State Funding in Jeopardy for Sanctuary Cities

Local House Representative Graig Meyer along with leaders from other local government bodies were at Saint Thomas More Catholic Church on Saturday morning to receive a Faith ID and to show support to the program.

The program was instituted in localities across the state – including Chapel Hill, Carrboro, Durham, Greensboro and Raleigh – to get identification cards to those in the community who did not have a standard driver’s license.

This show of solidarity came after a bill was discussed in a rare Friday work session in the General Assembly that would withhold state money from the public school building capital fund and transportation funds from localities with sanctuary city policies.

Republican Senator Jerry Tillman said in the appropriations committee meeting on Friday that this bill adds teeth to legislation that was passed last year banning sanctuary cities. He said he had heard criticism regarding the previous legislation.

“‘That bill’s no good, Tillman,’” the senator from Randolph and Moore Counties said on Friday. “I said, ‘You’re right. It’s no good because there’s no penalties in it.’

“So we put penalties in it and that’s what you’ve got to do to get compliance. And if that makes the other side mad, so be it.”

Sanctuary city refers to a local government body that has deprioritized immigration status when dealing with residents.

Supporters have said this policy and the Faith ID programs allow members of the community to receive an identification card to be able to use with law enforcement and that it fosters a better relationship with all residents and the law enforcement officers that protect them.

Greensboro Democratic Senator Gladys Robinson said she was concerned about disturbing that newly built relationship.

“I’m really disappointed that this bill impacts that kind of relationship,” Robinson said, “if that’s what we’re about in this state in terms of protecting people, protecting us as a community and then trying to make sure that all of our citizens abide by the law.”

One of the bill sponsors – Republican Senator Norman Sanderson – said he had heard concern about these identification cards being given to individuals who had not been vetted through the standard state system.

“And so there’s a lot of uncertainty as to when a person walks out of one of these formats, one of these situations with a photo ID, if that in fact is who that person is,” Sanderson said.

The bill was given a favorable report from the appropriations committee after it was combined with a bill regarding jury duty. A previous version of the bill only dealing with sanctuary cities was introduced in May but was never heard for a discussion in the assigned committee.

The bill could now be discussed in the full Senate.