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"There are things in the law we just didn't see," says Sen. Gerald Dial (R), of Lineville, who is part of a team of lawmakers working on a do-over of HB56. "Every time I see a major news clip of dogs attacking protesters in Birmingham [from the civil rights era], even though we're way beyond that, this bill drags us back into that hole. It's opened up a window that we didn't need. I'm a big enough guy to say I made a mistake and that I'll do everything I can do to correct it."
Even as it faces a federal lawsuit brought by the US Justice Department and national civil liberties groups, the bulk of HB 56 is currently in effect, including provisions that allow police to check papers of suspected illegal immigrants and even requirements that could mean utility customers would have to provide proof of residency.
But the economic effects of the law have begun to pile up as many immigrants have left the state, fearing deportation and have taken their purchasing power with them. Prof. Samuel Addy at the Center for Business and Economic Research at the University of Alabama recently predicted that HB 56 will reduce the Alabama economy by $40 million as income and spending by both illegal and legal Hispanic immigrants will decline.
