Arizona Governor Signs Bill Amending Arizona Workers Act, Vetoes Bill Requiring Local Immigration Enforcement
On May 1, 2008, Governor Janet Napolitano of Arizona signed into law amendments to the Legal Arizona Workers Act (LAWA). The amendments (H.B. 2745) specify that an Arizona employer’s business license may not be suspended or revoked if an employee hired before January 1, 2008, is an undocumented worker. In other ways, the amendments expand LAWA; for example, by including undocumented independent contractors among those an employer must not knowingly hire.
In other news, Governor Napolitano vetoed a bill (H.B. 2807) that would have required local law enforcement to work with federal authorities to address immigration violations. “House Bill 2807 is simply an unnecessary, unfunded mandate to law enforcement,” she wrote.