|
|
| |
| Thu, Dec. 4, 2008 |  |
 |
|
||
| |
Immigration resolution fails in Benton County Thursday, Jun 14, 2007 By Scarlet Sims Stephens Media BENTONVILLE - A committee of the Benton County Quorum Court has voted down a resolution that would ban the county from doing business with companies that employ illegal immigrants. "It's a nice statement, but I don't think it's going to do anything," said Justice of the Peace Bobby Hubbard, referring to the measure that failed on an 8-5 vote before the quorum court committee Tuesday night. "It's just a nice little resolution, and it means nothing," Hubbard said. Northwest Arkansas has among the fastest-growing Hispanic populations in the nation, and studies have suggested as many as half of Hispanics in Arkansas are here illegally. The Benton County proposal mirrored legislation adopted by the Legislature this year. Act 157, when it goes into effect July 31, will prohibit state agencies from contracting with businesses that employ illegal immigrants. This month, Justice of the Peace Burton Schindler met with county attorney Robin Green and Comptroller Richard McComas to create a resolution Schindler intended to force businesses that contracted with the county to sign an affidavit saying employees were legal residents. The resolution considered by the quorum court required no signature and no special form. With about 8,000 venders doing business with the county, McComas worried the county would not be able to enforce the ordinance or that it would require extra employees. The resolution presented Tuesday created no additional workload for county offices, Schindler said. Under his proposal, the county would stop doing business with any company it discovered employed illegal workers. Hubbard pointed out contractors may not know they employ illegal immigrants. "I'm asking and asking my subcontractors and they're saying, 'Well, they have a driver's license,'" Hubbard said. |
