Free Republic

PHOENIX - A House panel voted Monday to unleash state and local law enforcement officers to begin enforcing federal immigration law. The legislation, Senate Bill 1306, would specifically authorize police officers, sheriffs' deputies and Arizona Department of Public Safety employees to "investigate, apprehend, detain or remove aliens in the United States … in the enforcement of immigration laws." The sponsor, Rep. Russell Pearce, R-Mesa, said many communities have what are, in effect, "sanctuary policies" so that people who are here illegally need not fear police. "That is an outrageous policy that simply says we will look the other way, we're...

When Mexico’s Foreign Secretary, Luis Ernesto Derbez made his threats against Arizona on behalf of the illegal aliens invading that state, it was no coincidence that his first plan of attack would involve America’s courts. Derbez thoroughly understands that Arizona’s new law resulted from a ballot initiative, Proposition 200, roundly supported by the voters. Thus it would be difficult to motivate the Arizona Legislature to act in a manner so blatantly in opposition to the will of the people. So Derbez is focusing on the latest and greatest method of thwarting that popular will, and if successful he will have...

An old proverb holds that half a loaf is better than none. But what do you do with less than half a loaf? That’s the problem Arizona voters face when they look at the performance of the 46th Legislature during the spring session. In the Goldwater Institute’s 2003 Legislative Report Card, we find that the Senate and the House of Representatives both scored under 50 percent, meaning that on the whole the legislature cast more bad votes than good ones. Indeed, probability suggests that Arizonans would have been better served if legislators had simply flipped coins on every vote. Based...