Ask State Affairs Committee to Support Sen. Jorgenson’s Real E-Verify Bill, Not Toothless Copycats

This is a special message for NumbersUSA members in Idaho.


Dear Idaho activist,

State Sen. Jorgenson has introduced legislation (S 1303) that would help prevent citizens from having to compete with illegal aliens for jobs. The Senate State Affairs Committee will consider his bill very soon, along with a copycat bill that will not diminish illegal labor. His bill faces a tough challenge because the toothless alternative is supported by powerful special interests like the Dairy industry.

S 1303 would require employers to use the federal E-Verify system to check whether new hires are eligible to work in the U.S. The bill also would end Idaho’s practice of honoring driver’s licenses from other states that do not verify citizen status, and would make illegal-alien "sanctuary cities" ineligible for state grants.

The alternative supported by the Dairyman’s Association is S 1271, which is sponsored by Sen. Curt McKenzie, the Chairman of the State Affairs Committee. The bill would make it illegal to produce false identification when applying for employment, and would penalize employers for knowingly hiring employees that produce false documents at the time of employment. However, similar protections already exist under federal law.

A similar do-nothing bill (H 497) was introduced in the House by Reps. Raul Labrador and Phil Hart. It also would penalize employers for knowingly hiring illegal aliens, but would provide a “safe harborâ€