Thread: Kansas legislators reconsider immigrant regulations

Posted on Mon, Mar. 10, 2008
Kansas legislators reconsider immigrant regulations
By DAVID KLEPPER and JASON NOBLE
The Kansas City Star
TOPEKA | Lawmakers debating immigration reform are rethinking proposals to go after businesses aggressively with new regulations and tougher penalties.

The change of focus comes after businesses argued that the proposed legislation was overly burdensome and could put their business licenses at risk for unknowingly hiring illegal immigrants or making paperwork errors.

Lawmakers in both Kansas and Missouri are taking a hard look at a variety of bills aimed at cracking down on illegal immigration.

At the top of the list are proposals to require businesses to check job applicants against a federal database of all legal workers, known as E-Verify. Businesses that refused or were found to be knowingly hiring illegal immigrants would face penalties that include the loss of a business license.

Other proposals still popular with many lawmakers would require local police to do more to enforce federal immigration law, prohibit state benefits going to illegal immigrants, and increase the penalties for identity theft and employment fraud.

Estimates show that Kansas has as many as 90,000 illegal immigrants. Missouri may have as many as 65,000. Supporters of state enforcement of immigration law say illegal immigrants cost the states hundreds of millions every year, take jobs Americans could hold and invite disease, drugs and crime across the borders.

But after powerful business interests in both states objected, lawmakers are reconsidering an E-Verify mandate or tough penalties for businesses.

A proposal pitched Monday in the Kansas House would still mandate E-Verify starting in 2010, but it would require the state’s Department of Labor – and not individual businesses — to check new hires against E-Verify.

Businesses wouldn’t have to submit any new paperwork.

The proposal, suggested by Rep. Arlen Siegfreid, an Olathe Republican, would require state and local governments to adopt E-Verify starting in July. In 2009, businesses with state contracts would be required to use E-Verify.

The phase-in would give lawmakers an opportunity to review E-Verify’s performance before mandating it for all businesses.

“We didn’t want to move too quickly on the businesses because we have a problem with a very small number,â€

Law makers are caving to businesses who are not above the law.

But after powerful business interests in both states objected, lawmakers are reconsidering an E-Verify mandate or tough penalties for businesses.

Translated this means the greedy businesses want the lawlessness and their exploitation of manual, cheap illegal to continue -- and for hard working, struggling taxpayers to continue to pay for the education, health care and other costs of their labor. Shame on them.