Donnelson Wants to Run Doomed Immigration Bills Next Year

Feb 25, 2008 by Elizabeth Ziegler

(KCPW News) Even though Governor John Huntsman has vowed to veto two of his illegal immigration bills, Representative Glenn Donnelson says he doesn't regret running them.

"That's his perogitive," Donnelson says. "He can do what he wants."

The Ogden Republican says he'll likely propose the controversial bills again next year, if he's re-elected in the fall. He says he doesn't know yet if his constituents want him to tackle the weighty issue of immigration reform again. But they knew the governor would likely veto his bills if they passed the Legislature this year, and Donnelson says they wanted him to run them anyway. He said it's a worthwhile battle, even if it was doomed from the start.

"You never waste your time with bills," Donnelson says. "You just get the message out - you never waste your time."

The two bills Huntsman has vowed to veto repeal current benefits extended to illegal immigrants - in-state tuition and driver privilege cards. Both passed the House by narrow margins - significantly less than the two-thirds majority needed to override the governor's veto. Both are now waiting for their second reading in the Senate.

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