Lobbying intensified Friday as Gov. Janet Napolitano considered a bill that would crack down on businesses that employ undocumented workers.
Napolitano was flooded with calls for a veto. The phone calls came in English and Spanish, offering not-so-subtle advice on a bill the governor has until July 3 to act upon. On Friday alone, the Governor’s Office received 28 phone calls asking her to sign House Bill 2779 and 128 requesting a veto.
But the real full-court press begins Monday when members of the Phoenix Chamber of Commerce plan to coordinate their efforts in pressuring Napolitano by phone and e-mail and in person. Needless to say, they will ask her to VETO the bill.
Update: JUNE 28TH 2007 – I noticed that the Arizona Farm Bureau is asking Gov. Napolitano to veto this bill. Why would that be. I myself own a farm, I grow chili peppers, corn and broccoli. I even raise Black Angus Cattle under my brand. Maybe it’s because I refuse to cheat the law by hiring illegal aliens and paying them slave wages; that I’m NOT worried about being “put out of business”. This is definatly one of those issues that separate the law abiding businesses from the corrupt.
Commentary: Obviously State House Bill 2779 (full text available here), will help in a big way to stop the hiring of illegal aliens which the federal government has refused to effectively enforce. In doing so, big business and big contractor PACs like the Arizona Contractors Association, are worried as hell that their source of cheap illegal labor might soon vanish. They are already rallying the troops to get Gov. Napolitano’s veto pen on this legislation as quickly as possible. Here’s what the ACA’s concerns are:
In a late move during the last view hours of the Legislative Session the Arizona Legislature passed HB2779 “Fair and Legal Employment Act”. Unfortunately, once again the legislature has failed to listen to the business community on this issue.
As in previous versions of this bill, it mandates all employers after December 31st, 2007 to use the Basic Pilot Program to verify employment eligibility of all employees.
The licensing eligibility elements of the bill include: prohibiting an employer from intentionally employing an unauthorized alien or knowingly employing an unauthorized alien.
Yep, that’s pretty much the idea. Sounds like a spectacular piece of legislation.
For a first violation of knowingly employing an unauthorized alien, requires the court to order the employer to terminate the employment of all unauthorized aliens and to suspend the appropriate licenses unless the employer files a signed sworn affidavit with the county attorney within three business days that states that the employer has terminated the employment of all unauthorized aliens and that the employer will not intentionally or knowingly employ an unauthorized alien. If the affidavit is filed, the licenses are reinstated, if the affidavit is not filed the court may order the suspension of licenses, not to exceed ten business days. Violators are subject to a three-year probationary period.
For a first violation of intentionally employing an unauthorized alien, requires the court to order the employer to terminate the employment of all unauthorized aliens to suspend the appropriate licenses for a minimum of ten business days. Violators are subject to a five year probationary period.
Employers who are placed on probation must file quarterly reports with the county attorney of new employees hired at the location where an unauthorized alien performed work.
For a second violation during the probationary period the bill will require the appropriate licenses to be permanently revoked.
The Arizona Contractors Association has opposed this bill and its predecessors for the basic reason provided in the United States Constitution that refers immigration policy and enforcement as solely a federal responsibility and while we understand of Congress’s failure to act has increased state’s enticement to engage on this issue it is nonetheless a federal issue that fundamentally should be and is required by law to be fixed on the federal level.
In other words, the big business and contractor PAC’s want to be able to keep breaking the law with the knowledge that the federal government will but only on rare occasion and under politcal duress from “We the People”, enforce the laws regarding the hiring of illegal aliens. This bill is good for Arizona, it’s citizens, and it’s economy. The only ones that will be hurt by this bill are people that are breaking the law already. Greedy businesses that profit off of hiring illegal workers and paying them slave wages.
Call Gov. Napolitano’s Office NOW and tell her NOT TO VETO HB-2779.
Tell her to LET THIS NEEDED LEGISLATION PASS.
Arizona Resistance 
I hope she veto’s the bill , Heres why We already have close to the signatures we need to put this on the ballot and it will be a lot stronger than the bill on her desk today , this bill on her desk can be changed by our elected officals, but cant be changed if its voted in by the We the People !
