Thread: CO Sen. Comm. Kills E-Verify Bill-Sets Stage for Ballot Init

Colorado Senate Committee Kills E-Verify Bill Setting Stage for Ballot Initiative

Monday, March 8, 2010, 1:16 PM EST - posted on NumbersUSA

A Colorado Senate committee killed a bill last week that would have required all Colorado businesses to use E-Verify. The defeat paves the way for a ballot initiative being pushed by former congressman and presidential candidate Tom Tancredo.

The bill was offered for the fifth time by State Senator Dave Schultheis. The Senate committee voted down the bill on a party line vote after listening to testimony from citizens who support the measure and business groups who oppose the measure led by the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce.

“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€

E-Verify measure killed

Would have required employers to check residential status of new hires

Peter Marcus, DDN Staff Writer
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€