Senate Judiciary Committee debates limits on executive, local authority in discussion of S.44

Members of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Feb. 13 discussed S.44, an immigration bill that members said raises constitutional questions about the legislatures ability to restrict the governors authority to enter agreements with federal authorities and whether oversight of local towns and police departments might be a more realistic approach.

Committee member 1, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said: "I think there are 2 challenges, regarding specifically what we can and can't do when it comes to the executive branch. They do have some constitutional concerns as to whether or not having control over what the executive branch can do when it comes to entering into agreements with the federal government." The member said a separate concern is whether the governor would sign the bill if it were written as proposed.

"We did have some witnesses lined up, but due to the weather, I believe,…