March 17, 2009 - The chairman of a Senate committee said he decided to kill a bill that would crack down on Idaho employers who employ illegal immigrants because its sponsors had failed to gain any support from industry groups.

“I like to see bills that come through that have some kind of consensus,” said Sen. Curt McKenzie, R-Nampa, chairman of the Senate State Affairs Committee. “If the parties can come together and reach some kind of mutually agreeable resolution to the issue, that’s much better than the Legislature trying to force down some pretty heavy-handed penalties on an industry against its will.”

The measure, introduced March 16, was modeled on a law that took effect in Arizona last year that requires businesses in that state to use a federal computer system to verify workers’ legal status or else face penalties if they hire illegal immigrants.

The bill would have allowed county prosecutors or the state attorney general’s office to suspend business licenses of employers found to have hired illegal immigrants – up to three days for a first offense, 10 days for a second offense and complete suspension for a third. Companies could avoid any penalties by using the federal computer system known as E-Verify.

McKenzie said he hadn’t yet been lobbied by any groups opposed to the bill, though he said he knew that organizations like the Idaho Farm Bureau Federation were against it.

“I was aware of the general concern of the possible ramifications of this,” he said. “It would basically strip a business of all of its licenses, not just at a subsidiary where there was a problem, but all related entities throughout the state.”

Comments
So we should get a consensus of drinkers to decide whether and how to punish drunk driving? A consensus of criminals to determine the punishment for theft, murder? Correct me if I’m wrong, but the term illegal alien literally has the term “illegal” in it. This isn’t some consensus building issue as to whether we, “society”, think an action is right/wrong. Hiring illegal workers is already “wrong” – we look to our leadership to take the appropriate actions to punish those doing wrong. It should not be up to the “affected groups”.
Comment By Matt, Tuesday, March 17, 2009 @ 1:54 PM

Posted by Simon Shifrin at Idaho Business.net

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