Tenn. lawmakers say open to continued business input on E-Verify immigration bill

[Jeanfromfillmore]

Tenn. lawmakers say open to continued business input on E-Verify immigration bill
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Business interests used to getting their way with Republicans at the state Capitol have run into an issue they may not be able to lobby away: new restrictions on illegal immigration.
Tennessee lawmakers behind a proposal that would require the state's employers to prove their employees are legally authorized to work in the U.S. say they are listening to the business concerns, but they aren't budging from their pursuit of greater accountability for companies.
The measure was among a set of immigration bills that passed the subcommittee on State and Local Government last week.
Another was an Arizona-style enforcement proposal that would allow local law enforcement agents to question suspects about their immigration status, and the other would require agencies to verify that applicants for public benefits are legally eligible for them.
Much of the focus was on the employer-related bill, which representatives of prominent business groups including the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the National Federation of Independent Business urged committee members to oppose.
They said the measure, which would require employers to use the federal E-Verify program, would cost businesses time and money without solving the problem of illegal immigration.
During the subcommittee meeting, some lawmakers were openly hostile to business representatives who voiced their opposition to the bill.
Rep. Curry Todd, R-Collierville, said business owners brought the mandate down on themselves.
"These folks in the business community keep hiring them. ... And they know they're illegal," he said.
National Federation of Independent Business State Director Jim Brown said that members want better immigration enforcement but don't agree with a mandate to use E-Verify.
That caused Rep. Mike Turner, D-Nashville, to respond, "Everybody wants to pass the buck. We're here today to do E-Verify because other attempts failed."
Turner accused certain unnamed "bad people" in the businesses community of watering down a previous bill that attempted to curtail the hiring of illegal immigrants so much that it became worthless.
Rep. Gerald McCormick, R-Chattanooga, accused the business representatives of "foot dragging" and said they needed to "get serious" about working out a compromise with the sponsor that they can support.
The tone is a little uncharacteristic, considering businesses have the support this year of the executive and legislative branches on other issues, such as scaling back regulations and limiting lawsuit damages.
House Speaker Beth Harwell told reporters late last week that it's not lawmakers' intention "to put undue burden on the businesses."
"On the other hand, clearly we have heard that this is an issue of concern to the citizens of this state," she said. "We're going to continue to work on it."
Republican Rep. Joe Carr of Lascassas, who chairs the House's Taskforce on Illegal Immigration Reform and is a sponsor of the three immigration bills, cited during the subcommittee polls within the last year that show a majority of Tennesseans want to see such legislation.
"The business community has been at the table, they're welcome to stay at the table," Carr also told reporters. "But ... we're going to proceed with something."
Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey said he'd like to encourage employers to use the E-Verify system, "as opposed to it being a requirement."
"I've said all along that I don't want to put more paperwork on small business people," said the Blountville Republican.
http://www.therepublic.com/view/stor...gration-Bills/