ATLANTA-An immigration bill that contains some parts similar to a law enacted in Arizona is heading to Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal’s desk.
The General Assembly already had tackled major legislation on issues including the HOPE college scholarship, Sunday alcohol sales and the 2012 budget. A proposal to overhaul the state’s tax code fell apart in the last hours.
Immigration was the only big bill on the agenda the final day. The Senate voted 37 to 19 and the House voted 112-59 to pass the bill that includes parts similar to a contentious law enacted last year in Arizona.
Deal supported tough immigration measures in Congress, but a spokesman declined to say whether the governor would sign the bill.
The bill would authorize law officers to verify the immigration status of certain criminal suspects and would allow them to detain those found to be in the country illegally. It also would penalize people who “knowingly and intentionally” transport or harbor illegal immigrants.