The Daily Herald from Arlington Heights, Illinois • Page 12

M8C12 SECTION! DAILY HERALD World A Nation SUNDAY, MARCH 9, 2008 More restrictions sought for ImntlorAnts State lawmakers in eight states have proposed comprehensive immigration bills that include restricting illegal immigrants' access to driver's licenses and penalizing employers who hire them. Proposed passed Immigration bills, 2008 comprehensive Immigration bills NOTE: Arizona passed a series of bills that basically equal a comprehensive measure; Oklahoma's bill and some of Arizona's bills are being challenged In court SOURCES: National Conference of State Legislatures; AP reporting AP States struggling with immigration bills too Associated I'ress State lawmakers around the country are proposing hundreds of bills this year aimed at curbing illegal immigration, but experts say the cost and public opposition will keep many from becoming law. Lawmakers in at least eight states are now sponsoring legislation similar to Oklahoma, which last May passed the nation's most comprehensive anti-immigration law. It restricts illegal immigrants' access to driver's licenses and other IDs, limits public benefits, penalizes employers who hire them and boosts ties between local police and federal immigration authorities. The bills are among more than 350 immigration-related proposals unveiled in state legislatures in the first two months of this year, according to a count by The Associated Press.

Sharma Hammond, staff attorney for the legal arm of the Federation for American Immigration Reform, believes states have been galvanized by the collapse two years running of a congressional solution. "They feel like they have to take it into their own hands because the federal government is doing nothing," said GET IT FIXED NOW PATIO DOOR REPAIR Cloudy Glass. Worn Rollers. Damaged Tracks Replaced Patio Door Repair Co. Hammond, whose group helps states write the comprehensive bills and favors a freeze on nearly all immigration.

But it's questionable how many of the bills will become law. Many quickly lose momentum after they're introduced. Out of more than 100 bills dealing with illegal immigration in the Virginia statehouse, only a few minor ones were likely to pass as the session was scheduled to end Saturday. Last year, more than 1,500 anti-illegal immigrant laws were proposed nationwide, with nearly 250 passing, according to a count by the National Conference of State Legislatures. And some of that legislation is now creating legal and financial trouble for state governments.

Storm batters parts of Midwest Associated Press COLUMBUS, Ohio A heavy winter storm walloped Ohio's capital city with more than 20 inches of snow, while blizzard conditions shut down highways and stranded air travelers across the state and parts of Indiana on Saturday. High winds whipped the snow into 3-foot-tall drifts in some places and cut visibility to less than a quarter mile, the National Weather Service said. "It's horrible out there right now," said 58-year-old Carman Bonfiglio, a FedEx Corp. driver who was stranded at a truck stop in Sunbury, about 20 miles northeast of Columbus. "Thicks are just spinning right here.

In my days of driving I've never seen anything like it." The storm, which rolled in Friday, dumped 20.4 inches of snow on Columbus, breaking the city's previous record of 15.3 inches set in February 1910, the weather service said. Cincinnati and Cleveland also received about a foot of snow. In Indiana, 14 inches of snow fell in Milan, which is about 60 miles southeast of Indianapolis, said the weather service said. Roads were impassable, prompting the county to declare a local emergency banning all vehicles except for emergency vehicles from the roads, authorities said. "The winds are starting to pick up now, so we expect some of them to be pretty treacherous," Ripley County sheriff's Deputy Brian Maynard said of the roads.

It was a continuation of the storm that on Friday piled up snow a foot deep in Arkansas and blacked out thousands of lomes and businesses from that state to the Great Lakes. Louisville, and parts of Tennessee got up to a foot, Beautiful Skin 0nce Again! Photo Rejuvenation Mlcrodermabrasion Sonic Youth Therapy Glycolic Peals Eye Renewal Treatments Pulsed-Light Hair Removal 25 Customers Receive $25 OFF Any Service (I 847-995-8760 IMA Of ENHA NCEMEN IS TS 1101 PERIMETER DRIVE, SUITE 775 WOODFIEID EXECUTIVE CENTER SCHAUMBURC I 630-539-2600 Best Technology. Best Price. Best Stall. Best Results.

INTO TICKETS ON SALE! MARCH 12-16 TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE AT WWW.CENTREEVENTS.COM OR BY PHONE AT (815)968-5222 SPECIAL RATES AVAILABLE FOR GROUPS OF 10 OR MORE! CALL 81 968-5600 FOR DETAILS. Tornados in the South ASSOCIATED PRESS Lisa Helton breaks down after removing a pillow from her home in Lake City, Saturday. Helton, her husband, and visiting parents were in the home Friday afternoon when a tornado swept through the town and turned the home on its side. while northern Mississippi got 5 to 7 inches of snow, the weather service said. Secondary roads and bridges were snow-covered and icy in Tennessee and Kentucky on Saturday morning, but much of that had melted by the afternoon when temperatures climbed into the upper 30s.

One Ohio traffic death was blamed on the weather Friday, with two in western New York state and one in Tennessee. Two people were killed as tor- 1 nadoes struck several Florida communities. At Port Columbus International Airport, a plane skidded a few hundred feet off a runway while landing late Friday, but no one was hurt, airport spokeswoman Angie Neal said. Many flights into and out of Ohio were delayed or canceled on Saturday. Flooding could be a concern if it warms up too quickly, said Nancy Dragoni, director of the Ohio Emergency Management Agency.

"We're hopeful that there'll be enough time for some of the water to go down in the rivers and creeks and streams so we can absorb the snow when it melts," she said. In New Jersey, a heavy rain storm affected lines at the state lottery's main office in Trenton, delaying the midday drawings for the Pick 3 and Pick 4 games. 16th Annual Chicagoland Family Sponsors Partners: Presented by PETCO Arlington Park Racecourse Fri. 2pm-7pm Sat 9am-8pm Sun. 10am-5pm Fun Entertainment and More Than 300 Exhibit Booths of Pet Products Services, Plus Hundreds of Pets to See Touch! Entertainment Includes: Ultimate Air Dogs Demos Windy City K-9 Disc Club Frisbee Dog Arena sponsored by ForeverLawn Dancing with Dogs Competition Demos Sponsored by For Your Canine CFA Purebred Cat Show (Sat.

Sun.) by Cat'n on the Fox Cat Club Sanctioned Parrot Show (Sat. Sun.) by Society of Parrot Breeders Exhibitors, hosted by Greater Chicago Cage Bird Club Lovable Pooch Household Cat Competitions (Sat. Sun.) and much more! Special learn to dance with your dog workshop! Advance registration fee required. Fun for the whole family but PLEASE leave your own pet at home. Bring a photo of your pet; several vendors can personalize items.

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