Thread: Governor orders state contractors to ensure hirings are lega

http://www.azcentral.com/business/artic ... 01-ON.html

Governor orders state contractors to ensure hirings are legal


Associated Press
Nov. 1, 2005 04:30 PM

Faced with voter discontent over illegal immigration, Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano took a step aimed at chipping away a small piece of the economic magnet for illicit border crossings.

The governor recently ordered state contractors to guarantee their employees aren't illegal immigrants and to let state agencies inspect employment eligibility records for those workers to see whether the rule is being followed.

Even though federal law prohibits businesses from hiring illegal immigrants, thousands of foreign workers sneak into the United States each year to earn higher wages in construction, agricultural and service-industry businesses.

Napolitano spokeswoman Jeanine L'Ecuyer said nothing in particular prompted the governor's Oct. 20 executive order on the hiring of state contractors, who appear to have a good record of following employment eligibility rules.

"This serves as a reminder to state agencies that they are required to comply with federal law," L'Ecuyer said.

The governor's order shouldn't pose hardships on the construction business, said David Jones, president of the Arizona Contractors Association.

While the governor's order laid out requirements for state contractors, L'Ecuyer said Napolitano has taken no position on whether the state should follow the federal government in establishing punishments for employers who hire illegal workers.

Ten percent of all workers in Arizona's economy are illegal immigrants, the Pew Hispanic Center estimates.

Employer sanction proposals have failed at the Legislature over the last two years after they faced opposition from the business lobby.

Immigration is taking a more prominent role in politics in Arizona, the busiest illegal entry point along the 2,000-mile U.S.-Mexico border, and is expected to command a lot of attention in next year's gubernatorial race.

Some voters and politicians reject the long-held notion that immigration is the sole responsibility of the federal government and insist that the state should do more to fix the problem.

Republican state Sen. Dean Martin of Phoenix said the Democratic governor is trying to make her immigration record look stronger. "This is her weak area," Martin said.

Even though she signed a law creating the state crime of migrant smuggling, Napolitano vetoed a few immigration proposals earlier this year, saying they wouldn't lessen Arizona's immigration problems. Napolitano also has declared a state of emergency in the state's four border counties, freeing up money to help authorities confront illegal crossings.

"The immigration issue was brought to her doorstep, and it wasn't an issue she campaigned on a few years ago," said Fred Solop, a political science professor and pollster at Northern Arizona University.

Solop said the governor is turning around that vulnerability and remains politically strong.

L'Ecuyer said Napolitano has done more about immigration than her predecessors.

If NC would require state contractors to verify status of employees, most of the renovations/new construction going on here now would come to a grinding hault. I've even had the president of a community college tell me he didn't question the status of those doing work. Then of course, he's a big proponent of in-state tuition for "illegal immigrants" in NC.