The Cherokee County Board of Commissioners is expected to vote Tuesday on whether to make English the county's official language.
That measure is proposed by Commissioner Karen Mahurin, who has been behind another measure the board will vote on that tackles immigration _ a proposal to fine landlords who rent to illegal immigrants in unincorporated Cherokee County.
Commissioner Derek Good is also pushing for the county to join in two federal programs that target illegal immigration: The Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program, which checks a federal database for the eligibility of anybody seeking public benefits, and the Basic Pilot program, which checks the employment authorization of all employees.
At a public hearing last month, immigrant rights advocates protested the rent measure, which would require property owners to prove their tenants live in the country legally. The county marshal's office could check the immigration status of people renting or leasing homes. And if a violation has occurred, the property owner would be cited, their business license could be suspended and they would not be able to collect rent.
The Association County Commissioners of Georgia believes Cherokee County's rent measure would be the first such ordinance in Georgia. The proposal is meant to send a message to immigrants that "it's not going to be so comfortable" to be in the country illegally, Good said.
Since the debate over immigration heated up last spring, several local governments have taken their own steps. Georgia earlier this year approved a wide-ranging crackdown on illegal immigrants.
Cities in Texas, California and Pennsylvania have enacted laws, some of which are being challenged in court, to punish landlords who rent to illegal immigrants. English is now the official language of Taneytown, a Maryland town of 5,000, Farmer Branch, a Dallas suburb, and Pahrump, a fast-growing Nevada community 60 miles down a two-lane road from Las Vegas. Last month, voters approved a measure making English the official language of Arizona.
The Cherokee County meeting will begin at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Justice Center in downtown Canton.
~AP
Comments(3)