Sen. Mike Jorgenson, R-Hayden Lake, opened the hearing on his controversial immigration bill, SB 1303, this morning by saying, "Mr. Chairman, I want to thank you. You kept your promise - you said you would give this bill a hearing, and you're doing that, and for that I'm eternally grateful." Jorgenson said some may wonder why he brought his bill, which seeks to penalize employers who knowingly employ undocumented workers; ban benefits from going to anyone without proven legal status; ban driver's license tests in any language other than English and more. "I can tell you I've been accused of being a racist - it's categorically not true," Jorgenson said. Instead, he said he's brought his bill because undocumented immigrants in Idaho are "costing the state in the neighborhood of $200 million dollars." He said that figure comes from his own research - consulting with state agencies, from prisons to schools. Jorgenson said "we have a duty and a right to ... take action as a state ... when the federal government fails to do so ... and that's what this bill purports to do."

He also announced that he's decided to remove from the bill sections on driver's license testing in English, human trafficking and more, to focus the bill on e-Verify and employment. He said he'd like the committee to send SB 1303 to the Senate's 14th Order for amendment, to make those changes.