Los Angeles County, of all places, may require its contractors to use E-Verify. Considering that the rule requiring federal contractors to use the system is set to go into effect in a couple of weeks, and that one in four new hires nationwide is being verified this way, it’s about time.

In other good news about E-Verify, the U.S. District Court in Maryland has swatted down the U.S. Chamber of Commerce lawsuit to prevent implementation of the federal-contractor rule. The ruling’s not online yet, but I especially liked this plain-English rejoinder by the court to the Chamber of Commerce claim that use of E-Verify can’t be mandatory: “The Court agrees that the decision to be a government contractor is voluntary and that no one has a right to be a government contractor. Though Executive Order 13,465 and the Final Rule require government contracts to contain a clause regarding use of E-Verify, potential government contractors have the option not to contract with the government.” They do indeed.