Posted on 05/16/2006 8:48:28 PM PDT by SandRat
The Arizona Senate on Tuesday approved a sweeping bill which supporters contend would crack down on illegal immigration.
Key elements of the Republican-drafted proposal would pay for sending National Guard troops to the border, criminalize illegal immigrants' presence in Arizona and impose new sanctions on employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants.
The Senate approved the package on a 18-7 vote, attaching its numerous provisions to a House-passed bill on employer sanctions. Senate approval sent the bill (HB2577) back to the House to consider the Senate's changes.
House passage would send it to Democratic Gov. Janet Napolitano, who previously vetoed several bills containing earlier versions of several provisions, including the trespassing change and the National Guard funding.
The Senate acted one day after President Bush announced that he wants to use National Guard troops to support border enforcement.
The GOP-led Senate rejected numerous Democratic amendments to toughen the employer sanctions even though several Republicans sided with Democrats on some of the proposals.
Republicans said the package was a comprehensive approach that targets employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants, bars illegal immigrants from receiving certain public services and provides new laws and funding for law enforcement.
"If this bill does not become law, we will have the continuation of the wink and the nod system," said Sen. Dean Martin, R-Phoenix.
Democratic Sen. Bill Brotherton of Phoenix said the bill's employer sanctions were toothless. "This is not a good start. It's not a good finish," Brotherton said.
While there's no hammer to hit employers who falsely swear they've complied with hiring laws, an illegal immigrant who signs something falsely would be guilty of a felony, Brotherton said. "That's not fair. That's not just."
Several Republicans said they didn't much like the bill. But, "half a loaf is better than no loaf at all," said Sen. Ron Gould, R-Lake Havasu City.
Border PING
ping for later
ping
Poor Arizona. They have been trying to pass strict border control legislation for so long. Janet "skirt chaser" Napolitano is always standing in the way of anything that will be truly effective. She's up for re-election this November - hopefully AZ residents will do the right thing.
I'll do my part by voting for Goldwater.
She is on the Demonrat list of possible presidates
Brother Janet makes big pronouncements and the Bolshevik media collude and conspire from there. She/he/it wink winks and they repeat every canard. Then when nothing is deliberately done to follow the grand pronouncements, the press either doesn't report it or gives only her/he/it's side.
Arizona has been overrun by imbeciles fleeing the California septic tank hoping to fill our state with new and fresher feces this time.
Thank you JR. Now to get Jihadi Janet to sign it.
If only Bush and the national GOP would adopt this, they would be at 60% in the polls, instead, they do a sellout.
And the GOP will pay this November.
Well, if so, guess we'll all be paying... and paying, and paying.
All this while Ill. (?) is providing them with more and more freebies.
If border states can crack down on it, why can't Washington?
hopefully they will get rid of some of the sh*tbird republicans that won't toughen up against those maggot businessmen who hire these people too.
I don't blame people for wanting to come here for a better life. But I blame the hell out of their enablers.
What do you think the chances of her actually signing this into law are?
Just curious.
Bet she vetos it
Republicans said the package was a comprehensive approach that targets employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants, bars illegal immigrants from receiving certain public services and provides new laws and funding for law enforcement
Do you find these statements confusing or am I misreading? Was the GOP instrumental in passing legislation targeting employers AFTER the dems forced their hand?
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