Spanberger Nixes Immigration Wording From Worker Coercion Bill

A Virginia measure aimed at protecting immigrant workers from wage theft would be revised to more generally ban employer coercion and threats under revisions that Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) proposed to state lawmakers.

The bill that lawmakers sent to Spanberger’s desk (HB 675) would have banned businesses from threatening or coercing employees to abstain from exercising their rights under state wage laws. The legislation specifically addressed threats related to a worker’s or their family’s immigration status.

Spanberger’s proposal removes the references to immigration status.

Lawmakers’ original proposal was part of an effort by Democratic-majority statehouses to protect immigrant ...