Thread: LEADER OF THE PACK Abbeville aims to be out front in E-Verify compliance

indexjournal.com
By ERIN OWENS
12/29/2011

ABBEVILLE --Starting Sunday, South Carolina businesses are required to register for E-Verify, a system that verifies the legal status of new employees, and Abbeville County is attempting to be a leader in compliance for the state.

Though still voluntary in other states, registering with E-Verify will soon become mandatory for all employers in South Carolina because of strict immigration laws passed by the state legislature this summer. After learning of the new requirements several months ago, Abbeville County Development Services Director Steve Bowles took it upon himself to ensure all of the industries and businesses in the county were aware of and abiding by the new law.

"I decided I would make Abbeville County the poster child for compliance in the state of South Carolina," he said. "The last thing I want to do is have any of my industries penalized for something that I could warn them about, so I felt it was imperative on my part to be responsible to let them know."

E-Verify is a free Internet-based system that electronically verifies the employment eligibility of newly hired employees. The program compares the information an employee provides on their I-9 form with millions of government records maintained by the Department of Homeland Security and the Social Security Administration.

The goal of E-Verify is to prevent illegal immigrants from gaining employment and allowing those jobs to go to legal workers in the state and across the country who are currently unemployed.

"In principal, it's a terrific thing," Bowles said. "It is going to reduce the number of illegal workers that are working in the state and open more jobs for the citizens of South Carolina."

During the last few months, Bowles has met with Abbeville industries and had seminars to spread the word about E-Verify. Working with the Chamber of Commerce, he said he hopes Abbeville will be on the forefront of compliance with the new law.

http://www.indexjournal.com/main.asp...ArticleID=9048

GO ABBEVILLE!!!!! More jobs for AMERICAN CITIZENS!!!!!!