FORT COLLINS, Colo.-
A measure that would have punished contractors or subcontractors working on city projects who knowingly hired illegal immigrants was narrowly rejected by the City Council on a 4-3 vote.
The proposed ordinance killed Tuesday would have meant scofflaws could have their city contracts terminated and be banned from city projects for five years. Employers who falsely identified workers or falsely certified them could have faced penalties of $1,000 per offense.
Construction contracts of at least $500,000 and service contracts worth at least $100,000 would have been affected.
Councilwoman Kelly Ohlson supported the measure, saying city tax dollars and city jobs should go to legal workers and called state laws a “joke.”
Karen Weitkunat, who voted against the ordinance, and others opponents said the city should give the eight-month-old state law a chance to work. The law passed by state lawmakers during a special session, bars illegal immigrants from getting non-emergency, taxpayer-funded benefits.
“We don’t even know what impacts and repercussions are coming from it,” Weitkunat said.
