Facts notwithstanding, Boyles disputed that bill at center of Bruce controversy concerns legal immigrants

Summary: Reading aloud from a Denver Post article about reaction to state Rep. Douglas Bruce calling Mexican migrant workers "illiterate peasants," 630 KHOW-AM's Peter Boyles suggested that the newspaper was incorrect in stating that House Bill 1325 "deals not with illegal immigrants, but with people who would be allowed into the country legally." However, a legislative summary of the measure states that it would establish a program for "eligible workers [] to come to Colorado legally" for seasonal farm work.

On his April 24 630 KHOW-AM broadcast, Peter Boyles disputed The Denver Post's April 24 characterization of House Bill 1325 as one that "deals not with illegal immigrants, but with people who would be allowed into the country legally for seasonal farm work," claiming, "But we know because we've read it and because we can talk about it, and the Post hasn't done that yet." The Post described HB 1325 in an article about reactions to state Rep. Douglas Bruce (R-Colorado Springs) "calling Mexican migrant workers 'illiterate peasants' " during an April 21 debate on the measure.

The Post reported that Rep. Kathleen Curry (D-Gunnison), who chaired the debate and "gaveled down" Bruce after his remark, "says she has received so much threatening hate mail that she has asked the Colorado State Patrol to investigate the messages and keep an eye on her home in Gunnison."

The article also reported that Rep. Terrance Carroll (D-Denver) -- whom Boyles likened to the film character Forrest Gump -- was "being inundated with vitriolic messages" after he "denounced" Bruce for his remark. Boyles criticized Carroll's reported statement that "[t]he immigration debate stirs up a lot of passion," claiming that "[t]he 'I' word, illegal immigration" was "missing" from Carroll's characterization of the debate.

Boyles also likened HB 1325 to House Bill 1313, a measure Gov. Bill Ritter (D) vetoed in 2007 that would have revised the documentation needed to obtain a state driver's license. As Colorado Media Matters has noted, Boyles has dispensed illegal immigration-related falsehoods in connection with HB 1313 and with alternative documentation requirements for obtaining a driver's license that Ritter implemented administratively.

From the April 24 broadcast of 630 KHOW-AM's The Peter Boyles Show:

BOYLES (reading): "Curry said Wednesday she didn't want to talk about those messages." She didn't want to talk about them. "[Colorado] State Patrol Sergeant John Hahn confirmed they're investigating whether the emails rise to the level of criminal threats, but declined further comment." What, like, "Hey, Kathleen, bite me." Is that a threat? I don't think so. And now here is none other than, running to the front, he too is none other than Terrance Carroll. " 'The immigration debate stirs up a lot of passion,' Carroll said." Ah -- what is missing, Terrance, "Forrest" -- what's missing? Run, Forrest, run. The "I" word. Illegal. " 'Anything that remotely relates to immigration, I get those emails,' " says Forrest. Ah, what's missing in what Forrest says? The "I" word, illegal immigration.

"Meanwhile, Douglas Bruce said he's got 900 emails from across the country; most of them say, 'You're my hero.' Bruce said people who threaten lawmakers should be punished." He's right. " 'If people make threatening phone calls, they should be arrested.' " Well said. "The bill is the center of the ugly -- all this ugliness." No, it's not. How, now, a debate is ugliness? According to your Denver Post, it's now ugliness. House Bill 1325 "deals not with the illegal immigrants but with people who would be allowed to work in the country legally." But we know because we've read it and because we can talk about it, and the Post hasn't done that yet. Or perhaps never will. I don't know. I hope this bill -- you know what, this [HB] 1325, it's [HB] 1313. You know, it's time that somebody, for God's sake, can stand up and call a spade a shovel. Or a shovel a spade, I don't care. But this is nonsense.

Contrary to Boyles' suggestion that HB 1325 pertains to illegal immigrants, the bill, as summarized by the Colorado Legislative Council Staff, would establish "the 'Nonimmigrant Agricultural Seasonal Worker Pilot Program' in the Department of Labor and Employment," the purpose of which would be "to expedite the federal H-2A visa certification process so that eligible workers can come to Colorado legally to meet the staffing needs of Colorado farmers and ranchers." The bill contains provisions for the nonimmigrant worker's return to his or her country of origin:

Requires an employer to notify the department and the appropriate local law enforcement agency if an employee cannot be located and has not reported for work as scheduled or be subject to a penalty imposed by the department.

Directs each employer to withhold 20% of the wages of each employee, to be returned by the department upon the employee's return to the country of origin or, if the employee does not return to the country of origin, transferred to the local law enforcement agency of the employer.

Requires each employee to enter into a contract with the department to:

• Allow the department to deposit 20% of the employee's wages into the nonimmigrant agricultural seasonal worker pilot program account;
• Return to his or her country of origin after employment has terminated or his or her H-2A visa is expired; and
• Within 2 weeks of the employee's arrival in Colorado, apply for an identification card issued by the department of revenue.

Requires the department of revenue to include employer identification numbers on the identification cards. Requires the department of labor and employment to maintain a database of identification cards issued to program participants that is accessible to law enforcement officials.

—E.B. & J.F.B.