Immigration legislation advances after dispute

INDIANAPOLIS – A partisan impasse in the Indiana House over illegal immigration legislation ended Monday, but minority Republicans filed a formal protest over the way the measure was handled and accused Democrats of an arrogant use of power.\nThe impasse began Thursday when Democrats used a procedural move to prevent Republicans from offering amendments to legislation that could penalize employers for hiring illegal immigrants. They did that by taking language in a bill endorsed by a committee and filing it as an amendment to another bill – just four minutes before a deadline to file amendments to bills on Thursday’s calendar.\nRepublicans said the move was a sneaky maneuver that violated House rules and denied their chance to offer changes. They ultimately walked off the floor in protest Thursday night, and after about two hours House Speaker Patrick Bauer, D-South Bend, put the chamber in “recess” – instead of adjourning – until Monday morning.\nThat meant the Democrats considered Monday to be an extension of Thursday, and no new amendments could be filed on the bill in question.\nRepublicans tried to file an amendment to the bill Monday morning, but the House clerk’s office rejected it. The calendar of bills eligible for floor action on Monday was the same as it was Thursday.\nRepublicans returned to the floor around noon Monday, and after filing a protest, allowed Democrats to advance the illegal immigration legislation in a new bill.\nThe formal protest accused Bauer of violating House rules by allowing the illegal immigration language to be amended into a bill Republicans said had nothing to do with the subject. The bill dealt with collection of unemployment benefits.\nThe written protest also accused him of breaking another House rule, which denied Republicans a chance to amend the immigration language.\nIf the impasse had continued, it could have threatened dozens of bills and a resolution that seeks constitutional caps on property tax bills. This is the week for Senate legislation to pass the House and vice versa.\nHouse Minority Leader Brian Bosma, R-Indianapolis, said Democrats had used tactics to roll over the Republicans. But he said his caucus agreed to let things proceed because its members wanted to keep the resolutions on constitutional caps alive. It will be eligible for amendments on Tuesday.