The Kansas Senate Federal and State Affairs Committee heard testimony from supporters of Senate Bill 458.

The bill, introduced by Senator Peggy Palmer and co-sponsored by four other senators, seeks to solve problems created by the employment of illegal immigrants.

458 prohibits illegal immigrants from receiving any state benefits or services. Opponents of the immigration legislation complained that E-Verify, the federal database used to check whether a person is in the country legally, is flawed. Opponents will have a separate hearing on Tuesday at 10:30 am.

"This goes back to NAFTA when we started losing our manufacturing jobs and so we have to do something at the state level to protect us. Oklahoma, Colorado and Missouri have all passed similar legislation. So the illegals are going to be leaving those states and migrating to Kansas," said Paul Degener, President of Citizens for Immigration Reform in Topeka.

State Representatives from Texas were also present. Representative Debbie Riddle spoke about what a good opportunity this legislation provides for Kansas to become more secure.

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TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) Supporters of immigration legislation told a
Senate committee that Kansas will become a magnet for illegal
immigrants without stronger laws.

Federal and State Affairs Committee members were told Wednesday
that Kansas laws are so lenient that illegal immigrants are looking
at the state as a place to go when they leave neighboring states.
That's because those states have tougher laws, supporters of the
legislation said.

The committee will hear next week from opponents.

The bill under consideration requires employers to use a federal
database to verify whether a person can legally work.

It also requires law enforcement to check the citizenship of
anybody they detain and denies most public benefits to illegal
immigrants.