First Word: Senate Judiciary Committee begins markup of immigration bill

On Thursday, the Senate Judiciary Committee will begin marking up the “Gang of Eight” 844-page immigration bill that aims to create a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. With 18 members of the Senate Judiciary Committee having proposed 300 amendments to the legislation, ranging from protections for gay couples to border-security fixes, the committee hopes to dismantle the bill but the “Gang of Eight” will likely resist considerable changes to the central goal of their legislation.

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• Charlie Crist now backs gay marriage

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