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SALT LAKE CITY -- A Utah business leader says the state should not go it alone with an immigration enforcement-only law and suggests Utah would be better served by joining in a regional bloc of states to create uniform statutes.
"It would probably be better for a bloc of western states to move together so they're not harmed by the economic implications of diminishing their customer base and harming their labor force and raising the costs of doing business," Salt Lake Chamber Chief Economist Natalie Gochnour told KSL Newsradio.
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Utah's Latino leaders want bi-partisan immigration bill
Utah Latino leaders are rejecting Utah Republican Rep. Stephen Sandstrom's immigration bill and say it's an "Arizona-lite" bill, basically a watered-down version.Gochnour says she has already heard from businesses that operate in Utah and Arizona that they are seeing an impact in Arizona.
"A state that acts unilaterally can be penalized, the economy can be penalized," Gochnour said. "The biggest concern is the timing of it. If you're in boom times you have a margin of error. You can get away with some things. We're in the most fragile economy in seven decades. It's not a time when you can in good conscience sacrifice things in your economy."
Gochnour says barring federal intervention, a regional bloc of states would likely be the next-best option.
"I think it's wise for states to be talking to one another, figuring out what do we do when our federal government lets us down," Gochnour said.
The Salt Lake Chamber has been pushing for reform in Utah in the shape of an employer-sponsored work program. Gochnour says a good state solution would be legislation that marries enforcement with the work program.
E-mail: aadams@ksl.com
