At first glance, Missouri Senate Bill 560 seems like a bad idea.

If passed, this legislation would do two things. First, public schools would have to check the birth certificates of all students enrolling in classes to determine citizenship or status. Each district would submit an annual report to the General Assembly that tells the “immigration classifications of enrolled students, numbers of participants in English as a second language programs, and the effects of education quality as a result of enrollment of unlawfully present aliens and the costs associated.”

Second, the bill directs law enforcement officers during lawful stops or arrests to check the legal status of any person if there is “reasonable suspicion that the person is an unlawfully present alien.”

Federal judges have blocked parts of similar laws in Arizona and Alabama and the pushback on this one has been immediate.

Vanessa Crawford, executive director of Missouri Immigration and Refugee Advocates, was quoted in a news story and called the legislation “a really bad idea.”

“This would force police and school officials to act as immigration agents, and would result in innocent people facing harassment,” she said. “And passing a law that will undoubtedly end up in court is irresponsible.”

Actually, that’s not the case. Exactly how would innocent people be harassed? And how is it irresponsible to let courts decide whether or not a law is fair and just? That’s how our government is supposed to work.

Plus, if you actually read the proposed law, it makes sense.

Schools already collect plenty of information about students. They report the numbers of free and reduced lunches. They try to estimate how many students are homeless or live in homes with a single parent. And when you register, you better bring your child’s immunization records.

What’s wrong with requiring a birth certificate as well? Seriously, you have to jump through more hoops to obtain a driver’s license or apply for a passport.

Collecting this information would be no different. The goal is to determine how students living in disadvantaged situations affect education and how much it costs taxpayers to educate these students.

In addition, the legislation specifically forbids schools from naming the illegal students. It reads: “Public disclosure of information which personally identifies a student shall be unlawful.”

Hmmm. So let’s see if I understand this.

Under this proposed law, schools will merely require a birth certificate at the time a student is enrolled. If the student can’t produce one, they will still be enrolled in classes, still be given an education. And, their name and personal immigration status will not be revealed.

Meanwhile the Missouri legislature, which funds our public schools, would have information about how many undocumented students are in the state’s classrooms and how many students are enrolled in English as a second language classes.

It’s not a stretch to believe that students who are in the country illegally will have challenges. Many may not speak English well. And, it must be tough to do your homework wondering if the next knock at the door will be an immigration agent who will take you or your parents away. Helping students overcome these issues through special programs can get expensive.

A few years ago, a concept like ESL was unheard of in Missouri. Why is it wrong to want to know how much that program has grown and how much it costs?

But some would have you believe that even asking the question is morally wrong and a violation of a person’s rights.

They would say that it’s unfair to find out how many illegal students are sitting in our classrooms and how much of our already-stretched education budget must be spent to handle their special needs.

In other words, Mr. and Mrs. Missouri Taxpayer, just shut up and pay the bill.

Steve Booher’s column runs on Mondays. He can be reached at steve.booher@newspressnow.com.