NASHVILLE (AP) – The House sponsor of legislation that would allow law enforcement agents in Tennessee to question suspects about their immigration status says he's trying to make the proposal financially feasible.

Republican Rep. Joe Carr of Lascassas delayed the measure in the House Budget Subcommittee for a week on Tuesday, trying to find a way around a $3 million tab for additional manpower.

The proposal would require authorities to call an immigration enforcement hot line to find out if a person was legally in the country if there was reasonable suspicion.

Critics compare the proposal to the one in Arizona that passed last year and is currently the subject of a federal lawsuit.

Tennessee Attorney General Bob Cooper recently opined that Carr's proposal could violate federal and state constitutions.

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