Rep. Phil Hart, R-Hayden, rolled out his own version of anti-illegal immigration legislation in the House State Affairs Committee Tuesday. Much like the plan of his Senate counterpart, Sen. Mike Jorgenson, R-Hayden Lake, Hart’s plan would focus on punishing employers for knowingly hiring illegal immigrants, though there are stark differences in the two plans.
Hart’s plan would not require employers to use the E-Verify system as Jorgenson’s plan does, but it would strongly encourage employers to utilize the system as a means of providing themselves a “safe harbor,” as Hart called it, against prosecution. Under the proposed plan, employers would be punished for “knowingly” hiring illegal immigrants continuously. Hart said that he simply wants employers to “play by the rules” and follow the laws already in place. He added that employers are provided with another line of defense against prosecution, which is the federal I-9 process, which also allows employers to check the worker’s legality, but in a much less timely process than E-verify. According to Rep. Raul Labrador, R-Eagle, employers must use either the E-Verify system or the I-9 process to ensure an employee’s legality within three days of hire of an employee.
If an employer is found knowingly employing an illegal immigrant, he could face a suspension of his business license for up to a year on a third offense. Hart designed the bill to have a “three strikes” clause that would help discourage hiring of illegal immigrants, and created a three-year window in which employers could accumulate the strikes. Upon the commencement of a fourth year, Hart said, employers could wipe their slates clean of the strikes.
Similar to another bill pitched in the committee today, Hart’s bill would also punish potential employees for the use of fake documents to garner employment. The plan would enable counties as well as the state attorney general to ensure enforcement of the law, a provision of the bill which was of concern to Rep. Anne Pasley-Stuart, D-Boise.
“We’re putting a burden on the counties and state attorney general’s office,” said Pasley-Stuart.
Rep. Carlos Bilbao, R-Emmett, said that as a representative of many soft fruit companies in his district, he is concerned about the legislation’s impact on those interests. Bilbao said that many of the employees of fruit picking operations work too quickly and move on to the next area, thereby not allowing employers to adequate time to check their identification with the federal government, which, he said, can sometime take days.
Hart responded that an employer in that situation would not be prosecuted because they would no longer be employing the workers in question.
The bill was introduced with one dissenting vote, cast by Rep. Phylis King, D-Boise.
In an interview with IdahoReporter.com following the hearing on the matter, King said that she believes that immigration is a problem that should be solved on the federal level.
“We already have a federal law on the book … no one is complying with that, what makes you think we’re going to do it with the state law?” asked King. ”I think there will just be a lot of non-conformance.”
King said she is in favor of studying increases in the numbers of migrant workers allowed in from other countries because she believes they are crucial to Idaho’s economy.
“It’s going to be a huge cost to Idaho if we lose these workers,” said King.
The committee will hear more debate on the issue in upcoming weeks. The bill can be viewed online here.
“Hart’s plan would not require employers to use the E-Verify system as Jorgenson’s plan does, but it would strongly encourage employers to utilize the system as a means of providing themselves a “safe harbor,” as Hart called it, against prosecution. Under the proposed plan, employers would be punished for “knowingly” hiring illegal immigrants continuously. Hart said that he simply wants employers to “play by the rules” and follow the laws already in place.”
“Free meal” Phil Hart’s (as he is known by groups in North Idaho, because he only shows up when a free meal is offered), legislation is a JOKE. This legislation in meaningless, has no teeth-will do nothing about the illegal immigration problem in Idaho.
Employers of illegal aliens need a ’safe harbor’??? He ‘encourages’ employers to do the right thing???
Translation: ‘Free Meal Phil’ Hart is in the pocket of the largest employers of illegal immigrants, the Idaho Dairymen’s Association and he is protecting them. This bill has no teeth and the legislators that support this bill are perpetrating fraud on the citizens of Idaho that they were elected to represent. This will soon become apparent when the situation worsens, instead of improving, for Idaho’s vast number of unemployed and the taxpayers that are supporting the social costs of ‘Free Meal’s’ illegal alien supporters.
Seriously, ‘Free Meal’ Phil, do you think Idaho citizens are going to fall for this. Can’t the opposition do better at sponsors for their bill than ‘Free Meal Phil”???
“It’s going to be a huge cost to Idaho if we lose these workers,” said King.”
It is going to bankrupt Idaho if DO NOT lose these workers.
America suffering from the illegal immigrant occupation
When President Obama assures the American people that he is going to secure the borders. What does that really mean to him and his progeny’s of Liberal-Socialist-Marxist extremists, who have his ear? It certainly doesn’t mean the original fences, initiated by Rep.Duncan Hunter. Not only is the fence far from the design originally conceived by this California lawmaker, but it doesn’t fit the specifications of The Secure Fence Act (Pub.L. 109-367) was enacted October 26, 2006. Now we have a single barrier, not the double layered fence that should have been enacted, with the open space reserved between the fences for rapid movement of policing the border. Even the Canadian border remains easy access to criminal and terrorists, and not forgetting Canadians who would prefer to illegally live in the US. There are hundreds of fire roads that are easily accessible, for anybody to cross the border with bombing material. Many places have just a phone for individuals to voluntarily explain their presence to the US border agents? Our country is open to attack and because our politicians refuse to acknowledge that citizens are in peril, it is sheer luck that a small nuclear devise hasn’t already been smuggled into a congested cities.
