Lawmaker Calls for Stricter Illegal Worker Law

State Representative John Galloway, a Democrat from Bucks County, is offering legislation that would require employers to be more responsible for who they hire. House Bill 2202 would make employer's verify their worker's eligibility through the E-Verify Program run by the Department of Homeland Security. The measure would also punish those employers who knowingly violate the bill through revocation of licensing and registrations to conduct business in Pennsylvania. Moreover, the bill would disallow government entities from contracting any company that does not comply with the law. Galloway says that in these tough economic times the government must do everything it can to ensure that legal Pennsylvania citizens have the opportunity for a secure job. Galloway's bill was modeled after the Legal Arizona Workers Act which has survived federal court challenge.

253 Immigrants Take Oath of Allegiance

In a ceremony commemorating Pittsburgh's 250th Anniversary, 253 immigrants from 63 different countries were sworn in as U.S. citizens today at the Soldier's and Sailor's Memorial in Oakland. The ceremony was an official Federal Court Proceeding with Honorable Judge Donetta Ambrose presiding and administering the Oath of Allegiance. Lisa Tragni, an Italian immigrant who now lives in Pittsburgh, says she is excited to become a citizen to have her right to vote in the upcoming election. Many of the immigrants became citizens for their spouses or other family members who already had citizenship within the states. The general feeling among the immigrants was that of happiness and relief at completing the long naturalization process.