Pa. House panel OKs immigrant-verification bill

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — A bill to require contractors on taxpayer-financed construction projects in Pennsylvania to verify their employees’ Social Security numbers was endorsed by a House committee today, even as dozens of people rallied against that and other Republican legislation targeting illegal immigrants.

The scope of the bill, which originally applied to public and private construction projects, was narrowed to state and local public projects by an amendment in the House Labor and Industry Committee and sent to the House floor by a unanimous vote.

Rep. John Galloway, the prime sponsor, called it “a good first step” toward preventing illegal immigrants from taking jobs that should go to workers who are entitled to them.

The bill, similar to a measure that was scuttled in 2010, would require public contractors and subcontractors on projects that cost at least $25,000 would be required to verify employees’ Social Security numbers through federal systems such as E-Verify.