Commission Worried About Housing Illegals

As reported yesterday, a bill passed this year requiring that suspected illegal immigrants held in county jails in Missouri must prove their lawful presence in the US in order to be eligible for bail. The Pulaski County Commission recently discussed the impact of this legislation on county budgets. The commissioners are worried about the cost of housing these prisoners. “They didn’t cut us any slack on per diem for prisoners, but here they are with this illegal immigration bill deal saying bail will be denied for people suspected to be illegal aliens until they can provide proof of legal residence in the United States,” Commissioner Bill Farnham said. “Who is going to pay for that? Us or the feds?” Presiding Commissioner Bill Ransdall said he wasn’t sure. “If they are arrested on state charges, I assume it would be us who has to pay for it,” Ransdall said.