Jul 7, 2006 6:56 pm US/Mountain
Republicans At Odds With Business Over Immigration
DENVER (AP) ―
The battle over illegal immigration is dividing Republicans who want to crack down on illegal immigrant workers from one of their core constituencies -- business leaders, who say plans to require worker identification could destroy them.
Proposals that would require job applicants to show a Colorado driver's license, a state-issued identity card or other forms of identification are drawing warnings from industry officials that it will be difficult if not impossible to hire enough employees for the ski season, oil drillers and other temporary workers, even teenagers seeking a summer job.
The tension has become so great that a group representing 12,000 small businesses warned Friday that if lawmakers make the rules too tight, "it will destroy the vehicle that drives the economy in this state."
"It has become apparent that this special session is being used to further show that Colorado is fast becoming anti-small business," said Tony Gagliardi, Colorado director for the National Federation of Independent Businesses.
Republicans, who have a reputation for defending business interests, brushed off the criticism, saying reputable businesses shouldn't hire illegal immigrants in the first place.
"I'm not interested in having the Third World show up here just to help businesses. There is no excuse for violating the law," said Sen. Jim Dyer, R-Littleton, one of the Legislature's staunchest business defenders.
Democrats are also supporting the measures, but for different reasons.
Rep. Rosemary Marshall, D-Denver, who chairs the House Business Affairs and Labor Committee, said all reputable businesses insist on identification before they will hire new workers. She said she supports measures requiring IDs to prevent employers from abusing immigrants.
"Illegal immigration has become the new slave labor in this country," she said.
Melanie Mills, spokeswoman for Colorado Ski Country USA, the trade group that represents the state's ski industry, said 14,000 foreign workers are hired in Colorado each year -- many of them in the ski and tourism industry. She said it takes six months for the Department of Homeland Security to verify visas.
"At that point, our ski season is over," she said. "It's not just the ski industry, it's our whole tourism and hospitality industry."
Political analyst Eric Sondermann said both parties are at odds with their constituencies over the business-related immigration proposals -- Republicans with business leaders and Democrats with organized labor and minority groups, including Hispanics.
Republicans are being forced to decide between conservatives who want to do whatever is necessary to crack down on illegal immigration and their other base, led by President Bush, that sees value in immigration, he said.
"This is just a microcosm of what we're seeing in Washington between those who want a comprehensive solution and those who just want border enforcement," Sondermann said.
(© MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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