An employment verification bill touching on immigration issues passed the Wisconsin State Assembly in its first session of the year.
Republicans in the Legislature voted along party lines to pass Assembly Bill 281, which if signed by the governor would terminate state contracts with suppliers and contractors that do not use the E-Verify program.
The federal E-Verify program confirms whether employees are eligible to work in the U.S. using an employee’s I-9 form compared with U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Social Security Administration records.
The Wisconsin Department of Administration contracts construction work when the project is expected to cost more than $50,000. Work must be awarded to the lowest bidder according to state law.
The bill would create an exception to the lowest-bidder award by prohibiting the state from buying or contracting for materials or services with companies that do not use the E-Verify program, an analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau showed.
“Today’s passage of AB 281 is a commonsense step to protect legal workers and ensure taxpayer dollars are not used in violation of federal law,” said state Rep. Piwowarczyk, R-Hubertus, one of the bill’s authors, in a statement. “It promotes transparency, accountability, and fair competition in state employment and contracting.”
Tennessee, Louisiana, Utah, Arizona, North Carolina, South Carolina, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and Florida use E-Verify for all or most of its employees,...
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