The Mississippi House of Representatives Judiciary B Committee passed a Senate bill this morning that would require employers to use an electronic screening system for new employees to verify they are legal U.S. citizens.
The bill could come up for debate in the House this afternoon, and if it passes there, would wind up on Gov. Haley Barbour’s desk to be signed into law. Sen. Michael Watson, R-Pascagoula, who was elected last fall, authored the bill.
“I’m extremely excited that the Judiciary B committee in the House has decided to allow the full House to debate this bill on its merits,” Watson said in a news release. “Hopefully, this is the first step in the right direction in curbing the illegal immigration problems our state and our nation are facing.”