Filing of birthright citizenship bills set for Thursday

Rep. John Kavanagh (File Photo)

Sponsors of legislation targeting automatic citizenship granted to U.S.-born children of illegal immigrants say they plan to formally introduce their bills in the Arizona House and Senate on Thursday.

Republican Sen. Ron Gould of Lake Havasu City said he and Republican Rep. John Kavanagh of Fountain Hills agreed on a day for each to introduce the legislation but Gould said that timetables for consideration of the bills by the separate chambers will diverge at that point.

Gould is the Senate Judiciary Committee’s chairman and he said he expects the committee will consider his bill in early February.

Meanwhile, Kavanagh indicated that House action on his bill might wait for approval of a new state budget.