Ganging up on employers, Senators Deb Patterson (D-Salem) and Sara Gelser (D-Albany) introduced SB 569. Their idea of fair employment practices is to make it unlawful for an employer to require an employee or prospective employee to possess or present a valid driver's license as a condition of employment or continuation of employment.

It’s a short bill with a big punch at the free market

It is an unlawful employment practice for an employer to: (a) Require, as a condition for employment or continuation of employment, an employee or prospective employee to possess or present a valid driver’s license unless the ability to legally drive is an essential function of the job or is related to a legitimate business purpose.
(b) Refuse to accept from an employee or prospective employee, as an alternative to a driver’s license, any other identification documents that are deemed acceptable for the purpose of forms prescribed by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services that are used for verifying the identity and employment authorization of individuals hired for employment in the United States.

The pandemic has left unemployment high and employers need options to recover in the free market. Both Senators Patterson and Gelser’s Districts have a 31 to 33% non-white population, which makes up 94% of their unemployed. Patterson’s district has 17,900 unemployed and Gelser’s district has 5,404 unemployed. The best and most credible ID a person has is their driver’s license. What do law enforcement ask for at a traffic stop?

The bill is driven by a desire to help illegal aliens compete in the employment market.

SB 569 attacks an employer's ability to run their business efficiently using the DMV’s work for an eligible employee. DMV records are used by auto insurance companies for rating the cost of car insurance, and as a source for voter registration. So why isn’t it good enough for a business owner?

 
--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2021-02-04 20:36:37

Last Update: 2021-02-05 08:46:53