Posted on 02/16/2004 5:56:33 PM PST by JackelopeBreeder
PHOENIX — Rejecting claims of ruin from business interests, the House Committee on Commerce and Military Affairs voted 8-4 Monday to yank the state licenses of companies that hire people not in this country legally.
The action came despite the claims by attorney David Selden who said HB 2448 would be the equivalent of imposing a death sentence on Arizona businesses who might run afoul of federal immigration laws. Selden, who lobbies for the Arizona Chamber of Commerce, said a better alternative to dealing with the problem of illegal immigration would be to enact a guest worker program.
But that idea is not acceptable to people like Phoenix car dealer Rusty Childress, one of the leaders of the Protect Arizona Now initiative designed to cut government services for people not here legally. He said there is no need for yet another program to bring low-wage workers into this country.
HB 2448 would require the state Attorney General's Office to suspend for six months any state-issued permit, license, certificate or charter of any company that is found guilty of violating any federal law or regulation on the hiring those not entitled to be employed in this country. A second violation would mean permanent revocation.
Selden said most employers try to comply with federal immigration laws. But he said they find themselves stuck on one side with a host of requirements of what documents they need to check while also risking discrimination complaints for being overly aggressive in investigating the paperwork of Hispanics.
"Many of these infractions that are alleged are hyper-technical, record keeping kinds of infractions," he said. "The solution is not to hold this guillotine over the head of Arizona employers as they try to compete in the global economy and try to compete with businesses in other states."
But Rep. Russell Pearce, R-Mesa, who is the sponsor of the legislation, said of Selden and others who showed up to oppose the bill are worrying about nothing. He said businesses are not sanctioned by the federal government — the trigger for losing a state license in this bill — for inadvertent mistakes.
He drew support from Rep. Olivia Cajero Bedford, D-Tucson. She said the problem isn't companies being presented with false documents but firms that never bother checking legal residency at all.
Rep. Bill Konopnicki, R-Safford, voted against the bill, calling it "a very punitive, unnecessary measure."
The measure still must survive the House Committee on Federal Mandates and Property Rights if it is to go to the House floor.
Good news. Every state needs to do this. (The Federal government is no help). Thanks for the ping.
Are these the only two party crossovers on this? Anybody?
I guess down in arid Arizona, a car dealer named Rusty is not considered a problem.
Good catch. Actually, it's the Childress that matters. Biddulph, O'Reilly, Rudolph, Grubb, Luke, Sanderson, and Click are the big names in the car business in Phoenix and Tucson.
Then they'll all be in one spot where they can be easily identified.
The illegals will go home. Businesses will hire American workers at a decent wage.
This is also the answer for idiot bush apologists like michael medved who cry "what are we going to do, round them up and put them in concentration camps!?"
No this is 180 degrees back-ashwards. Destroy companies who hire people to do work, because they don't have the wherewithal to do the job the INS refuses to do. Yet, make it illegal for government workers TO EVEN ASK if people receiving free medical care, housing, food, college degrees etc. are in this country legally.
Get a grip here people. Hiring someone to do work is not the problem. It is free government services that attract the destitute here like flies to honey.
Did it die a peaceful and quiet death?
Not exactly. It hardened a lot of conservatives who are now active RINO hunters.
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