While California has long dealt with immigration issues, other states are taking up legislation on the subject. A new report says an explosion of bills has come in the absence of federal reforms. Jenny O'Mara reports from Sacramento.
The report by the National Conference of State Legislatures says the number of immigrant-related bills around the country jumped more than 240 percent compared to last year.
Sheri Steisel directs immigration policy for the organization. She says every state has had legislation introduced on the subject.
Steisel : It’s states like Kansas and Oklahoma and Georgia, not only California, and Texas and Florida and New York. This is really a fifty-state issue.
Steisel says the absence of federal legislation is driving states to deal with the impacts of immigration. She says an example is the healthcare debate in California that centers on coverage of undocumented children.
In other states identification and documentation requirements are an area of focus. Prohibiting employers from hiring illegal immigrants is another prominent issue.
