|
AZ Governor Vetoes 2 Immigration Bills
Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano vetoed two proposals Friday aimed at confronting the state's immigration problems, rejecting bills that would have prohibited illegal immigrants from receiving child care assistance and given police the power to enforce federal immigration laws.The Democratic governor said the police-powers proposal would not have provided any additional money to fund the new duties, saying it would cost city officials $19 million in Phoenix, the nation's hub for transporting illegal workers. The other bill would have prohibited illegal immigrants from attending adult education classes, receiving child care assistance and paying cheaper in-state tuition status at public universities. ''While I agree that public programs should not be available to those who consciously decide to come here illegally, this bill goes too far by punishing even longtime residents of this state who were brought here as small children by their parents,'' the governor wrote. Arizona has been dogged by a heavy flow of illegal immigrants since the government tightened enforcement in El Paso, Texas, and San Diego during the mid-1990s. While immigrants provide the economy with cheap labor, Arizona and other states shoulder huge health care and education costs for illegal workers and their families. Republican Rep. Tom Boone, sponsor of the immigrant-restriction bill, said it's wrong to let immigrant students take advantage of in-state tuition when out-of-state students who are legal citizens must pay more to attend college in Arizona. ''The illegal immigrant has in Governor Napolitano (his or her) best friend in the state,'' Boone said. Supporters of the police-powers proposal said state and local law enforcement agencies need to get rid of ''sanctuary policies'' that, in some cases, discourage or prohibit officers from inquiring about a person's immigration status. Many police agencies rejected the idea, saying a massive undertaking would detract from the traditional roles police have in protecting communities from crime. Also Friday, the governor signed into law a bill that bars local governments from putting taxpayer money into day labor centers that help illegal immigrants find work. Posted by: too true 2005-05-21 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=119695 |