It’s official. Kansas will not commission a study on the costs and benefits to the state of illegal immigration.

The Legislative Post Audit Committee nixed the study this week, after becoming convinced that findings would be inaccurate and unhelpful in guiding an expected debate on illegal immigration during the next session of the Kansas Legislature.

During a meeting last month, Leo Hafner, deputy post auditor for the Legislative Division of Post Audit, who was assigned the task of performing the study, warned committee members that the time-consuming and expensive effort to quantify the costs and benefits of illegal immigration would be like “nailing Jell-O to the wall.”

The committee did authorize the Division of Post Audit to compile research from other states and organizations that examine the economic impact of illegal immigration.

Rep. Virgil Peck, a Tyro Republican who sits on the committee, said he believed the committee’s authorization of more general research would sidestep a potential legal conflict between the committee and the Legislature.

Because the study was ordered in a proviso that was attached to a budget bill, committee members had a legal obligation to complete a study.

Peck said he believed the committee had “met the letter of the law,” by ordering the more general study.

“We looked at this long and hard, and the more general study was our best attempt to follow the law,” Peck said. “Our legal counsel didn’t indicate any potential problems.”

The study initially was to answer three questions:

• What are the estimated costs to the State of Kansas for benefits and services provided to illegal immigrants?
• What are the estimated tax revenues generated from illegal immigrants in Kansas and does it appear they offset the costs of benefits and services provided?
• What is the impact of illegal immigration on labor costs and the job market in Kansas?

Several lawmakers have told KansasLiberty.com that they intend to pursue bills that would crack down on illegal immigration when the Legislature convenes in January.

A bill dealing with illegal immigration ended in failure during the Legislature's 2008 session.

Peck said the Division of Post Audit had indicated it will take eight to 10 weeks to compile the more general study.

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