BOISE -- The third bill of the 2010 session to take on employers who knowingly hire illegal workers emerged in the Idaho Legislature.
This measure, introduced by Reps. Raul Labrador and Phil Hart on Tuesday in the House State Affairs Committee, includes provisions to suspend a business's license for up to a year.
Unlike a bill introduced earlier by Sen. Mike Jorgenson, however, their measure wouldn't require employers to use the federal E-Verify system to check if an employee is legal.
But using the system would be an absolute defense against prosecution, should an employee be found without appropriate documentation.
Currently, such employment violations are under federal jurisdiction.
But Hart says the state should intervene, because U.S. Department of Homeland Security agents aren't doing their jobs as well as they should be.
