Missouri Immigration Bill Would Target Businesses
Immigration bill would target businesses
Published: Monday, December 24, 2007 8:49 AM CST
JEFFERSON CITY — Missouri Attorney General Jay Nixon proposed legislation targeting businesses that hire illegal immigrants in response to a case against a lake area developer who evaded payroll taxes on undocumented workers he had hired.
Just days after condominium developer Michael G. Schlup was ordered to pay almost $1 million in fines, penalties and back taxes, Nixon announced a plan to work with the legislature to impose sanctions on Missouri employers who use undocumented workers.
The case against Schlup was prosecuted by Nixon’s office and the Camden County prosecutor.
Schlup pleaded guilty to 14 counts involving failure to withhold or remit payroll taxes. He had as many as 30 illegal immigrants working on projects.
Schlup’s businesses, Schlup Investments Inc. and Plaza Gardens on the Lake Inc. were involved in the construction of the Plaza Gardens on the Lake condominium complex near Sunrise Beach.
Nixon’s proposal is modeled after an Arizona law scheduled to take effect in 2008. It follows one of the strongest enforcement actions ever taken by the state and calls for the suspension of businesses for first offenses and permanently barring second-time offenders from doing business in Missouri.
On Wednesday, the Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt’s office issued a press release supporting the Arizona law, but opposing giving taxpayer benefits, subsidies and welfare to illegals.
“Attorney General Jay Nixon has copied these provisions from an Arizona state law,â€