A bill that would suspend licenses for businesses that knowingly employ illegal immigrants will not get a committee hearing in the Idaho Senate.

Sen. Mike Jorgensen, R-Hayden Lake, proposed the bill, which was printed Monday morning. But Senate state affairs chairman Curt McKenzie will not put the bill on his committee’s agenda.

It is the chairman’s discretion as to what proposed legislation goes on the agenda.

“There’s considerable concern among the agricultural community as well as business groups about the level of the penalties that could be put against a business,” McKenzie said, adding that he favored compromise legislation.

Jorgensen, who has been working on the bill for more than two years, said it was another example of special interests controlling policy.

“This is one of Idaho’s dirty little big secrets,” Jorgensen said. “Special interests are influencing policy to protect their people.”

The bill proposes that a license be suspended for three days for a first offense, 10 days for a second offense and permanent revocation for a third offense.

Jorgensen said the state’s dairymen “are absolutely not complying with the law.”

Jorgensen said that illegal immigrants cost all levels of government in the state $148 million in education, health and welfare and corrections costs.

“Idahoans need to know they’re carrying the burden of illegal workers on their taxes,” Jorgensen said.

But J. Brent Olmstead, the coordinator of the Idaho Business Coalition for Immigration Reform and a lobbyist for the Milk Producers of Idaho, argued that the state needs foreign workers and that “our businesses are following the law.”

“The immigrant work force spends a lot of money in this state,” he said. “They probably pay into Social Security and they’ll never see a dime of that.”

Olmstead’s group has appeared before committees in the Idaho House and Senate this session.

“We don’t think we should be singled out,” said Olmstead, who said his group is made up of various businesses from agriculture, construction, manufacturing and agribusiness.

McKenzie said the issue is not going away and said he hopes the business groups will sit down to work on compromise legislation.

“This represents, in my mind, a shot across the bow,” McKenzie said. “Part of the intent of bringing it forward, is it gives them a chance to come to the table and remedy an issue that works for everybody.”

Brian Murphy: 377-6444