Bill fights "illegal competition" in job market

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ A Tulsa state Senator says employers who hire undocumented workers should be punished. <br/><br/>Senator Tom Adelson has filed the Oklahoma Fair Employment Act and some are calling

Sunday, February 20th 2005, 2:26 pm

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ A Tulsa state Senator says employers who hire undocumented workers should be punished.

Senator Tom Adelson has filed the Oklahoma Fair Employment Act and some are calling it ``groundbreaking.''

The bill would penalize employers and give employees who are displaced because of the illegal hires just cause to sue.

Since appearing on Lou Dobbs' ``Moneyline'' on CNN, Adelson has been drawing praise from national immigration reform groups, who say illegal immigrants are keeping wages low and threatening the American middle class.

Officials with the Greater Oklahoma City Hispanic Chamber of Commerce say the issue of displaces U-S workers is overblown.

David Castillo, chairman of the Hispanic chamber, says the bill is ``bad for business'' and also bad for thousands of hardworking, legal Hispanic immigrants who could be penalized if the legislation is enacted.

Under the measure, a company that hires undocumented workers would have its certificate of incorporation suspended and lose any income tax deductions linked to payments to the immigrants.