ID Senate Committee Rejects Illegal Immigration Bill

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Idaho lawmakers have killed a measure for the second time this year that would crack down on employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants.

The Senate State Affairs Committee rejected a bill Monday that is similar to one that died in the House State Affairs Committee earlier this month.

It could have suspended or revoked companies’ licenses for employing illegal aliens.

Companies could avoid legal troubles by verifying workers’ eligibility through a federal database.

The proposal is modeled on a law that went into effect in Arizona this year.

That law has caused scores of immigrants to flee to other parts of the country or back to their homelands.

Republican Senator Mike Jorgenson of Hayden told the committee that he didn’t expect his bill to pass the Idaho Legislature.

Jorgenson said he wanted lawmakers to introduce the proposal anyway as a way of starting negotiations with employers in Idaho to create a guest worker program.

The bill died for lack of a motion.