HB226, sponsored by Rep. Candice Pierucci, R-Riverton, would institute penalties for nonprofits that “knowingly” transport undocumented immigrants and would allow the state to hold people who have been convicted of certain violent misdemeanors or DUIs for 365 days instead of the current 364.
Pierucci has said that her explicit goal in running the legislation is to better coordinate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. “It’s become very clear in these work group meetings, in discussions with ICE, their policy is that to deport someone on a class A misdemeanor, they need to have served 365 days,” she said in a House hearing, where she originally presented her bill earlier this month. “We are limiting that partnership with them with just having a 364, so it’s just extending it another 24 hours.”
Earlier this month, the bill cleared the House in 62-9 vote and was sent to the Senate, but its first hearing in a Senate committee ended Tuesday in a narrow 4-3 vote. Republican Sens. Mike McKell of Spanish Fork and Calvin Musselman of West Haven joined with two Democrats to vote down the bill.
Pierucci did not respond to a request for comment on the vote.
McKell, who serves as the Senate’s majority assistant whip, said Wednesday he had concerns about the bill, including that the legislation adopts as part of its drafting a piece of federal code, an issue raised as well by Sen. Brady Brammer, R-Pleasant Grove, during the hearing.
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