North Country Assemblyman Marc Butler, who represents much of southern and central St. Lawrence County, and the Republican Assembly Campaign Committee are taking a stance against several measures that recently passed the Assembly that they feel favor “illegal aliens”.

Earlier in the month, the Assembly passed two bills related to immigration.

One is a multi-pronged bill that, among other things, would distance local law enforcement from immigration enforcement. More information on that bill is at http://bit.ly/2lNkUEJ. It passed the Assembly 77-61, with North Country representatives Butler, Ken Blankenbush, R-Black River, and D. Billy Jones, D-Chateaugay, voting against it. North Country Assemblywoman Addie Jenne, D-Theresa, supported it.

The other, known as the DREAM Act, includes a provision to extend financial aid to undocumented immigrants. More information on that bill is at http://bit.ly/2m3V1kV. It passed the Assembly 87-51, with Butler, Blankenbush and Jones voting against it. Jenne supported it.

“There is a clear difference between having objections to [President Trump’s] executive order addressing the entry of refugees to our country and what the Assembly Democrats have done today– rewarding those who break our most basic laws regarding immigration,” Butler, R-Newport, said in a prepared statement.

“I would love for Assembly Democrats to explain to me and our law-abiding, taxpaying residents why they think illegals do not need to follow our laws and should be given free legal service, tools to evade punishment for crimes, and college tuition and other services when our legal residents are not afforded such privileges. We take an oath in the Assembly to uphold the law as public officers, and these actions show such a disregard for the law and the solemnity of our role as representatives.”

The Republican Assembly Campaign Committee released a statement last month directly attacking Jenne for her vote.

“Assemblywoman Jenne’s unwavering support for illegals is alarming but sadly predictable given her loyalty to New York City Democrats,” Arnie Rothschild, spokesman for the Republican Assembly Campaign Committee (RACC), said in the prepared remarks. “Her voting record continues to be offensive to North Country families. Ms. Jenne’s votes compromise our safety and security. In the months and years following September 11, 2001, steps were taken to ensure radical terrorists would be found and stopped before another tragedy occurred. Ms. Jenne’s votes on Monday will weaken our ability to track down these potential terrorists. It’s one thing that Ms. Jenne routinely puts the needs of New York City ahead of the North Country. It takes it to another level when illegals take priority over the law-abiding citizens she’s elected to represent.”