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House Takes on Illegal Immigrant Workers' Comp Bill

By Kacey Drescher

Story Created: Jan 18, 2011 at 7:45 PM MDT

Story Updated: Jan 18, 2011 at 7:45 PM MDT

The House of Representatives is one step closer on sending a controversial workers’ comp bill to the Senate.

Republican Representative Gordon Vance's House Bill 71 proposes that an illegal alien may not receive workers’ compensation. The bill passed its second reading with a vote of 60 to 40. The bill faces a largely procedural final vote Wednesday before going to the Senate.

Supporters of the bill say that it will reduce costs and liability while sending a message to those employing illegal workers. But those who oppose the measure say it does not solve the overwhelming problem with Montana’s workers’ compensation and places a burden on hospitals that have to take care of the injured worker. Insurance officials say there may be only a handful of such cases a year in Montana.

“This is not a single issue problem, this is not a problem that can be solved by looking at one area, passing one bill and making everything better for the business community in the state of Montana, this has multiple facets to it and we need to address all of them and that's what I tried to do with this bill,” says Representative Vance, (R) House District 67.

Also on the House agenda today, Speaker of the House Mike Milburn’s House Joint Resolution One, delisting wolves from the Endangered Species List, passed its third reading 99 to one and will now go to the Senate.

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