31 Dec 2007
Immigration Economics and the Wall Street Journal:
A marriage with irreconcilable differences
by Richard Belzer
in Regulatory Economics
Policy debates about illegal immigration almost always can be illuminated by careful data collection and analysis. Sometimes, data are nice but aren't necessary because elementary economic theory is sufficient to predict the direction (if not the magnitude) of effects. Today, the Wall Street Journal editorializes that new "data tell a very different story" than the picture emerging from "[t]alk radio hosts, cable newscasters and Presidential hopefuls." We're not sure which of these claims the Journal is seeking to refute, but we can show that it has failed to achieve its objective. More...
19 Dec 2007
Can States Regulate Immigration? Part 8
Arizona's HB 2779
by Richard Belzer
in Regulatory Economics, Regulatory Policy
On July 2, Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano signed into law a bill that tightens an existing statutory definition for felonious "aggravated taking identity of another person" and establishes a new statutory regime that will sanction employers who violate federal immigration law after January 1, 2008. The bill passed the State House of Representatives 47-11 and the State Senate 20-4. More...
7 Dec 2007
Can States Regulate Immigration? Part 7
Oregon to consider authorizing in-state tuition for illegal aliens
by Richard Belzer
in Regulatory Economics, Regulatory Policy
The Associated Press reports that Oregon's Board of Higher Education is considering a plan that would offer in-state tuition to qualified graduates of Oregon high schools who are not in the U.S. legally. More...
16 Nov 2007
Can States Regulate Immigration? Part 4b
NY Governor abandons 3-tiered driver license plan
by Richard Belzer
in Regulatory Economics, Regulatory Policy
This week, New York Governor Elliot Spitzer abandoned his plan for a three-tiered driver license program that would have allowed illegal aliens to obtain an inferior-form license. More...
15 Nov 2007
Can States Regulate Immigration? Part 6
New Jersey
by Richard Belzer
in Regulatory Policy
The Associated Press reports that a recent change in law enforcement policy has had discernible effects in New Jersey. More...
7 Nov 2007
Can States Regulate Immigration? Part 5
Results from the 'election market' in Virginia
by Richard Belzer
in Regulatory Policy
Economists often treat elections as markets; candidates are the "supply," voters provide the "demand," and the outcome determines which "product" the public "buys." Perhaps second only to traffic, immigration has become the top local issue in Prince William County, Virginia. We've posted on Prince William County's efforts to indirectly regulate the numbers of illegal aliens whjo reside in the county.
Yesterday elections were held statewide in Virginia. What did the market say? More...
4 Nov 2007
Can
States Regulate Immigration? Part 4
An update on the New York State driver license controversy
by Richard Belzer
in Legislation, Regulatory Economics, Regulatory Policy
We
recently posted times on various
States' efforts to indirectly regulate immigration by
supplementing federal immigration law (e.g., Oklahoma), or
alternatively, to refuse to leverage State or local resources to
enforce these laws (e.g., Illinois). We also looked at New York
Governor
Spitzer's September change in driver license policy that enabled
illegal aliens to obtain valid driver licenses. We concluded that,
whatever
its merits as a policy, this did not appear to be a significant change
from current practice because New York State's proof of identity
standards would remain unchanged.
Spitzer's
policy change stirred considerable controversy, so we went back to
examine the issue in greater detail. Recently, Spitzer revised New York
State driver license policy in a very significant way, and a comparison
of the two policies reveals much more about how New York is addressing
immigration issues. More...
19 Oct 2007
DHS' "No-Match Rule" Stopped by Preliminary Injunction:
The Regulatory Flexibility Act and illegal aliens
by Richard Belzer
in Information Quality, Litigation, Regulatory Policy
On October 10, U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer issued a preliminary injunction barring the Department of Homeland Security from implementing a regulation it issued in August that tightened up existing practice in the enforcement of 1986 federal immigration law. The case provides a lesson in administrative procedure -- particularly, how an agency's failure to take obscure procedures seriously can backfire. More...
15 Oct 2007
Can States Regulate Immigration? Part 3:
Reporting errors in today's Washington Post page one story
by Richard Belzer
in Regulatory Policy
Washington Post staff writer Anthony Fiaola has a Page One commentary on actions State and local governments have taken or are considering to regulate immigration within their borders. Fiaola's article contains mostly unattributed opinions (e.g., "some see obstacles"; "some observers fear"; "some observers are alarmed"; "others argue"; "others assert") and few facts or analysis. Because he is the Post's New York City bureau chief and not a beat reporter on immigration issues, he is especially prone to reporting error. We correct his more obvious mistakes. More...
28 Jul 2007
Can States Regulate Immigration? Part 3
Prince William County, Virginia
by Richard Belzer
in Regulatory Economics, Regulatory Policy
On July 10, the Board of Supervisors of Prince William County, Virginia, approved an ordinance concerning the enforcement of federal immigration law within its borders. Prince William County is a southern suburb of Washington, DC. More...
27 Jul 2007
Who Pays the Cost of Regulation?
Insights from corporate income tax incidence
by Richard Belzer
in Regulatory Economics
Regulation is widely understood as a tax on the activity or person being regulated. Where these activities repair genuine market failures, benefits from regulation may result. If there are benefits from, say, automobile safety regulation, one would expect the beneficiaries to be persons who otherwise would have been killed or injured at the pre-regulatory safety level.
But what about the costs of regulation? Who bears them? More...
19 Jul 2007
Can States Regulate Immigration? Part 2
Oklahoma's HB 1804
by Richard Belzer
in Legislation
Oklahoma's HB 1804 was enacted this spring and becomes effective on November 1, 2007. More...
16 Jul 2007
Can States Regulate Immigration? Part 1
State and local regulatory initiatives
by Richard Belzer
in Regulatory Economics, Regulatory Policy
Recent federal legislation to change immigration law foundered in the Senate. We posted the original bill to our document library because it was not online elsewhere. We then attempted to perform an objective analysis of its components. We were hampered by its length and complexity, the speed at which the debate was proceeding, and frequent (and unreported) changes in its text. Now that the dust has settled we can examine some of the provisions of the major bills. Leaving aside what ought to be done about immigration, what effects would these provisions have had if they were enacted? More...
21 May 2007
Comprehensive Immigration Reform:
Text of the Secure Borders, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Reform Act of 2007
by Richard Belzer
in Legislation, Regulatory Policy
Earlier today we posted a comment on the comprehensive immigration bill that was negotiated by the Bush administration and selected Members of Congress. A Google News search yields over 3,000 hits, but the bill itself has not been published for public review. That makes regulatory analysis impossible, yet advocates were seeking passage this week.
Through the courtesy of Wall Street Journal reporter John Fund, who published a commentary this morning on the bill and unearthed the text, we now have a copy of the discussion draft of the bill.
Readers should beware: the text is 326 pages. More...
Comprehensive Immigration Reform:
Lots of talk, nothing to analyze
by Richard Belzer
in Legislation
Over the weekend it was announced that the Bush administration and a bipartisan group of senators and congressmen had reached agreement on the details of a comprehensive immigration reform bill. Proponents said they wanted a Senate vote by Tuesday. More...
