With no action yet by Washington to secure the nation's borders, Republicans in Colorado's General Assembly are vowing to take steps of their own to deflect a wave of illegal immigration. A plan unveiled today by Senate and House Republicans includes provisions to bolster state and local law enforcement as well as to safeguard the voting process.

"Congress is just sitting on its hands, and even here in Colorado, some special interests keep pushing back at the modest progress we've made on immigration reform," said Senate Republican leader Andy McElhany. "Meanwhile, the public still wants action. It looks like it is up to us to get the ball rolling in the right direction."

Added House GOP chief Mike May, "Let's not kid ourselves, the General Assembly only has scratched the surface when it comes to some aspects of illegal immigration. There is a lot more work to be done."

May was referring in part to a special legislative session convened in the summer of 2006 to address illegal immigration. Lawmakers in the Democrat-controlled body passed several bills signed by the governor but turned back a number of Republican efforts that went much further in shoring up law enforcement and voting, among other concerns.

For example, one Democrat bill passed by the special session increased the penalties for illegally voting in an election, but ruling Democrats killed a Republican bill that would have required proof of citizenship to register to vote.

"They want to slap lawbreakers on the hand a little harder after the damage already is done," McElhany said. "We want to give our public institutions the tools to prevent the abuse of our system in the first place. That is our top priority on this issue whether it involves protecting our election process or policing our streets."

Republicans say that is why they will introduce measures:

• Denying bail to illegal immigrants being held on felony or drunken-driving charges;
• Making jails determine the citizenship or immigration status of all detainees when

  "They want to slap lawbreakers on the hand a little harder after the damage already is done. We want to give our public institutions the tools to prevent the abuse of our system in the first place. That is our top priority on this issue whether it involves protecting our election process or policing our streets."

  they are booked;
• Requiring photo identification to vote in all polling-place elections;
• Requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote.

"These are immigration reforms all Coloradans should be able to agree on, regardless of their political leanings," McElhany said. "It's not asking too much to find out if people we are holding for crimes are legally in this country to begin with, or if the people who elect our leaders are even supposed to be in the polling booths."

Secretary of State Mike Coffman, Colorado's highest election official, echoed the GOP's concerns about the security of Colorado's voting system.

"It’s important that Colorado pass a law to tighten up the integrity of our voter-registration process so that only U.S. citizens with the legal right to vote are allowed to cast ballots in the state of Colorado," Coffman said.