Civics 101

If the legislature writes the laws, who enforces them? The executive branch? No — according to state senators Tim Green and Chris Koster, it should be you and me:

Last session, bills were put forth to require law enforcement agencies to ask the citizenship status of anyone they arrest. Another bill would have placed a number regulations into the books, including a ban on renting to illegal immigrations. Neither bill passed this session.

That’s from the Columbia Daily Tribune Politics Blog, which also reprints an essay by Rod Jetton about illegal immigration.

I see two problems with these laws. First, they would waste the time of law enforcement officers, who should use their discretion about when these inquiries would be appropriate. Second, they waste the time of the rest of us, who would have to put every transaction or business decision on hold while we determine the immigration status of all people involved.

I’m all for enforcing laws — if the executive branch can do the job.