The immigration bill passed by the Indiana House Public Policy Committee didn’t get recommitted to the House Ways and Means Committee, according to Chairman Bill Crawford, despite the fact that it has a $1.5 million appropriation in it.

Now its too late.  Crawford announced this evening that his committee is done with its work for the session.  According to House Rules re-committal was not mandatory but it is customary.

Questions:

Will someone object to a vote on the House floor? 

What happens then? 

Is this a strategy to kill the bill?

All the talk about how Congress should deal with the immigration issue instead of the General Assembly apparently caused confusion for one witness in a hearing in the Indiana House of Representatives today.

Greg Serbon of the Indiana Federation for Immigration Reform and Enforcement began his testimony by looking at state Representative Trent Van Haaften and addressing him as “Congressman.”

Van Haaften stopped Serbon and pointed out that his proper title is Representative.  That caused Serbon later to address Van Haaften properly as he said, “Chester Dobis, my Congressman, Representative..” 

Maybe you know that Dobis is a state Representative, too.

Serbon later switched back and addressed Van Haaften as Congressman yet again.

I wonder if he has a clear understanding of the issues involved in the immigration bill?

Sen. Mike Delph’s immigration bill will get the hearing he’s sought in the Indiana House on Wednesday.

Delph also expects to hear this week whether he (as an Army Reserve Captain) or Lt. Colonel Ray Mejia will be disciplined for the news conference last week where Mejia appeared in uniform. 

My guess is that Sen. Delph would the air cleared before the House hearing.

State Senator Mike Delph just sent me a link to a newspaper article from Fort Wayne explaining how the Allen County Sheriff wants to conduct his own crackdown on illegal immigration.

Ken Fries wants some of his officers (between 10 and 20) to be trained by the federal government on how to conduct immigration raids.  Its been done in other states.

Sen. Delph sees the story as an argument for the immigration bill he sponsored.

But, couldn’t it be cited as an example of how no new law is necessary?

Delph will get to make his case when he meets with Hispanics concerned about his bill on Sunday in the Statehouse.  The media is invited to attend.