For years, Maryland's Democrat-led General Assembly has sidestepped serious debates over illegal immigration, but with the issue at the forefront of the presidential race and in the minds of many voters, that might no longer be possible, legislative leaders acknowledge.
While most lawmakers say this year's crop of immigration bills - most of which attempt to cut off benefits to those who can't prove they're in the country legally - have little or no chance of passing, boosters of the legislation have their hopes up that they will at least generate a rigorous debate.
Seeking to handle the matter on their terms, several Democrats are supporting legislation to study the footprint of immigration statewide, including an analysis of the costs of illegal immigrants and how much they pay in taxes.
"Every issue has its time," said state Sen. E.J. Pipkin, an Eastern Shore Republican who has sponsored and promoted some of the bills in his race for the 1st District congressional seat.
Pipkin said Gov. Martin O'Malley's recent decision to put an end to Maryland's practice of giving driver's licenses to foreigners without requiring proof of legal status was a sign that times are changing. "This issue's time has come," he said.
Immigrant advocates in the legislature, who have long fought to beat back initiatives they consider hate-filled, acknowledge that a groundswell of public opinion might make their task more challenging.
"In the past, we've been able to fight off some of these proposals," said Del. Ana Sol Gutierrez, one of the founding members of the New Americans Caucus, a group of lawmakers formed Wednesday to counter what they see as a growing anti-immigrant sentiment in the General Assembly. "That may no longer be possible, as a lot of delegates and senators are responding to constituents that are echoing these anti-immigrant sentiments and claims."
Illegal immigration has become a flash-point issue around the nation as numerous bipartisan attempts to deal with the problem have failed.
In the absence of any federal solution, state legislatures have sought to fill the void. Last year, more than 1,500 bills dealing with immigration were proposed in all 50 states, about a fifth of which became law, according to a report from the National Conference of State Legislatures. Colorado called a special legislative session to deal with the problem in 2006, and so far this year, more than 100 bills dealing with immigration have been introduced in the Virginia General Assembly, according to that legislature's Web site.
