þ Pearce defends Employer Sanctions law

By Jaime Richardson

State Rep. Russell Pearce, R-Mesa, told Green Valley audience Tuesday the Employer Sanctions law he cosponsored was the greatest bill in the nation. 

He spoke at an RSVP-only luncheon at the West Center sponsored by the Green Valley Chamber of Commerce. Supporters as well as noted opponents came to hear Pearce offer information and clarity on the law that takes effect in January.

Under the measure, employers caught knowingly or intentionally hiring unlawful workers face a 10-day license suspension for a first offense. After a second offense, they can lose their license. The bill would also enforce the federal Basic Pilot Program, which would require employers to verify the citizenship of their workers through a nationwide database.

It s a tough but fair piece of legislation,  said Pearce, who says the measure protects law-abiding employers.

During the presentation, the representative addressed facets that have raised concern among employers. He said that businesses will not be penalized for mistakes or accidents, only knowing and intentional hires. He also criticized the media for distorting the facts and said the bill s term knowingly  is not as ambiguous as it has been portrayed.

But Larry Kempler of Farmers Investment Co., who attended the luncheon, said There s no clear definition of the term knowingly,  and that s what we re concerned about. 

Pearce also emphasized that business franchises don t have to worry about their entire operation being shut down because of one violation, another common concern of opponents. This would be prohibited by the bill s site specific  requirements, he said.

Pearce s tough stance on illegal immigration has brought him criticism in the past.

Comments the representative made last September on a Phoenix radio show brought an outcry from the Hispanic community after he announced his support for the reinstatement of Operation Wetback,  a federal program put together in 1953 by President Eisenhower that attempted to deport over a million illegal immigrants from the Southwestern United States.

At the luncheon, Pearce displayed a list of law enforcement officials who have been killed by illegal immigrants, and presented statistics on the numbers of illegals who are sex offenders. Even those who come here with good intentions are taking jobs from Americans and suppressing wages,  he said. They have no respect for our country. 

Matt Clark, executive director of Arizona Employers for Immigration Reform (AZEIR), asked Pearce if he endorsed any legal pathways to citizenship.

Not at this time,  he responded. There is no evidence of a worker shortage in America. We need to put the 8 million unemployed Americans to work, and get the able-bodied off welfare. 

Pearce said he believed the bill would withstand being sued by illegal employers,  referring to the lawsuit filed in July by AZEIR and the Arizona Contractors Association.

Clark says he took offense at the comment.

We always hire under the assumption that employees are legal,  said Clark, who believes a guest-worker program may offer a solution. If we replace 12 million illegal immigrants with 8 million unemployed Americans, it would be disastrous for the economy. 

jrichardson@gvnews.com | 547-9726