Kansas immigration measure rejected in budget talks

TOPEKA - A proposal to require government contractors in Kansas to use the federal E-Verify database to ensure employees aren't illegal immigrants won't survive legislative negotiations over the state budget.

House and Senate negotiators have concluded they don't want to include a major policy change in the spending plan for the fiscal year beginning July 1.

The proposal would require companies having contracts with the state worth more than $50,000 to submit a notarized statement saying they use E-Verify to check the status of new employees.

During a debate last week, Rep. Anthony Brown, a Eudora Republican, persuaded House members to add the proposal to the chamber's proposed budget, imposing the policy for only a year. Senators did not consider the idea before approving their version of the budget.