The West Virginia Senate Judiciary Committee, controlled by Republicans, is looking to lighten up the E-Verify bill, allowing more businesses to sidestep using the system for hiring immigrants.
Republican state Senator Eric Tarr made an effort to convince his peers. The House Bill 4198 didn’t get any support, but, as reported by WVRC West Virginia, there’s still a lot to discuss.
Tarr argued that small business owners should have more leeway to hire affordable immigrant labor. He mentioned feeling that the bill is more about “trapping businesses” and added, “That’s my takeaway as a business owner reading this.”
Tom Willis, the chair of the Senate Judiciary, also supports easing the bill’s restrictions. He noted it needs further refinement and has encouraged Republican Senator Patricia Rucker to move it to a subcommittee for adjustments.
“We’re not sending this to a subcommittee to halt progress; it’s about refining it so we can present a solid proposal for West Virginia,” Willis stated.
Similar to other states with E-Verify laws, West Virginia’s version would tighten the rules for employers hiring new staff to ensure they’re legally eligible to work.
HB 4198 mandates that all private entities and state agencies use the E-Verify system for new hires. Unlike some other states, this bill doesn’t exempt companies based on size, instead requiring all “employers” to utilize it.
It passed the state House of Representatives with a narrow 48-46 vote, with some Republicans joining Democrats in support of companies seeking to avoid stringent requirements.
Willis maintained that the Senate isn’t backing down on illegal immigration issues.
“This committee is firmly committed to promoting legal immigration and opposing illegal immigration,” he asserted.
Tarr expressed concern that the bill was overly broad and affected too many employers. He noted that hiring a neighbor to assist an elderly relative overnight would put him under E-Verify’s watch, carrying possible fines of $500 each day.
Another Republican, Senator Ryan Weld, echoed the sentiment that the bill placed too heavy a burden on employers.
“We’re crafting a bill that could lead to significant fines for those who don’t adhere to rules that might not be, in my opinion, perfectly outlined, which I honestly find quite poorly crafted,” Weld remarked.
West Virginia’s Republican party seems to be following a trend seen in other states. In Idaho, Republicans are also pushing to dilute the E-Verify bill, offering employers more leeway in keeping undocumented workers.
And it’s not just Idaho and West Virginia; Republicans in Montana, Wyoming, and Oklahoma are experiencing similar tensions. Some are trying to advance President Trump’s immigration policies while others resist, influenced by the business community’s requests to maintain the capability to hire inexpensive immigrant labor.
