Springfield News-Leader (Missouri) (02/08/12) Valerie Mosley
A controversial ordinance mandating the use of the federal E-Verify program in Springfield, MO, has passed, according to unofficial results from the Feb. 7 vote. The ordinance requires all employers in Springfield to use the federal government’s electronic employment eligibility verification program to check the work authorization of prospective hires—and, critics argue, existing employees. It adds penalties for those that do not and for anyone caught employing someone prohibited from working for any reason.