State Rep. Dave Williams said Tuesday he will try again to hold “sanctuary city Democrats” liable in civil court for crimes committed by undocumented residents.

The freshman Republican lawmaker from Colorado Springs tried a similar bill in the House in February, but it was killed in committee by the Democratic majority, who branded the attempt unconstitutional and unworkable.

That bill would have allowed elected officials to be tried in criminal court. The Senate bill limits liability to civil lawsuits brought by the victims of crimes committed by undocumented residents.

House Democrats said the bill would force undocumented further into the shadows by making them afraid to report a crime in which they are a victim or a witness, as well as increasing pressure to profile all Latino residents.

Though local law enforcement is not charged with enforcing federal immigration laws, testimony in the House indicated elected officials could be charged for failing to act fast enough to support federal efforts, such as transfering prisoners to federal custody before they’re released.

Denver, Boulder and Aurora were named by Williams and others as examples of sanctuary cities.

Williams said Tuesday he’s supporting a similar bill introduced Monday in the Senate. Even if the bill passes there with the help of Republicans’ 18-17 majority, it has virtually no chance once it returns to the  House and is assigned to the same committee that killed it on a 6-3 party-line vote in February.

In a conversation after his bill’s loss, Williams said it held Democrats’ accountable for their positions on crimes committed by undocumented residents.

“First, radical Democrats killed our bill to eliminate sanctuary cities in Colorado, now these lawless Democrats are attempting to make the whole state a safe haven for criminal aliens,” Williams said in a statement Tuesday.

“Senate leaders and I won’t take this lying down.”

A similar bill is working its way toward the governor’s desk in Texas.

Senate Bill 281 will be heard Monday afternoon by the Senate Judiciary Committee. The bill is sponsored in the Senate by Vicki Marble of Fort Collins and Tim Neville of Littleton. Williams is joined by Phil Covarrubias of Brighton as its House sponsors.

“We’re committed to defending Coloradans from illegal aliens even when disgraceful Democrats refuse to uphold the rule of law,” Williams said Tuesday, in announcing a Wednesday press conference on the bill.

Editor’s note: This post originally said elected officials could be charged with a crime, but the Senate bill does not include that provision, which was included in the House bill.