| Home |
| Search |
| Today's Posts |
|
#1
March 18th 11, 10:39 AM
posted to alt.politics.obama,or.politics,rec.radio.shortwave
|
|||
|
|||
Arizona Senate Rejects Anti-Immigration Bills
On Fri, 18 Mar 2011 00:21:28 -0700, Gregg
wrote: Arizona won't be leading a national push for the U.S. Supreme Court to strip citizenship status from children of illegal immigrants - at least not this year. That's a damn shame! The state Senate voted down a package of birthright-citizenship bills, with Republicans split over the measures and Democrats opposed. Four other significant Senate immigration measures also failed. Those bills would have banned illegal immigrants from state universities, made it a crime for illegal immigrants to drive a vehicle in Arizona, required school districts to check the legal status of students, and required hospitals to check the legal status of patients. The debate Thursday was emotional on both sides. Although there is a slight chance that some of the measures could return this session as amendments to unrelated bills or that lawmakers could seek a revote, it seemed more likely that the issues would not return this legislative session or would go directly to voters. Citizenship effort Senate Bills 1308 and 1309 would have defined children as citizens of Arizona and the U.S. if at least one of their parents was either a U.S. citizen or a legal permanent U.S. resident. Arizona was one of more than a dozen states where lawmakers promised to push through legislation targeting birthright citizenship. Their hope was to trigger a legal review that would change the current Supreme Court interpretation that the 14th Amendment grants citizenship to anyone born in the U.S., including the children of illegal immigrants. Those efforts in most states have stalled. Reasons offered for the bills' failure in Arizona varied. Sen. Steve Yarbrough, R-Chandler, said the state should be focused on its budget and not on a divisive issue that puts Arizona in a bad light. He said he didn't believe the bills would accomplish their larger goal. Sen. Steve Gallardo, D-Phoenix, said the bills would be bad for business. "As we continue to try and improve Arizona's economy, to try and bring in new businesses to the state of Arizona, these types of legislation are not helping us move the economy forward," Gallardo said. Sen. Paula Aboud, D-Tucson, called the measures "morally reprehensible." "This bill would create a two-tiered system, a system of discrimination that says some children born in this country have different rights than other children born in this country," Aboud said. "I do not believe that is the American way." Senate President Russell Pearce, R-Mesa, who authored last year's SB 1070 and has been working on the issue of birthright citizenship for years, said he was disappointed. He said he believes polls indicating that Americans support strengthening immigration enforcement, "yet apparently we are not going to give them the chance to do that." He and the bill's sponsor, Sen. Ron Gould, R-Lake Havasu City, questioned how Republican lawmakers who voted no will be able to face voters. "Arizona supports these laws. They expect us to stand up and do what's right," Pearce said. "It's about time we recognize who we work for." Reporting rules SB 1405 would have required hospitals to check an individual's legal status and notify law enforcement if they suspected an individual was in the country illegally. SB 1407 would have required school districts to collect data on the number of students who were illegal immigrants. Sen. Nancy Barto, R-Phoenix, said the cost of uncompensated care provided by Arizona's hospitals is huge, but she said she did not believe SB 1405 was the way to solve it. "It would have a more negative impact on our business community and the citizenry and the rights of Arizona and U.S. citizens, and you have to balance that," Barto said. "How much regulation are we going to put on private businesses?" Senate Minority Leader David Schapira, D-Tempe, said the effects of deterring students from an education would be greater than any benefit. "What is the cost to our future as a state and a country when we pass legislation that says we will no longer educate?" he asked. Migration omnibus Pearce's SB 1611 addressed a wide variety of issues. It would have banned illegal immigrants from attending state universities and community colleges and from getting federal benefits. It would have made it a crime for illegal immigrants to drive in Arizona and required proof of legal status to enroll a child in a public school. Sen. John McComish, R-Phoenix, cited a letter that 60 Arizona chief executives sent to lawmakers this week asking them to stop the measures because they would hurt business. McComish said that Republicans' plan for the session focused on the economy, and he argued that they should stay the course. "These immigration bills are a distraction," he said. "They could be a detriment to the growth of our economy, and they are something people don't want us to be focused on. It's time for us to take a timeout on immigration." Pearce disagreed. "I stand on the side of citizens, not a bunch of businessmen that write me a letter," he said. Sen. Sylvia Allen, R-Snowflake, voted against the bill. She said attention should instead be focused on the border. Gallardo attacked the measure barring illegal immigrants from access to higher education. "We are no longer going after human smugglers. We are no longer going after employers," he said. "We are now going after the youth and their future. What state makes it illegal to go to college?" What's next There is a slight possibility the measures could return this session. They could be proposed as an amendment to an unrelated bill still working its way through the Legislature. Or one of the senators who voted "no" on the bills could ask for a revote. It's more likely the measures would return as proposed legislation next session, something Gould said he would consider. He also said he may try to take the measures to voters. The issue could be placed on the ballot by the Legislature through a later vote or could be taken up as a citizens initiative. Gov. Jan Brewer could also have a plan of her own. Earlier Thursday, Brewer stopped short of expressing support for the immigration measures but said illegal immigration is an important topic for the state and something that the "public wants us to look at." After the bills were defeated, her spokesman, Matthew Benson, said the governor will be working with legislative leaders on the "best ways that the state can lessen the negative effects of illegal immigration upon our neighborhoods and communities." Benson declined to provide specifics but said illegal immigration will "remain a major topic this legislative session." http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepu...11/03/18/20110 318xgr-immigration0318.html |
| Reply |
| Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
| Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads
|
||||
| Thread | Forum | |||
| SCOTUS Rejects Obama Citizenship Suit | Shortwave | |||
| This is what happens when you don't pay your bills! | Shortwave | |||
| DAVEMADE, BILLS 2 WAY next in the AKC rat-out pipeline! | CB | |||
Linear Mode
