Posted on 04/18/2006 10:18:22 AM PDT by BradtotheBone
Gov. Janet Napolitano vetoed a bill that would have criminalized the presence of illegal immigrants in Arizona, citing opposition from police agencies that want immigration arrests to remain the responsibility of the federal government.
The proposal would have expanded the state's trespassing law to let local authorities arrest illegal immigrants anywhere in Arizona, the nation's busiest illegal entry point. Congress also had considered criminalizing the presence of illegal immigrants in the country.
In a letter to lawmakers, Napolitano said she opposes automatically turning all immigrants who sneaked into the state into criminals and that the bill provided no funding for the new duties.
"It is unfortunate that the Legislature has once again ignored the officials who are most directly affected by illegal immigration and instead has passed yet another bill that will have no effect on the problem but that will impose an unfunded burden on law enforcement," Napolitano wrote Monday.
Supporters said the bill would have given Arizona a chance to get a handle on its vast border problems by providing a second layer of enforcement to catch the tens of thousands of immigrants who slip past federal agents each year.
Republican Sen. Barbara Leff of Paradise Valley, who proposed the bill, said the governor has painted herself as tough on illegal immigration by declaring a state of emergency at Arizona's border, but has taken little action to back up her rhetoric.
"I don't think the governor wants to do anything about this problem," Leff said. She said the bill would have been a means to detain illegal immigrants until federal agents can pick them up.
The Democratic governor, accused by her Republican critics of being soft on immigration, has vetoed other immigration bills from the GOP- majority Legislature within the past year, including a proposal to give police the power to enforce federal immigration laws.
While immigrants provide the economy with cheap labor, Arizona spends tens of millions of dollars each year in health care and education costs for illegal workers and their families. An estimated 500,000 of the state's population of about 6 million are illegal immigrants.
So if I make a machine that replaces ten workers, I have depressed wages and need to make restitution.
Exactly.
I agree, but you need to make the illegal make restitution, not the employer. If I hire a babysitter who after leaving my house, cuts her finger and goes to the er and does not pay, do I have to make restitution ?
Your arguments are without merit.
So if I have a citizen employee who does not have auto insurance, the police should come and arrest me.
depends on if were you replacing illegal workers.
You sure do! My sympathies! Do you see any chance of her being defeated in November? BTW -- I prefer the term "Heinous Harridan"!
read post 82, 84, 85 and see if you still agree with kelli
Well there is Blago in Illinois...
My brother in Phoenix will not bid a job for less than $25.00 an hour and he has all the work he can handle.
Been reading them all. Your position is to justify employers who illegally hire illegals. Your position also justifies illegals working.
I haven't seen you do anything but dismiss the REAL and extremely detrimental effects to and in our society because of mass law-breaking, as pointed out very well by Kellis91789.
Conversely, to argue that there hasn't been and isn't such ill effects is dishonest, at best.
Gov. Janet Napolitano vetoed a bill that would have criminalized the presence of illegal immigrants in Arizona, citing opposition from police agencies that want immigration arrests to remain the responsibility of the federal government.
Are the Repubs too scared to propose a bill that punishes businesses?
Another useless Democrat Politician. All tough talk but no action
Now during the election run-up this can be used against her, to counter her fake "tough on immigration" stance.
That's what this was about. Giving Don Goldwater a stick to beat her with.
She's a total fraud. What a surprise.
That was the idea.
I fear that if a natural disaster struck Arizona, Napolitano would be about as cool of a head as old Blanche du Blanco.
Why do I get the feeling that your tagline is sarcasm?
He wasn't just "some guy", he was the dude that was the driving force behind Ranch Rescue, up there with Gilchrist and Simcox in popularity, now silenced by the heavy hand of the courts. Casey Nethercott was the name, and the expropriation of the property occurred in Texas, I'm ashamed to say.
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