SALT LAKE CITY — Meet the new bill. Same as the old bill. Rep. Stephen Sandstrom\'s revised enforcement-only illegal immigration measure came out Thursday with only slight changes from the much-maligned HB70. \"There\'s very little difference,\" the Orem Republican said. After meeting with the Utah Attorney General\'s Office, the Utah Department of Public Safety and Salt Lake Police Chief Chris Burbank, he said he made technical adjustments that would help police officers carry out the law.

Within the first few weeks of the 2011 legislative session, I asked Sen. Curt Bramble, R-Provo, if he would provide some added legislative leadership on the volatile issue of undocumented immigrants living in Utah. He said he would, and he has — and I’m grateful for it. We now have Senate Bill 288 in addition to SB60 and HB116 as comprehensive alternatives to Rep. Steve Sandstrom’s Arizona-style, “enforcement-only” HB 70, even though the current patchwork of SB288 includes HB70.

Rep. John Dougall’s proposal to allow Utah residents to sponsor an immigrant and bypass the federal immigration process passed through the House by a wide margin Thursday. The Highland Republican saw his bill, HB469, as a test to reassert states’ rights to oversee immigration and bring people who want to come to the United States legally.

Rep. Stephen Sandstrom unveiled the new version of his enforcement-only immigration bill Thursday, believing he had made enough changes to appease Senate leaders and to ensure its passage out of that chamber. He was wrong. The Orem Republican had been told to remove “objectionable language” linked to the old bill, HB70, because of its roots in Arizona’s enforcement-only immigration law. That language included the words “reasonable suspicion” when directing a local law enforcement officer to determine the legal status of a person suspected of a crime.

As many state legislatures consider laws to expand the role of local police departments in immigration control, police chiefs across the country say they are reluctant to take on these tasks and want clear lines drawn between local crime-fighting and federal immigration enforcement, according to a new report by a police research group.

Newt Gingrich’s simultaneous courtship of the base of the Republican Party and Latino voters could pose major problems for his likely bid for the White House. Gingrich, who is soon expected to announce the formation of a presidential exploratory committee, frequently stresses the need for the GOP to reach out to Latinos. According to the 2010 census, Latinos are now the fastest-growing and largest minority group in the country.

Whether you look at the Tennessee General Assembly or Congress, lawmakers are aggressively trying to crack down on illegal immigration — which tells us that the 2012 elections are very much on the minds of these politicians.

SALT LAKE CITY -- Utah\'s Attorney General Mark Shurtleff was joined by Sen. Curt Bramble and Rep. Stephen Sandstrom in announcing the latest immigration bill of the session. House Bill 466 will create a Utah Commission on Immigration and Migration and provide for the creation of a Migrant Worker Visa Pilot Program.

SALT LAKE CITY -- With just seven days left in the legislative session, Utah lawmakers are still wrestling with illegal immigration, with bills being debated in committees and introduced in news conferences Wednesday. Democrats, Republicans and Attorney General Mark Shurtleff announced House Bill 466 during a news conference Wednesday.

SANTA FE - House Speaker Ben Lujan stifled motions for a vote Wednesday night on a bill that would repeal driver\'s licenses held by illegal immigrants. Rep. Andy Nu-ez tried to force a vote of the full House of Representatives on his bill to revoke driver\'s licenses of those in the country illegally. His bill would require proof of immigration status to obtain a license.

While state Senate President Russell Pearce continues to push controversial immigration legislation, the city he represents is edging toward endorsing a more moderate discussion of the issue. Mesa\'s Human Relations Advisory Board, a citizen panel that advises the City Council, is considering the \"Utah Compact\" and may recommend that the council endorse the document.

SALT LAKE CITY -- Two bills dealing with illegal immigration were sent in different directions Tuesday by the Senate Revenue and Taxation Committee. Committee members opted not to take action on House Bill 253, sponsored by Rep. Christopher Herrod, R-Provo. Sen. John Valentine, R-Provo, said there were too many problems with the bill for the committee to send it to the Senate floor for consideration.

Sen. Curt Bramble’s comprehensive immigration reform bill passed out of committee by a 7-1 vote while Rep. Stephen Sandstrom followed through on his agreement with Senate leaders to open a new bill file Tuesday by removing “objectionable language” from his enforcement-only immigration bill.

SALT LAKE CITY — State lawmakers appear closer to assembling legislation to address illegal immigration in Utah, though not everyone is content with where it\'s headed. \"We\'re making progress,\" said Sen. Curt Bramble, R-Provo. \"This is a very complex, emotionally charged issue.\"

Rep. Stephen Sandstrom has agreed to a deal with legislative leaders in which he will remove the words “reasonable suspicion” from his legislation to have local police check the legal residency of people arrested or pulled over. In exchange, he has assurances of the likely passage of his enforcement-only bill in the Senate, knowledgeable sources confirmed Monday.

“I’m totally confused now,” wrote a government official in one of thousands of internal e-mails released last week on the subject of Secure Communities, the federal program enlisting state and local police in the crackdown on illegal immigrants.