Communications from Huntsman Administration Officials
(2!12/2007)Stephen Clark-Concerns with HB127 (Sandstrom) -Employeee Verification.. Procurement, and Incentives Page 1
From: Douglas Richins
To: Stephen Clark
Date: 2/9/20075:20 PM
Subject: Concerns with HB127 (Sandstrom) -Employee Verification, Procurement, and Incentives
Attachments: HB 127- Basic Employment Verification Pilot.pdf
Representative Clark;
Thanks for talking to me today about our concerns with HB127 that is being held in the standing committee that you chair. Here are a few of the concerns with this legislation.
1. Potential suppliers/contractors will withdraw from doing business with the state because of the requirement of subscribing to this “voluntary federal program”. The state will lose because of the reduction in competition. Note, they will withdraw -not because they hire illegal immigrants -but because they don’t want to be obligated to subscribe to a complex federal program.
2. The “voluntary” federal program that this ball now makes mandatory is complex and requires the suppliers to execute a 7 page Memorandum of Understanding between the supplier, the US Social Security Administration and the US Dept. of Homeland Security. I gave it to our attorney to review, and he pronounced the agreement “virtually unreadable”. For your info, I’ve attached a copy of the Memorandum of Agreement.
3. I have heard horror stories from other states that have adopted similar legislation about difficult contract negotiations; major companies that simply refused to do business with the state because of the requirements, etc.
4. State purchasing agents are ill equipped to be immigration policemen. Why make state government the enforcer to require business to comply with a “voluntary” federal program?
5. Ponder this, suppose a sole source supplier (ie. Rocky Mountain Power, or Questar) refused to participate in the “voluntary” federal program. This bill would then would restrict the state from obtaining utility services! Kind of a problem.
Your help in defeating this legislation is appreciated.
Douglas Richins, Director
Utah Division of Purchasing
3150 State Office Building, Capitol Hill Salt Lake City, UT 84114-1061
drichins@utah.gov
(801) 538-3143
Citizens For Tax Fairness 