Politics

Mo. House Committee Considers Bill To Revoke Public Assistance To Some Immigrants

St. Louis Public Radio | By Marshall Griffin,

Marshall Griffin

Published April 14, 2013 at 6:30 AM CDT

Legislation that would repeal public assistance for some immigrantsis being considered by a Missouri House committee.

Under current law, people whose immigration status is unverified can still receive state and local public benefits for up to 90 days while they try and obtain proper documentation. That provision would be eliminated under a bill sponsored by State Representative Wanda Brown(R, Cole Camp).

“That is just bad policy," Brown said. "There’s nothing stopping you from, in 90 days, going to the next county and saying, ‘I don’t have any ID right now, I can’t come up with it.’”

Brown admits that there are no reported cases of this happening, but says her bill would be a preventive measure. Vanessa Crawford Aragon with the group Missouri Immigrant and Refugee Advocates (MIRA) spoke against the bill during a hearing Thursday. She says it could result in people who are legally in the US to lose public benefits.

“I don’t think that we’re talking about hundreds and hundreds of people, but I do think that there are going to be families for whom this is an issue, families that currently are being turned away because their situation is complicated,” Aragon said.

The House Committee on Downsizing Government has taken no action on the measure yet.

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Marshall Griffin

Missouri Public Radio State House Reporter Marshall Griffin is a proud alumnus of the University of Mississippi (a.k.a., Ole Miss), and has been in radio for over 20 years, starting out as a deejay. His big break in news came when the first President Bush ordered the invasion of Panama in 1989. Marshall was working the graveyard shift at a rock station, and began ripping news bulletins off the old AP teletype and reading updates between songs. From there on, his radio career turned toward news reporting and anchoring. In 1999, he became the capital bureau chief for Florida's Radio Networks, and in 2003 he became News Director at WFSU-FM/Florida Public Radio. During his time in Tallahassee he covered seven legislative sessions, Governor Jeb Bush's administration, four hurricanes, the Terri Schiavo saga, and the 2000 presidential recount. Before coming to Missouri, he enjoyed a brief stint in the Blue Ridge Mountains, reporting and anchoring for WWNC-AM in Asheville, North Carolina. Marshall lives in Jefferson City with his wife, Julie, their dogs, Max and Mason, and their cat, Honey.

See stories by Marshall Griffin

Marshall Griffin

St. Louis Public Radio State House Reporter Marshall Griffin is a native of Mississippi and proud alumnus of Ole Miss (welcome to the SEC, Mizzou!). He has been in radio for over 20 years, starting out as a deejay. His big break in news came when the first President Bush ordered the invasion of Panama in 1989. Marshall was working the graveyard shift at a rock station, and began ripping news bulletins off an old AP teletype and reading updates between songs. From there on, his radio career turned toward news reporting and anchoring. In 1999, he became the capital bureau chief for Florida's Radio Networks, and in 2003 he became News Director at WFSU-FM/Florida Public Radio. During his time in Tallahassee he covered seven legislative sessions, Governor Jeb Bush's administration, four hurricanes, the Terri Schiavo saga, and the 2000 presidential recount. Before coming to Missouri, he enjoyed a brief stint in the Blue Ridge Mountains, reporting and anchoring for WWNC-AM in Asheville, North Carolina. Marshall lives in Jefferson City with his wife, Julie, their dogs, Max and Liberty Belle, and their cat, Honey.