E-Verify measure killed
Would have required employers to check residential status of new hires
Peter Marcus
Thursday, March 4, 2010






A Senate committee yesterday killed legislation that would have required all Colorado businesses to use a federal database to verify the legal residential status of new hires.

For Sen. Dave Schultheis, R-Colorado Springs, the fifth time is not the charm. That’s how many times the anti-illegal immigration crusader has attempted to pass legislation that would require Colorado employers to use the federal E-Verify system. The online system checks the immigration and residential status of all potential new workers in seconds.

But the Senate State, Veterans & Military Affairs Committee killed the legislation on a 2-3 Democratic party-line vote. The vote came after hearing testimony from both sides of the aisle. Business groups opposed the measure because they felt it would place an unfair burden on them. Some Colorado residents came out in favor of the legislation, arguing that undocumented workers are taking their jobs and killing their dreams.

Schultheis hoped that he would be more successful this year given the current state of the economy. He said Senate Bill 33 would have helped with the state’s significant unemployment situation, as well as the state’s severe budget deficit, arguing that both issues are inter-linked.

“Passage of this bill is going to help many of our very own constituents who have lost, or will lose their jobs over the next months and quite possibly years, find work,â€