterey Park and El Monte, is also pressing the issue. A longtime opponent of most bills on illegal immigration, the senator recently chaired a televised call-in hearing on the subject, and has already authored two immigration bills.

He and other local Democrats agree that illegal immigration is a problem but condemn the Republican approach of cutting vital services for illegal immigrants. They say solutions must focus on the businesses that are hiring illegal workers.

Martinez and Solis said they are working in the Assembly Latino Caucus on bills that will probably include tougher sanctions against those businesses, stricter enforcement of labor laws and increased penalties for convicted immigrant smugglers.

“We’re trying to separate fact from fiction on this issue, and avoid the hysteria that’s going around,” Martinez said. “We have to be careful that it doesn’t result in immigrant-bashing and racism. It’s a time for cool heads.”

Rep. Carlos Moorhead (R-Glendale), who has been pushing bills in Congress for the past 15 years that would strengthen the Border Patrol and create a tamper-proof Social Security card, said he is pleased that Democrats are discussing the issue.

“I think the public is so agitated about it that we have a better chance of getting things done than we’ve ever had before,” he said.

One sign that the changing political climate may translate into action is Mountjoy’s proposal to require proof of legal residency to obtain a driver’s license.

Mountjoy’s bill died in the Assembly Transportation Committee on a 6-6 vote in April. But the committee earlier this month passed a nearly identical bill by Sen. Alfred Alquist (D-San Jose). That bill, which already cleared the Senate, was endorsed last week the governor.

Immigration Bills Authored by San Gabriel Valley Legislators

* AB299--Assemblyman Bill Hoge (R-Pasadena): Requires people applying for public housing to prove they are legal residents.

* Status: Pending

* AB149--Assemblyman Richard L. Mountjoy (R-Arcadia): Denies public funds to educate children who are illegal immigrants.

* Status: Failed in Assembly Education Committee on a 4-10 vote in March and again on a 5-10 vote in April.

* AB150--Mountjoy: Denies Medi-Cal payments to hospitals that treat illegal immigrants unless they report illegal immigrants to the Immigration and Naturalization Service.

* Status: Failed twice in Assembly Health Committee on 6-10 votes in April.

* AB151--Mountjoy: Denies workers’ compensation to illegal immigrants.

* Status: Pending.

* AB2171--Mountjoy: Requires people to prove they are legal residents to get driver’s licenses.

* Status: Failed in Assembly Transportation Committee on a 6-6 vote in April.

* AB2228--Mountjoy: Bars illegal immigrants from attending state colleges and universities.

* Status: Pending.

* SB345--Sen. Frank Hill (R-Whittier): Requires the Department of Corrections to help the INS in any deportation proceeding against prisoners who are illegal immigrants.

* Status: Passed and signed into law in July.

* SB406--Hill: Denies workers’ compensation to illegal immigrants who claim stress injuries when they lose their jobs.

* Status: Failed in Senate Industrial Relations Committee on a 3-4 vote in April.

* SB284--Sen. Newton R. Russell (R-Glendale): Allows hospitals to report illegal immigrants to the INS.

* Status: Pending.

* SB733--Russell: Requires that tax-supported job referral agencies demand proof of legal residency before helping applicants obtain jobs or job training.

* Status: Passed by the Senate in June. Passed by Assembly Labor and Employment Committee on a 6-1 vote in July. Passed with substantial amendments by Assembly Ways and Means Committee last week on a 19-2 vote.

* SB1027--Sen. Art Torres (D-Los Angeles): Would create a statewide Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs that would coordinate services for legal immigrants, study the impact of immigration in the state, and promote maximum federal funding for costs associated with federal immigration policies.

* Status: Passed by the Senate in June. Failed in Assembly Human Services Committee last week because of lack of a quorum, but was granted reconsideration.

* SB1258--Torres: Would transfer a felon who is an illegal immigrant from a California prison to a prison in the country of origin.

* Status: Passed by the Senate in July. Passed by Assembly Public Safety Committee with an 8-0 vote last week. Hearing by Assembly Ways and Means Committee not scheduled yet.