Republican gubernatorial candidate Jim Bryson unveiled today a 10-part plan to curb illegal immigration, and issue that’s become a cornerstone of his campaign.
Bryson’s plan would make illegal immigrants ineligible for bond, parole or even probation once they’ve been arrested. Bryson also wants to fine businesses 10-thousand-dollars for knowingly hiring illegal immigrants.
The Franklin state Senator began talking about the issue when he formally entered the governor’s race in late spring. He believes he’s forced Governor Phil Bredesen to campaign on it as well.
“Until I entered this race, Governor Bredesen did not feel that illegal immigration was an issue that the state needed to deal with. And when I got into this race, he began to come up with plans to do something about illegal immigration.”
Bryson says the governor failed to help pass three bills this session relating to illegal immigration. Bredesen has said that it’s ultimately a federal issue. Those bills included one requiring all driver’s license tests to be administered in English. All three passed the Senate but failed in the House.
After an illegal immigrant with an extensive arrest record killed a Mt. Juliet couple in a car crash in June, Bryson blasted the governor’s lack of support for giving state troopers the ability to hand over undocumented immigrants to federal authorities. The couple’s daughter, Heather Steffek, appeared at a press conference with Bryson in June and again today.
Bryson and Bredesen will likely discuss the issue tomorrow night in Knoxville at their first of three debates.
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