Thread: Georgia nears tougher line on illegal workers

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Sunday, March 29, 2009

As the federal government begins pumping billions of stimulus dollars into Georgia, lawmakers here are cracking down on lax enforcement of a state law that prohibits taxpayer funds from going to illegal workers.

A bill likely to pass the General Assembly this week gives the state more power to force local compliance with a 2006 anti-illegal-immigration law. Supporters say the bill is needed because the previous law wasn’t enforced.

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The measure would require local governments, state agencies and companies that do public business to show they are using federal databases to make sure they don’t hire illegal workers or provide them with public benefits. If they don’t, local governments would face cuts in state road funding and other penalties, and companies could have contracts revoked.

The proposed tightening of the state’s anti-illegal- immigration rules comes as the federal government has begun funneling stimulus dollars through state agencies and local governments. Anti-illegal-immigrant groups across the country have expressed concern that some of the federal money may end up going to illegal immigrants.

H.B. 2, initially sponsored by Rep. Tom Rice (R-Norcross), passed the House and was approved by the Senate Public Safety Committee last week with no opposition.

Senate Majority Leader Chip Rogers (R-Woodstock) told the committee that the bill was necessary because the Georgia Security and Immigration Compliance Act, which Rogers sponsored in 2006, was being ignored by local governments.

“We are passing a state law that says you have to follow a state law that says you have to follow a federal law,â€

[quote]“Georgia should not be in the business of regulating federal immigration law,â€

[quote="vortex"][quote]“Georgia should not be in the business of regulating federal immigration law,â€