LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska groups that accept refugees from war-torn countries no longer have to worry about a bill that would have held them liable if one of the new arrivals commits a crime.
Papillion Senator Bill Kintner said Friday that he will stop pursuing a measure that would have required the agencies to carry insurance to compensate state or local governments that prosecute refugees from "high-risk" territories, including Syria and Iraq.
Kintner says the measure would have ensured a rigorous screening of refugees. But after speaking with Nebraska's resettlement groups, he says he no longer believes the state faces a threat.
Opponents say the insurance policy would have cost at least $25,000 a year, and would amount to national origin discrimination, which is prohibited by federal law.
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