Ghost,
Welcome sir. Your presence and especially your opinions, are always welcomed and respected around here.
Are we SURE it could pass on a ballot? You are one that I consider to be very much “in the know” on this issue.
Now I’m stumped.
Big business PACs have alot of money to spend on ballot initiatives. On the other hand, with legislators like Rep. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Phoenix always wanting to open the flood gates wider and increase the flow of illegal aliens… I see your point.
She’ll veto the bill. I hope I’m wrong, but she’ll cave. However, she might not because she’s facing an almost certain override.
Even if this bill passes, a ballot initiative will move forward.
The Senate bill is probably going to get killed when it goes back to the house, so all of those people crying about letting the feds do it, I don’t think they can. Plus, they haven’t up until now.
Regardless of how it turns out, you can bet you butt that those spineless traitors that hire illegals now are getting the message that this won’t be tolerated.
Build a wall, deport them all.
Larry,
I agree, the feds will do nothing. This is up to us to deal with.
Thanks for the input.
I recieved an e-mail from A Mom that lost here daughter to an illegal alien drunk driver, I felt it was something most Americans dont get to see, and Our government wont speak of! So with her permission, heres her letter…
hello, I am writing to let you know that I would love to add my beautiful daughter added to the memorial. Sadly, on Oct 9th of this past year she was hit and killed by a drunk driving illegal alien in Ramona California. He hit 2 other cars first before plowing head-on into my Angel, pushing her back over 200 feet and up an embankment and then the scumbag took off and left her to die there alone on a dark empty road. He was caught 3 hours later due to the fact that he was driving a company concrete truck at the time owned by Mark Kackstetter,, MK Concrete. This alien had 4 prior DUI CONVICTIONS and had been Formally Deported in March of last year, 2006 and came back and was hired in June by Kackstetter without the idiot doing any background or DMV check on this murderer. I thankfully have the monster behind bars for a guaranteed 21 yrs to life. 21 before he can even be eligible for parole. God willing, I will be certain to be there at his hearing to make certain he stays there. My life has forever changed and I miss my wonderful girl so so much. She was a hairdresser and a very responsible young lady who had just begun to live life. And along this f****ing alien sneaks back into the country and takes away my precious daughters life as well as her families lives too. This government makes me sick because as far as I am concerned, it is their fault as well. The owner of the company hasn’t been held accountable either and ICE tells me he probably won’t be either !!! And I am supposed to just sit back and take it and allow life to go on !!! No Way !!! Not Acceptable. Please let me know what I must do to get Amy included in your memorial. I have a website for her now. It is AMYKORTLANGSTORY.com please let me know if I need to send her picture or any more details, info, etc,, She was born and raised here in San Diego but was killed in Ramona, CA which is San Diego county. Thank you for doing this. Please feel free to contact me for any reason. Thank you and God Bless You and keep you safe,, Love and Hugs, Melanie Kortlang, An Outraged Mother
Thank You Don. Please feel free to use my letter. God Bless,,, Melanie Kortlang I would love to do an interview. I will await further info from you. Thank you again.
Thanks Az resistance for your kind words.
You can add 2 calls to the list of people that have called the Gov’s office demanding that she does not veto house bill 2779.
Build a wall, deport them all.
Thanks Larry.
Gentelmen,
Keep up the good work. It would be of great help
to many of us who vote with our purchases to know which of the big business support this veto.
I personally will not patronize any of them.
Immigrants are welcome in this country if they enter legally… to enter illegally is wrong… It is time for the United States to start looking after the welfare of their LEGAL citizens… instead they push the limits and Arizona bears the brunt of their mistakes because of the border proximity to Mexico… Business who hire illegals should be fined and the illegals should be made to leave…I am sorry to say this but small businesses who make their living on hiring illegals to pay a lower wage should be shut down… shame on them…Illegals are illusional when they think there is a lot of work in the US.. send them unemployment reports…Come on USA stand up for your OWN people…put stricter enforcments along the Arizona border.. Arizona still is one of our states and they should not have to bear this burden alone..they should not have to be considered “heartless, and cruel because they want to keep their state free of illegal immigrants.