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Sunday, December 16, 2007
I hate to say ‘I told you so,’ but …
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Bob Griggs said he could see it coming.
When the Gwinnett Board of Commissioners last June changed its purchasing ordinance to deny county contracts to companies that hire illegal immigrants, he thought there’d be trouble.
A federal judge recently warned the commissioners that he’ll probably strike down at least part of the ordinance because it encroaches on the federal government’s exclusive power to regulate immigration.
Griggs said he warned commissioners about potential flaws in the statute ” long before the ordinance was adopted.”
Griggs is a political activist and an Internet services provider. He owns Verify I-9 LLC, a company that verifies the legal status of workers.
The board passed the amended ordinance June 26. On Aug. 3, Griggs wrote a letter to commissioners warning them that “because the ordinance was so poorly worded it [can] not withstand a legal challenge. …
“I believe, however, that a challenge will come and that it is incumbent on you to get this right now and not later and only in response to a lawsuit,” wrote Griggs.
Two contractors’ associations filed suit Nov. 29 against the county over the ordinance.
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