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AZ Senate Rejects Five Immigration Bills

By Jeralyn, Section Civil Liberties
Posted on Fri Mar 18, 2011 at 08:25:22 AM EST
Tags: Arizona, immigrants rights (all tags)
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Did the efforts to boycott Arizona have some impact? The answer is yes. After passing the deplorable SB 1070, yesterday the Arizona Senate defeated five new restrictive immigration bills.

One bill would have denied citizenship to children of undocumented residents (not a chance it would have passed a judicial challenge if enacted.) The others bills would:

  • Require hospitals to make an effort to determine if the people they are treating are here legally.
  • Restrict the registration of vehicles to only legal residents.
  • Bar admission into state universities and community colleges to anyone who cannot prove citizenship or legal residency.

Other provisions in the bills would have required cities to evict all residents of a public housing unit if just one resident is undocumented, required parents to show proof of citizenship or lawful presence when enrolling a child in school, and made it a crime for an undocumented resident to drive in Arizona.

Republicans voting against the bill said the boycott had an effect. [More...]

At least some of the Republicans who voted against the package said they were swayed by opposition from the business community. That campaign culminated earlier this week with a letter to legislators citing a boycott and hit to Arizona's economy from passage of last year's SB 1070, which gave police more power to arrest illegal immigrants. They argued that new moves in this direction would further slow economic development.

"It's something that the people don't want us to be focusing on," said Sen. John McComish, R-Phoenix. He also said the whole debate over illegal immigration has become a "distraction"' from more important issues like the budget, crime and health care.

Republican Governor Jan Brewer refused to oppose the bills. She really needs to go.

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    AZ Senate Rejects Five Immigration Bills | 6 comments (6 topical)

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    Seriously (none / 0) (#1)
    by jbindc on Fri Mar 18, 2011 at 09:15:56 AM EST
    He also said the whole debate over illegal immigration has become a "distraction"' from more important issues like the budget, crime and health care.

    He's absolutely right, here.  Why are they wasting time on bills that will never survive judicial scrutiny and are just a waste of the taxpayers' money they purport to want to save?

    Why? Because (none / 0) (#3)
    by Peter G on Fri Mar 18, 2011 at 01:02:57 PM EST
    the sponsors believe that it stirs up their base and helps them win elections.  That's all they care about, not good public policy, or even legality.

    Parent
    I know (none / 0) (#6)
    by jbindc on Fri Mar 18, 2011 at 01:37:26 PM EST
    Just wishful thinking on their part.  

    Maybe the Dems need to adopt the Republicans' mantra of  "Wasting Taxpayer Dollars!"

    Parent

    Because It's Usually... (none / 0) (#4)
    by ScottW714 on Fri Mar 18, 2011 at 01:03:12 PM EST
    ... those types of bills that get them re-elected.  

    "So it didn't get passed, but at least he has the B to stand up against Mexicans who are ruing this country" - My feeble attempt to think like a racist.

    Plus of course, bills for jobs and crime and budgets are a hell of a lot harder to draft, they actually require some intelligence, a lot of hard work, studies, and hardcore politicking.  

    Hate bills only require visceral instinct and grandstanding, the very things republicans love to do.

    Parent

    A boycott's effect (none / 0) (#2)
    by christinep on Fri Mar 18, 2011 at 11:41:42 AM EST
    A textbook lesson, perhaps? Fascinating that some of the Repubs acknowledged being "swayed" by the business community there...an example of when "money talks" against the moneybags & in favor of the consumer. Nice to read this boycott result.

    Sometimes Capitalism Works (none / 0) (#5)
    by ScottW714 on Fri Mar 18, 2011 at 01:06:15 PM EST
    Just bothers me to no end that only money can sway certain individuals to do the right thing.

    Parent
    AZ Senate Rejects Five Immigration Bills | 6 comments (6 topical)

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