Bill to punish employers who hire illegals draws support

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By NANCY HICKS/Lincoln Journal Star

Support for a proposal that would punish employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants is drawing support from Nebraskans affiliated with a group that wants to educate others about the problems created by illegal immigration.

But the measure drew no comments from the business community during a public hearing Wednesday before the Revenue Committee.

When companies hire illegal immigrants at lower wages, that sets up a competitive cycle that encourages others to hire illegal immigrants, said Jack Ream of Omaha, one of nine people who supported the bill (LB784) Wednesday.

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The bill’s supporters who appeared Wednesday are affiliated with the Nebraskans Advisory Group, or NAG, which is dedicated to educating others about illegal immigration’s negative impact, said Susan Smith of Omaha, who spoke at the hearing.

The measure, sponsored by Sen. Gwen Howard of Omaha, would prohibit the state from giving special tax credits to businesses that knowingly hire illegal immigrants.  While the bill is not aimed at a specific industry, meatpacking plants have come under scrutiny for their employment practices. At least four meatpacking companies with operations in Nebraska have applied for about $5 million in tax breaks.

Smith said NAG members also are supporting a bill (LB963) introduced on behalf of Gov. Dave Heineman that would require agencies to verify the immigration status of people applying for state benefits, from welfare to fishing licenses.

When businesses hire illegal immigrants, they pass over U.S. workers, who are then pushed into poverty and onto public assistance paid for by taxpayers, said Dimitrij Krynsky of Lincoln, who immigrated legally to the United States 27 years ago.

“We need immigrants. We need to have them come here legally,” said Michael J. McAlpine of Omaha, who said his mother came from Holland and his dad’s family came from Ireland by way of Canada.

“I am thoroughly disgruntled with the way the federal government is running this illegal immigrant problem,” said Jerome Warner of Kildare. “They aren’t doing much. I’m sick and tired of these dadblasted people here.”

Howard, the bill’s sponsor, said she hopes her bill will bring all parties to the table. “We have to find a way to address the concerns related to victimizing people seeking a better life.”

A law affecting employers “would bring businesses to the table” to find solutions to immigration issues, Howard said at the hearing.

But the business community was silent on the bill. No representatives from business groups or chambers of commerce spoke at the public hearing, though many business groups were in the room just minutes earlier to support a tax incentive bill.

In fact, the Nebraska Appleseed Center was the only organization to speak against the bill at the hearing. The center describes the bill as the wrong approach.

Employers often use undocumented workers to skirt the costs of complying with other laws, like wage and safety standards, said Jennifer Carter, lobbyist for the center.

A better way to go after these “exploitative employers” is to improve the state’s safety and labor protections and institute sanctions based on those laws, she said.

Bill supporters and Carter talked about the experiences of other states that strengthened laws against employers and have apparently seen workers leave the state.

A law like this would not keep undocumented workers from coming into the country, but it could hurt the local economy, said Carter, pointing to other states that have toughened penalties against employers and seen companies leave the state or abandon expansion plans.

But supporters of the bill said they worried that as other states get tougher on businesses that hire illegal immigrants, those workers may head for “safe havens” states like Nebraska.

Reach Nancy Hicks at 473-7250 or nhicks@journalstar.com.