August 11, 2009

To the Honorable Members of the Illinois Senate,

96^th General Assembly

Today I veto Senate Bill 1743.

This legislation would render immigrant guest workers legally present in the United States pursuant to Sections 214(c) and 101(a)(15)(h) of the Immigration and Nationality Act in order to engage in agricultural labor ineligible for unemployment insurance coverage.

For decades, legislation impacting the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund has been produced collaboratively through an agreed bill process involving the affected stakeholders.  To my knowledge, this bill did not emerge from that process.

Additionally, Senate Bill 1743 will have an adverse effect on the solvency of the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund. While this effect will likely be small, the great strains that are currently being placed on the fund require us to take actions that relieve those pressures, not further intensify them.

Therefore, in accordance with Article IV, Section 9(b) of the Illinois Constitution, I return Senate Bill 1743 to the Senate, where it originated, with the foregoing objections, vetoed in its entirety.

Sincerely,

Pat Quinn

Governor