Bill Aimed At State Contractors Who Hire Illegal Immigrants

Another bill aimed at regulating Tennessee businesses that hire illegal immigrants moved forward in a House committee today. Cookeville Democrat Hank Fincher says his bill will bar state contractors from using illegal labor.

“The bill that I have is modeled after the Georgia legislation that passed last year. It goes as far as we can within federal, constitutional and statutory limits to fight illegal immigration in the state of Tennessee.”

Fincher’s bill doesn’t address the bulk of businesses that don’t contract with the state.

Yesterday, a Senate committee passed a measure sponsored by Republican Jack Johnson of Williamson County (see story). It would require employers to use a federal data base to confirm that job applicants are legally in the country. Representative Fincher says he hopes to find common ground between the two bills.

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Fincher’s immigration bill is HB 1216 Fincher/SB 576 Burks, Ketron.

In other action, the House Government Operations Committee:

• Deferred for a week a controversial bill to require applicants for public welfare to pass a drug-screening test. Researchers say federal welfare rules preclude any such test. The bill is HB 588 Matlock/SB 102 Burchett.

• Passed and sent to the House Transportation Committee a bill that would resurrect the long-defunct toll roads authority. Transportation Chairman Phillip Pinion (D-Union City) is the sponsor of the bill, HB 1204 Pinion/SB 1152 Black.