Thread: Ariz.: Immigrant Worker Law Debated

Ariz.: Immigrant Worker Law Debated

Thursday January 24, 6:40 pm ET
By Jacques Billeaud, Associated Press

Arizona Businesses Recommend More Protections in Employer Sanctions Law


PHOENIX (AP) -- A committee representing the business community on Thursday recommended employer protections be included in an Arizona law that penalizes those who knowingly hiring illegal immigrants.

The suggestions to the Legislature included prohibiting anonymous complaints under the law and strengthening legal protections for those who verify the employment eligibility of workers and complete employment documents required under federal law. Also recommended was raising the standards for prosecutors to prove to prove allegations against businesses.

The employer sanctions law prohibits employers from knowingly employing illegal immigrants and imposes business license penalties for violators. A coalition of business groups have filed a legal challenge to the law. While the law took effect this month, prosecutors agreed not to bring alleged violations to court until March.

One committee member said the suggestions will be seen as an attempt to weaken the law, and will ultimately energize an effort to put a more stringent measure on the November ballot.

"This will be talking points to go out and renew the effort and get signatures (to put the proposal on the ballot)," said Richard Bark, a lawyer serving on the committee.

Bark said a successful initiative would remove the option of having the Legislature fix problems in the law, because voter-approved measures are next to impossible to alter.

State Rep. Russell Pearce, author of the employer sanctions law and an organizer in the effort to bring the harsher proposal to voters, said efforts to weaken the law have already energized proponents for a tougher approach.

Unlike the law, which would require a business license revocation for a second violation, the initiative proposal pushed by Pearce would take away a businesses license after one violation.

Mitch Laird, a committee member and a Burger King franchisee, said he understood the argument that the recommendations would be seen as fueling the initiative proposal effort, but believes the business group had a duty to tell the Legislature how to fix the law.

"You can't let the threat of an initiative -- what somebody else might do -- cause you to do anything other than what you think is the right thing," Laird said.

The recommendations are similar to some proposals already filed by lawmakers who have complained that the law will treat businesses unfairly.

House Speaker Jim Weiers, a Republican from Phoenix who was the only lawmaker on the special committee, said he doesn't believe the law is going to be gutted.

Lawmakers said possible changes to the law could include heading off expected attempts by some businesses to make end runs around the law, softening penalties against violators and clarifying whether the law applies to new hires or all workers on the payroll.


http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/080124/az_xgr_e ... .html?.v=1

The recommendations are similar to some proposals already filed by lawmakers who have complained that the law will treat businesses unfairly.

Any businessman who yells and screams about not being able to find workers is not trying to compensate them fairly. The workers ARE available. Businesses will have to do something differnt to attract them.