Posted on 02/07/2006 5:07:35 PM PST by axes_of_weezles
House bill funds Guard border duty
Puts $10M in budget for governor to send troops to stop illegal crossers
By Howard Fischer
Capitol Media Services
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 02.07.2006
PHOENIX — Unwilling to wait for federal help, a House panel voted unanimously Monday to use state tax money to deploy the National Guard along Arizona's southern border.
The proposal would put $10 million into the budget for Gov. Janet Napolitano to mobilize at least some of the state's 4,000 Guard troops.
The bipartisan move comes a month after the governor offered to have Guard troops along the border — but only if the Department of Defense picks up the cost. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has yet to respond to her request.
That measure is not as far-reaching as another, also approved Monday by the House Committee on Federal Mandates and Property Rights.
It would require the governor to call out Guard troops the next time she declares an emergency along the border. That's something she didn't do last August when she ordered $1.7 million be made available to local and tribal governments to deal with the effects of illegal border crossing, like crime, but with no funds to actually slow immigration.
Rep. Russell Pearce, R-Mesa, said the $10 million will help show whether the governor is really serious about deploying more troops in anything more than a support role.
There are currently fewer than 200 Guard troops along the border in what the governor has portrayed as a "support" role. Napolitano vowed in her State of the State speech last month to expand not only the number of troops, but also to put them in a more active role, including doing vehicle inspections at the border and even operating as "roving patrols." But all that is contingent on the Department of Defense picking up the cost. "She promised and said money was the obstacle," said Pearce.
"We have a (budget) surplus," he continued. "Let's use part of that surplus to deal with the No. 1 issue." House Speaker Jim Weiers agreed. "This is something we need to take action on, not just get headlines." Rep. Tom Prezelski, D-Tucson, while voting to provide funds for the use of National Guard troops, opposed the mandatory call-up in cases of emergency along the border. He said sometimes an emergency needs to be declared for other reasons.
"The solution to every problem isn't to find someone with a gun to shoot somebody else," he said. But Rep. Gary Pierce, R-Mesa, said if the governor believes there really is an emergency along the border she should call out the Guard, rather than "giving lip service" to the goal of protecting the border. Those proposals were only part of a package of bills approved by the committee Monday in launching a multifront attack on the problem of people crossing the border illegally.
The panel also agreed to let state and local police stop, question and arrest illegal entrants. Another is designed to make life more difficult for those not in this country legally, with provisions ranging from making it illegal for landlords to rent to them to disqualifying them from workers' compensation benefits if they are injured on the job.
Still another provides $50 million to secure the border, including $20 million to the state Department of Public Safety.
And committee members also agreed, without dissent, to penalize companies that knowingly hire undocumented workers.
That measure also allows legal residents who are fired ahead of someone not here legally to go to court to get rehired with back pay. And state agencies would have to conduct routine audits of companies that hold state licenses to ensure they are hiring only U.S. citizens and lawful residents.
Next week, the same committee will review bills to deny other services to people here illegally, including subsidized child care, adult education and resident tuition at state universities and community colleges. Republican legislators are not counting on the measures surviving the political process — and possible vetoes by the Democratic governor, who rejected similar bills last year. So some are crafting an alternative course to bypass the governor and a possible veto and take many of these issues directly to voters.
The Pew Center for Hispanic Studies estimated in 2004 — the most recent figures available — that there were more than 500,000 people in this state who crossed the border illegally. That amounts to close to one out of every 12 state residents.
Ping
is Bush AWOL on this?
"Will George?"
Did you hear his SOTU speech? No.
He showed his colors with a firm resolve, as if Rove convinced him he'll look "compassionate" against the meanies. He used the code word "immigrants" without the "illegal" modifier, to paint his opponents racist.
Why should the states be funding National Guard to be doing what DHS/Customs/INS/ICE should be doing?
Someone has to. When individuals volunteer the Presidente calls them vigilantes.
If the states fund it, who is going to stop them?
Meer-uk-kal!!! Thank you for the ping :)
Why is it that Arizona's actions are not being copied by the federal government? What is exactly so difficult about this issue?
It goes against the post-nationalist agenda.
I say "yipee!"
This could be a real start! If just one state starts the ball rolling then it could really catch on:)
:)
Butch is on record as willing to do this if the fed's pay.
Well the Pubbies, and Rats (as it appears) look like they are willing to fund the personnel costs to activate some the Guard.
She wont be able to pander any more. She will have the money and will actually have to _ACT_ when she calls an "emergency".
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