Idaho lawmakers concerned about illegal immigration are going after people who create fake identification documents.
The measure approved 6-1 by the Senate State Affairs committee Friday would make creating false documents a felony punishable by up to 14 years in prison.
The bill also gives employers who accept fake identification a lighter punishment. They’d get a misdemeanor charge and up to two years in county jail. Prosecutors would have to prove employers knew the documents weren’t authentic.
A lobbyist for the Idaho Business Coalition for Immigration Reform, which represents the dairy and construction industries, drafted the measure. The coalition brought the bill forth as an alternative to tougher legislation from Hayden Republican Sen. Mike Jorgenson, who wanted to revoke the business licenses of wayward employers.
The measure now heads to the full Senate. (AP)
