PA Senate Sends Sanctuary City Bill To House
by Tony Romeo
HARRISBURG (CBS) -- The Pennsylvania Senate on Tuesday sent to the House a bill aimed at cracking down on Philadelphia and other "sanctuary" municipalities in the state.
The bill passed by the Senate would cut off state grants to municipalities who do not cooperate when they have in custody individuals for whom there is a detainer issued by federal immigration authorities.
"I rise today in support of law and order," said Joe Scarnarti, the top-ranking Republican in the Senate.
But Philadelphia Democrat Vincent Hughes argued against the bill.
"There are great potentials for some very serious abuses around some of our most important basic freedoms," Hughes said.
The bill now goes to the House, where the spokesman for majority Republicans says his members are interested in the issue and want to get a sanctuary city bill to the governor, but he says the House may consider its own legislation this spring.
Meanwhile, a spokesman says Governor Wolf has concerns about the Senate bill.
