Immigration Bill Debate Deferred After Heated Exchange; House Recesses 40–31

A floor motion to lift House Bill 300 — described in debate as an "illegal alien amendment" — from the Rules Committee and refer it to the Law Enforcement Committee drew sharp debate on Feb. 27 and was put on hold when the House voted to recess for 15 minutes.

Representative Harrod, the bill’s sponsor, urged that the chamber hear the bill and said he had spent two months hearing from legal immigrants and small‑business owners who oppose illegal employment practices. "I have a legal immigrant ... she has paid over $9,000,000 ... and she feels absolutely foolish for paying that money," Harrod said, arguing the bill deserved a proper hearing.

Representative Draxler rose in opposition, citing a majority of constituent survey responses favoring steps such as learning English, work permits, state registration, background checks, driver privilege cards, private health insurance and paying taxes — provisions he said are part of House Bill 116 — and argued lifting HB300 now would be a mistake.

Representative Harper raised procedural concerns, warning that repeatedly lifting bills from Rules late in session after they failed in committee could set a damaging precedent. In response, Representative Dougal offered a substitute motion to recess for 15 minutes, saying the pause would allow tempers to cool and the House to return in a clearer frame of mind. "I do not believe this is a motion of cowardice," Dougal said.

After a point of order clarified that the correct motion was to recess (not the colloquial term used in debate), the House voted on the recess motion. A division was called and the motion to recess for 15 minutes passed 40 yes to 31 no. The original motion to lift HB300 from Rules was not voted on before the recess and thus remains unresolved on the floor.

No formal amendments or committee referral on HB300 were completed during the session; next steps were not recorded in the transcript before the recess.