There is no appetite among House Republicans for a bill that would put a bounty on undocumented immigrants, Speaker Jon Patterson told reporters Thursday. The legislation, which was debated Tuesday in a Missouri Senate committee,

One bill being discussed in the Senate would include life imprisonment without parole as a punishment for immigration violations, and would allow Missourians to collect $1,000 bounties for reporting people who are in the country without legal status.

Under the bill, the Missouri Department of Public Safety would create a system for anyone to contact authorities and accuse someone of being here without legal documentation. But accusers can remain anonymous,

"It is inhumane to say people should be hunted like a sport," said Aura Velasquez, a U.S. citizen for five years, during public testimony.

Dozens of people spoke out against the plan by state Sen. David Gregory, R-Chesterfield, during a committee hearing this week.

Some Missouri lawmakers want to increase penalties for immigrants in the country illegally, including adding a hotline to report those without official documentation.