Susie
09-27-2007, 05:51 AM
State immigration commission meets today
By Allison Brophy Champion
The Star Exponent (Culpeper, VA), September 25, 2007
http://www.starexponent.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=CSE/MGArticle/CSE_MGArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1173352876599
Culpeper Mayor Pranas Rimeikis will take his place on the Virginia Commission on Immigration at the inaugural meeting today in the state capital. He joins 11 other citizen members and eight elected state officials on the 20-member commission, charged with studying and making recommendations about the costs and benefits of immigration on the commonwealth.
The Commission on Immigration meets beginning at 9 a.m. in the General Assembly Building, Senate Room A in downtown Richmond.
According to the online agenda, the meeting will start with introductions and swearing-ins followed by the election of a chair and vice chairperson.
Additional agenda items will include a look at “Acclimation of Virginia’s Foreign-Born Population,” a 2004 study by the Joint Legislative Audit Review Commission. The report covers government policies and programs, needs, benefits, costs and options for facilitating acclimation.
Further, the commission will consider current immigration laws in Virginia and immigration policies for health care.
Rimeikis hopes the commission will do what its mission intends: study and report on the pros and cons of immigration. Specific areas could include education, health care, the economy and law enforcement, he said.
Rimeikis’ contribution, so far, to the group has been his forwarding, via e-mail, to Del. Robert Marshall, R-Prince William, a copy of “The Police Chiefs Guide to Immigration Issues,” a 48-page report released in July by the International Association of Chiefs of Police. (Marshall sponsored the bill for creation of the immigration commission, and by tradition will likely serve as its chairman.)
“If the association of chiefs of police thought it was important enough, it would be nice to know their view,” said Rimeikis of the lengthy guide which deals with, among other things, day laborer hiring sites and overcrowding.
“I just thought it would be helpful.”
As a non-legislative member, the mayor will represent himself.
“A lot of people seem to think I will represent Culpeper,” Rimeikis said. “This is not the case. I am there to represent my personal views as a citizen, who happens to be an immigrant, naturalized.
And dealing with the issue at the local level as a mayor brings something else to the table.”
By Allison Brophy Champion
The Star Exponent (Culpeper, VA), September 25, 2007
http://www.starexponent.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=CSE/MGArticle/CSE_MGArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1173352876599
Culpeper Mayor Pranas Rimeikis will take his place on the Virginia Commission on Immigration at the inaugural meeting today in the state capital. He joins 11 other citizen members and eight elected state officials on the 20-member commission, charged with studying and making recommendations about the costs and benefits of immigration on the commonwealth.
The Commission on Immigration meets beginning at 9 a.m. in the General Assembly Building, Senate Room A in downtown Richmond.
According to the online agenda, the meeting will start with introductions and swearing-ins followed by the election of a chair and vice chairperson.
Additional agenda items will include a look at “Acclimation of Virginia’s Foreign-Born Population,” a 2004 study by the Joint Legislative Audit Review Commission. The report covers government policies and programs, needs, benefits, costs and options for facilitating acclimation.
Further, the commission will consider current immigration laws in Virginia and immigration policies for health care.
Rimeikis hopes the commission will do what its mission intends: study and report on the pros and cons of immigration. Specific areas could include education, health care, the economy and law enforcement, he said.
Rimeikis’ contribution, so far, to the group has been his forwarding, via e-mail, to Del. Robert Marshall, R-Prince William, a copy of “The Police Chiefs Guide to Immigration Issues,” a 48-page report released in July by the International Association of Chiefs of Police. (Marshall sponsored the bill for creation of the immigration commission, and by tradition will likely serve as its chairman.)
“If the association of chiefs of police thought it was important enough, it would be nice to know their view,” said Rimeikis of the lengthy guide which deals with, among other things, day laborer hiring sites and overcrowding.
“I just thought it would be helpful.”
As a non-legislative member, the mayor will represent himself.
“A lot of people seem to think I will represent Culpeper,” Rimeikis said. “This is not the case. I am there to represent my personal views as a citizen, who happens to be an immigrant, naturalized.
And dealing with the issue at the local level as a mayor brings something else to the table.”