Governor speaks to La Raza
Gov. Rick Perry sounded some familiar themes in a speech today at the National Council of La Raza conference in San Antonio.
Some of the governor's remarks were aimed at appealing to nearly 2,000 audience members who sat waiting to hear about his positions on immigration reform, Arizona's controversial law and raising the quality of life for Latinos.
After hitting his typical points by touting job creation and the state's economic standing, Perry briefly touched on the new Arizona law that has been criticized by some who say it encourages racial profiling and discrimination.
He said the law "may be right for Arizona but it ain't exactly right for Texas."
The comment drew applause from attendees though Perry did not specifically say what part of the law was not "exactly right" for the state. He also did not make any promises to veto similar legislation in the state.
Perry repeated his criticism of the federal government's approach to border security. He said Texas has invested in keeping its residents safe from spillover violence because the federal government failed in its duty.
And, he said, the federal government's failure to secure the border is the reason states like Arizona have taken on immigration policy.
"Until America secures the border, a rational debate on immigration policy is not going to happen," Perry said
The governor talked about the state's business climate and economic achievements in recent years, and he seemed to take a jab at his Democratic opponent Bill White.
"This isn't rocket science," Perry said. "When it comes to keeping this state going and keeping the economy of Texas happening, you don't have to have a degree in economics or a degree in public policy from, what is it, Harvard."
White, who will speak to the group Monday, graduated from Harvard University with a degree in economics before earning his law degree at the University of Texas at Austin.
