Senate Compromise on Immigration? Restrict E-Verify to the Public Sector

Kenric Ward's blog | Posted: April 29, 2011 2:12 PM

The Senate's languishing immigration bill is reportedly undergoing political triage while it awaits its fate.

Sunshine State News has learned that Republican leaders are working on amendments that would further soften the measure to make it more palatable to businesses.

One possible change -- and it's a major one -- would restrict Senate Bill 2040's E-Verify employment screening requirement to public-sector hires.

"That would allow the state to test it out and see how it works," a source at the Capitol said.

In one of his first executive orders, Gov. Rick Scott directed agencies under his control to use the federal E-Verify database, but that exempted several other government departments.

The Florida Chamber of Commerce, Associated Industries of Florida and the agriculture industry have joined migrant-rights groups in opposing SB 2040, blocking its progress.

http://www.sunshinestatenews.com/blog/s ... lic-sector