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  1. #1
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    Arizona Governor signs employer sanctions law

    Arizona Governor signs employer sanctions law
    Last Edited: Thursday, 01 May 2008, 6:16 PM MST
    Created: Thursday, 01 May 2008, 6:16 PM MST

    By JACQUES BILLEAUD
    Associated Press Writer

    PHOENIX (AP) -- Gov. Janet Napolitano approved revisions Thursday to an Arizona law that prohibits employers from knowingly hiring illegal immigrants yet has been criticized as being unfair to businesses.

    The bill the Democratic governor signed into law clarifies that Arizona's employer sanctions applied only to workers hired in this and subsequent years and creates protections for businesses that make good-faith efforts to follow the rules.

    "It addressed not all but most of the issues that she addressed last year," said Napolitano spokeswoman Jeanine L'Ecuyer, whose boss signed the original law but pointed out what she felt were its weaknesses.

    The original law, which took effect in January, was intended to lessen the economic incentive for illegal immigrants to come to Arizona, the busiest illegal crossing point in the United States. Illegal immigrants account for an estimated one in 10 workers in the Arizona economy.

    Businesses that knowingly hire illegal immigrants could face a business license suspension lasting up to 10 days. Second-time violators would have their business licenses permanently revoked. The law also requires businesses to verify the employment eligibility of its workers through a federal database.

    Business groups have sought to overturn the law, but a federal judge upheld it, and the ruling has been appealed. Groups also have taken steps to try to put two other employer sanctions proposals on the November ballot.

    While favoring some changes in the rules, business groups still groused about other elements of the law and said only the federal government should have authority to crack down on illegal hirings.

    "We see it as relief. The clarifications in the bill are important," said Ann Seiden, a spokeswoman for the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry, one of the groups challenging the law.

    The groups failed to persuade lawmakers to prohibit people from making anonymous complaints under the law. They believe such complaints leave employers open to harassment from competitors or disgruntled workers. Instead, one of the revisions says the rules can't be interpreted to prohibit anonymous complaints.

    A clear victory for business was narrowing the employees to whom the law applies. The original law was unclear about whether it applied to all employees on the payroll or those hired after the law took effect Jan. 1. The revisions now clarify that the law applies only to workers hired this year and after.

    The law also was changed to create a compliance program in which participants would do the database checks and check the Social Security numbers of workers who aren't verified through the database.

    Participants, who also would have to provide prosecutors documents showing employees were verified through either method, wouldn't be in violation of the law if they acted in good faith in doing the verifications and providing the necessary records.

    "Is it as tough as I like? Probably not," said Republican Rep. Russell Pearce of Mesa, author of the original law and its revisions. "But is it fair and will it still go after illegal employers? Absolutely."

    Pearce noted a change that was meant to target unscrupulous employers who would insulate themselves by hiring subcontractors who then employ illegal immigrants.

    Under the latest changes, employers would violate the law if they used subcontractors who were known to employ illegal immigrants.

    Two groups have taken steps to put employer sanction measures on the November ballot.

    Advocates for tougher immigration enforcement are pushing a proposal that would revoke the licenses of first-time violators. Under current law, revocation would come after a second offense.

    A business-backed proposal would make the crime of identity theft cover employers who knowingly accept false identification when hiring and broaden a prohibition against hiring illegal immigrants on a cash-only basis.

    Pearce, a leader in the group pushing the more stringent measure, said he believes his side would be open to setting aside its proposal if the organizers of the business-backed measure would agree to do the same and give the changes a chance to work.

    Andrew Pacheco, chairman of the other ballot proposal, said he would continue taking steps to put the measure on the ballot.

    "We are not opposed to a legislative fix," Pacheco said. "We just don't think this is it."

    http://www.myfoxphoenix.com/myfox/pages ... geId=3.2.1
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    Arizona Gov. signs changes to employer sanctions law

    Published Thursday | May 1, 2008
    Arizona Gov. signs changes to employer sanctions law
    The Associated Press
    http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=1 ... d=10324763

    PHOENIX (AP) - Gov. Janet Napolitano approved revisions to an Arizona law that prohibits employers from knowingly hiring illegal immigrants and has been criticized as being unfair to businesses.

    The bill the Democratic governor signed into law Thursday clarifies that the state's sanctions applied only to workers hired this year and later and protects businesses that make good-faith efforts to follow the rules.

    Business groups failed to persuade lawmakers to prohibit anonymous complaints made under the law, which the groups say leaves employers vulnerable to harassment from competitors or disgruntled workers.

    Instead, the law was revised to say it couldn't be interpreted to prohibit anonymous complaints.
    If your ILLEGAL...get out of my country...get out of my state...get out of my community...get out of my face!...otherwise, have a nice day!
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