A special state Senate committee is already exploring the immigration issue surely to be a big one in the coming Legislative Session. While much was said during the campaign about it, some reality check seems to be starting to come back into the discussion, thanks in part to people like Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam, and some Florida business interests who are now coming to the front more with their own facts and positions. Hear more in this report…
And see the rest of this post to read a more detailed story about this from The News Service of Florida.
BIG BIZ WORRIED ABOUT IMMIGRATION REACTION – By MICHAEL PELTIER – THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA
THE CAPITAL, TALLAHASSEE, January 24, 2011…..Florida’s largest business groups on Monday joined worker advocates in urging state lawmakers to tread lightly through the minefield of immigration, saying the state’s economy and culture are indelibly linked to foreign labor.
Meeting before a special Senate committee addressing immigration in preparation for the upcoming session, representatives of the Florida Chamber of Commerce and Associated Industries of Florida – two of the largest business lobbies in the state – said the economic benefits of foreign-born workers, both legal and illegal, outweigh the costs to the state for education, criminal justice, health and social service programs.
Further, they said the federal E-Verify system, an Internet-based program to track immigrant status at the job site, is flawed and not ready to be relied upon by businesses to accurately determine who to hire.
Gov. Rick Scott has signed an executive order requiring that new hires in state agencies and those who contract with them be checked by E-verify. Sen. Alan Hays, R-Umatilla, has filed SB 518, which would require private employers to use the same system on new hires.
Scott also campaigned heavily on the immigration issue, praising the Arizona immigration law and promising to “bring it to Florida.”
With immigration among the most politically charged issues in recent years, and a lightning rod of last year’s campaign, big business has been murmuring that the charge to enforce stricter immigration laws at the state level could be problematic for employers.
That’s particularly true in industries that employ lots of immigrants, who will work for low wages, some of them working under the table. Some of those industries are among the most important in Florida – tourism, agriculture, construction.
But the talk has been mostly quiet as the general tide among big business’ traditional allies – Republicans – has been the other way, stridently in favor of cracking down on illegal immigration.
Business got a little cover last week when Republican Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam, a former congressman and a farmer, said Florida should tread very carefully, noting that anything that sends the message that Florida is anti-immigrant would be bad for the state’s economy.
On Monday, big business was much more open about its stance.
The Chamber’s report, “Immigration and Florida’s Economy” was unequivocal: Immigration restrictions will have a negative impact on Florida’s business climate and could cost the state hundreds of millions in lost revenue, output and business opportunities.
David Brill, president of the Florida Chamber Foundation, said immigrant workers are a net benefit to the state. Citing a review of other studies, Brill said that immigrants statistically have higher rates of starting new businesses and use public services less than natural-born citizens, often because they’re afraid to.
“The immigrants who do come to the United States come here to work and add to the economy,” Brill said.
Business isn’t just worried about the effect of immigration legislation on immigrants. It’s perhaps even more worried about the effect on the state’s image.
Adam Babington, the chamber’s vice president for governmental affairs, said state lawmakers need to be careful not to provoke the wrath of foreign companies and investors. He estimated Arizona saw $141 million in lost convention and tourism business after the state passed its law – and said that would be a drop in the bucket to what Florida would lose.
“It’s critical that Florida protect its strong brand as a state that welcomes tourists, promotes international trade, and supplies much of the nation’s fruits and vegetables,” Babington said. “Florida must use caution with any immigration restrictions to help ensure we don’t provoke an economic boycott or restrict economic growth.”
The business groups came head to head with a coalition of groups calling on lawmakers to support legislation to reduce the incentive for employers to hire undocumented workers at lower wages than U.S. citizens or foreign workers trying to get into the country through legal avenues.
“They are stealing the American dream from somebody who wants to come to this country legally,” said Jack Oliver, legislative director for Floridians for Immigration Enforcement, a group supporting tougher immigration enforcement. .
The group supports Hays’ effort to require employers to use E-verify to screen new hire, saying over the long haul it would reduce the number of undocumented workers hired in the private sector.
“It would act like a protective shield against a (surge) of foreign workers in times of economic booms, “ said David Caulkett, vice president of Floridians for Immigration Enforcement.
But Associated Industries vice president for external relations Brewster Bevis, countered that E-verify is not the answer either, saying the federal system is error prone, echoing concerns also raised by Putnam last week.
“Despite improvements made in E-verify, the reality is that it remains a flawed system,” said Bevis.