BREAKING NEWS ~ Immigration reform compromise stalls in Senate News
BREAKING NEWS ~ Immigration reform compromise stalls in Senate

[JURIST] A bill reflecting what was heralded as a key compromise [PDF summary] on immigration reform [JURIST news archive] has stalled in the US Senate. By a margin of 38-60 senators voted Friday morning against a motion [Leahy MFTF log] to send the existing border security bill [S 2454 summary] back to the Senate Judiciary Committee with instructions to include compromise language [JURIST report] agreed to by Senate leaders Thursday. A subsequent vote to invoke cloture [Senate backgrounder] to end debate on the original bill then failed 36-62 [Leahy MFTF log].

The vote was not entirely unexpected, as disagreements over amendments [AP report] quickly emerged late Thursday after the initial compromise announcement. Senate leaders had hoped to hammer out an acceptable bill text Friday before leaving for a two-week Easter recess. CBS News has more.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Laws of Burgos put into effect

The Spanish Crown put the Laws of Burgos into effect on December 27, 1512. These laws governed the relationship of Spanish settlers with the indigenous peoples of the Caribbean. The laws established the encomienda system of labor, promoted conversion to Catholicism, and safeguarded the indigenous peoples from physical abuse.  However, historians argue that the laws were ineffective at protecting the rights of the indigenous population. Learn more from the Library of Congress.

Prohibitionist Carrie Nation carried out her first public bar smashing

On December 27, 1900, militant Prohibitionist Carrie Nation carried out her first public smashing of a bar, at the Carey Hotel in Wichita, Kansas. Nation argued that destroying bars was an acceptable means of battling the liquor trade since the Kansas Constitution prohibited alcohol. Learn more about Carrie Nation.

World Bank created

On December 27, 1944, the World Bank was created during the United Nations Monetary and Financial Conference in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, USA. Learn more about the history of the World Bank.