Koster hopes measure will help Missourians seeking employment
JEFFERSON CITY -- Saying that Missouri workers come first, Senator Chris Koster, D-Harrisonville, offered an amendment this week, Senate Bill 858, which mandates that all contractors on governmental job sites verify the employment eligibility of all employees before work begins.
Koster's proposal is intended to crack down on the employment of illegal aliens on government job sites and encourage Missouri employers to hire Missouri residents. The bill received final approval from the Senate and now moves to the House for similar consideration.
"Senator Koster's amendment is a major step toward ensuring that Missouri jobs go Missouri workers," said Garry Kemp, Business Manager of the Greater Kansas City Building and Construction Trades Council. "It is good to finally see his colleagues in the Senate move in the right direction toward employer accountability."
The legislation prohibits employers from hiring illegal workers and requires that a business with a contract to work for the state participate in a federal work authorization program to validate their employees' status.
Mirroring a federal government program that uses cutting-edge software to determine employment eligibility through the validity of Social Security numbers, Sen. Koster's amendment would bring efficient and useful technology to all contractors working at the state, county, and municipal level.
"Nowhere does illegal immigration affect Missourians more than in the workplace," Sen. Koster said. "We need to ensure that our hard-working families are not struggling to find a job because employers are hiring illegal workers."
Sen. Koster worked with Sen. Timothy Green (D-St. Louis) and Sen. Victor Callahan (D-Independence) on another amendment that bars employers with five or more employees from knowingly misclassifying employees. The amendment requires employers to submit federal tax forms to the Department of Revenue to verify their employees' status. It also authorizes the Attorney General to investigate any suspected misclassifications. Employers found to be knowingly misclassifying workers would be fined up to $100,000 for repeat offenses.
"Missourians come first," Koster said. "This comprehensive legislation addresses illegal immigration on all fronts: employment, public benefits, public education and law enforcement."
Sen. Chris Koster is also a candidate for Missouri Attorney General.