Democratic representative Trent Skaggs of North Kansas City says the report is ludicrous.

He says bipartisan agreement on an earlier draft of the report did not say abortion was a cause of increased illegal immigration and that the notion is ridiculous.

The North Kansas City Representative says the problem of illegal immigration can't be solved until a realistic reason is identified.

He wants the legislature to penalize companies that knowingly hire illegal workers.

From Jefferson City, I'm Beverly Rivera.

Intro:A report released by a special immigration committee in the Missouri House says abortion and welfare have increased illegal immigration in the state. 

Immigration expert Tamar Jacoby, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, says there is no correlation among abortion, welfare and illegal immigration.

She says the rise of illegal immigration in Missouri is not unique, but rather a trend across America.

Jacoby says the rise is a response to a need for low skilled workers.

Jacoby says Americans don't want to take low paying jobs because those jobs doesn't make economic sense to them.

From the State Capitol, I'm Beverly Rivera.

Intro:The Special Committee on Immigration Reform  in the Missouri House released a report citing abortion as a cause of increased illegal immigration in the state.

Committee Chairman Ed Emery says it would be inappropriate to not examine the effects of abortion on Missouri.

He says Missouri companies hire illegal immigrants because of the lack of available Missouri workers.

Emery says Missouri would have an additional 80,000 residents if abortion had never been legalized.