Neither previous or post governing parties have used the laws to place National Guard forces on the border, because loss of trade from our corrupt Southern neighborers who have impeded any sense of real security. Of late Mexican Senate wants President Felipe Calderon to send a message to the U.S. asking that plans to continue to protect its border against illegal immigration be dropped. If it wasn’t for public opinion and the rapt attention of thousands of blogger sentinels, Obama’s minions would have slowly forced upon us another negative immigration reform. Sure America needs the ultimate top scientific and technological labor, but we certainly need to rid this country of manual and low skilled workforce and illegal national families living off the US taxpayer. Sure many pay some taxes, but the majority only pay what they are confronted by every day, like items they buy and a gas taxes. That’s a sick joke when Obama, Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi and a whole bunch of disguised ultra left liberals say that giving AMNESTY, will draw them out the shadows?
No way are they going to pay Federal or State taxes, when they can get free government entitlements. They are already hoping their children can sponge their way into Universities and colleges, when our own legal kids have to pay their way. Illegal immigrants learn the welfare system and how to get free emergency care in our hospitals. When you have no papers or identification our soft politicians cater to them over their own people. We like fools, ignore our seniors and our own desperate poor are hounded by debt collectors when the bills become due? They come across the border knowing our entitlement system will look after the whole family, including pregnant females who soak this country taxpayer by getting instant citizenship, instant low income housing and a host of other “Freebies” that our own people get turned away. The businesses that hire them, should pay every penny they stick the US taxpayers with? They have even expert knowledge of the tax system, so they can get IRS refunds for non-existent children in their country of origin. Billions of dollars that should go towards rebuilding our infrastructure, our health insurance corrupt health care system , our–OWN–children’s education.
This is–WHY–E-Verify must be fully funded, permanent and using the money to make the program a keystone of immigration enforcement. With the technology we have inherited today, we can mandate its use and hire the top computer engineers to perfect its ability, to deport every illegal immigrant in America. Not the 12 million facade that we have brain washed with, but the–REAL–number of somewhere between 20 and 30 unauthorized foreigners bleeding our nation dry. E-Verify in its second generation performance, could be used to drivers license irregularities, vehicle registrations, insurance fraud, along with house mortgages , health care and much more. Congressman Kenny Marchant (TX-24) authored a new bill H.R. 4586 the Mortgage E-Verify Act. My bill will potentially save millions by cutting down on fraudulent claims from illegal immigrants and protect taxpayers from subsidizing the restructuring or renegotiation mortgages of illegal immigrants. Then every local police department should be funded to train its police in the 287 (G) program, with instruction to arrest and hand over to ICE. Then ICE should not be blocked by a wimpy Janet Napolitano, who has ordered the agents to slowly desist on immigration raids. Perhaps the inception of the “TEA PARTY” movement has an agenda to stop this absolute travesty of our immigration enforcement?
Hopefully their growing populace are not compromised by either the Republicans and Democrats in there haste to be recognized as a force against corrupt government. NO MORE AMNESTIES, MAKE E-VERIFY PERMANENT , FULLY FUND 287 (G) FOR LOCAL POLICE AND RESUME EXPANDED ICE RAIDS. Learn more at NUMBERSUSA dot com, JudicialWatch dot org and Americanpatrol dot com Call the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121 and asked for your Senator or Congressman. In addition bombard your State Representatives to enforce state laws. Just look to the State of California, that has been labeled a–SANCTUARY STATE–because its run by a horde of Democrats who are really liberals under their skin, that have pandered to the illegal alien occupation. Now the state is dead–BROKE–with not enough money to pay its bills. Yet still they are catering to the millions of illegal aliens imported from South of its border and many illegal families, that have packed up and left other less sympathetic states, where welfare entitlements are more strictly enforced. Arizona is following the leader, with Texas as other border states suffering under this ever increasing Overpopulation of the illegal immigrant variety.
What ever it takes, it is time for these illegal aliens to get back to their own country where they belong.
Illegal aliens are destroying this country, and one would have to have their eyes closed or have very poor eyesight.
Illegal aliens have made America the dumping ground for all their illegal alien children, then we have to school them and give them free medical care.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSe3C5vMafM&NR=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_ZnX9JRo5M&NR=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLJxmJZXgNI
http://www.kpho.com/video/18452473/index.html
I for one, am sick and tired of these illegal aliens snubbing their nose at our immigration laws and the many other laws of this Country. If our Federal Government can not ENFORCE our immigration laws, and get these illegal aliens out of this Country, then let the States do it! One way or another, an end has to come to this illegal immigration, and not with AMNESTY! Amnesty will only encourage more illegal aliens to invade our Country and reward those who broke our laws and raped the American taxpayer in many ways…depressing our wages, taking our jobs, overwhelming our schools with their illegal alien children, driving without a license or car insurance, all the crime from stolen identities to rape, drugs and everything else.
It’s time for ZERO TOLERENCE with these illegal aliens. It’s time for them get out of this Country and back in their own Country where they belong. When we get rid of the illegal aliens, we will get rid of all the problems that go with them. THAT IS A FACT!
Idaho, get your law passed as soon as possible!
It takes a bill with E-Verify. Hart’s bill isn’t worth the paper it is written on. There is absolutely no enforcement mechanism. It is as bad a joke as he is.
[...] illegal immigration, co-sponsored by Rep. Phil Hart, R-Athol, and Rep. Raul Labrador, R-Eagle, click here. To read about the Senate version, sponsored by Sen. Mike Jorgenson, R-Hayden Lake, click here. The [...]