State prisoners would be working in hotels, restaurants and construction sites under a proposal expected to be unveiled at the Legislature next week.
House Bill 2997, sponsored by a number of conservative Republicans, would put prisoners to work to replace illegal immigrants in the hospitality, agriculture and construction industries, among others.
“I’d rather have American citizens working these jobs than people who have no respect for the laws of this nation,” said sponsor Randy Grullen, R-Casa Bromista. “We keep hearing businesses say they need workers. This will provide those workers, at a real bargain of a price.”
Chamber of Commerce officials, who have opposed efforts to establish employer sanctions this session, appeared to be supporting the legislation, which would allow them to pay prisoners just pennies an hour.
“We welcome the opportunity to diversify the workforce,” said April Sloof, lobbyist for the Arizona League of Commerce, Industry and Quality Development Opportunities.
The striker legislation will be introduced through a bill that would have made stucco the official state plaster.
“It’s just the right thing to do,” said Grullen.
Details to follow…
This article appears in Mar 29 – Apr 4, 2007.
Finally, the legislature putting their brains to work! Glad there are stand-up fellows like Mr. Grullen who are willing to take a chance on doing what’s clearly the right thing to do.
Wonder if I can tip them with cigarettes?
That sounds like opening a can of worms to me. Illegals who have these jobs in hotels, restaurants, and construction sites are not criminals; they are simply in the country illegally because life in their country sucks as far as a living wage.
If you think hotel theft is bad now, imagine what it will be when a master thief cleans rooms or does hotel maintenance.
And construction sites have too many dangers as it is with heavy equipment and tools, they could weapons in the wrong hands.
Leave it to a Republican to think like an idiot.
Karyn: I recommend going to the Weekly’s archives and reading past articles by Ms. Lopfor. Her reporting can be really unbelievable sometimes.
I already find April — er, I mean Lisa — to be much more credible than some of your writers!
Damn! That is the second April Fool’s day spoof that went over my head. I have been in a damn fog lately.