Two Lake County GOPers with differing views on SB 31 – Sheriff Mark Curran, GOP Chr Mark Shaw
LAKE COUNTY – The Lake County Republican Central Committee sent Governor Rauner a letter this week, asking him to veto SB 31 – but not for the same reasons to which other conservative Republicans have been pointing. The bill Governor Rauner's office is saying he will sign into law next Monday would stop local law officials from notifying federal immigration authorities as to whether a person they've arrested is in the US illegally.
But the measure isn't at all what some are saying it is, Lake County GOP Chairman Mark Shaw wrote the governor. SB 31 is a phony proposal that won't change the state law towards federal authorities at all. Indeed, Shaw said, it's a "sham bill."
And, we're told, the governor could be getting other letters similar to Lake County's over the weekend.
Shaw told Illinois Review he was disappointed that the letter made its way into our hands, but stood firm in defending its content. He said the Lake County Central Committee is in agreement understanding the political “trick bag” Speaker Madigan loves to put Republican officeholders and activists in by calling for “sham” votes on bills set up to gain political advantage.
SB 31 is one of those bills, Shaw writes in the letter, and explains their position as to why he should veto the bill in the letter:
In considering whether to veto Senate Bill 31, we understand that some local law enforcement officials may claim that requiring them to question people about, and/or detain people because of, their immigration status when performing official duties may hinder that performance. In addition, we understand that some local law enforcement officials may claim that they have inadequate resources to question and/or detain people that are suspected of being in violation of federal immigration law. Nevertheless, as we are sure you are aware, the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division, in the case captioned, Jose Jiminez Moreno and Maria Jose Lopez v. Janet Napolitano, et al., No. 11 C 5452 (N.D. Ill 2016), ruled that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”) detainers issued without a warrant, or without probable cause to believe that a removable person is likely to escape, are unenforceable under 8 U.S.C. §1357(a)(2). Additionally, we are sure you are aware that ICE does not require local law enforcement officials to enforce their detainers – whether enforceable or unenforceable under federal law.
Therefore, because certain ICE detainers in violation of 8 U.S.C. §1357(a)(2) are already unenforceable under 8 U.S.C. §1357(a)(2), and others not in violation of 8 U.S.C. §1357(a)(2) are not required by ICE to be enforced by local law enforcement officials, Senate Bill 31 is nothing more than a “sham” bill designed to make you look bad to those who are unlikely to vote for you anyway or to “low information voters” who are unaware of the “political games being played”, if you do not sign the bill into law.
Shaw says in the letter that he personally spoke with the legislators that represent Lake County and they agreed that Rauner should be asked to veto the bill. Two of those legislators – Senators Pam Althoff and Dan McConchie both voted for SB 31.
One of the Lake County lawmakers, State Rep. David McSweeney (R-Barrington) told Illinois Review that he opposed SB 31 on the floor and still opposes it.
"Instead of signing SB 31, the governor should use his political capital to focus on developing and passing a plan to cut state spending," McSweeney said. "The governor's failure to focus on a detailed plan to cutspending and his acvocacy of the "Capitol Compromise' tax hike were big mistakes."
Shaw said he'd rather letters like the one he sent the governor would have remained private, but that he hopes the governor will veto SB 31 and call Speaker Madigan on his political ploys.
More to come…
