Exhale.
That was Governor Napolitano’s suggestion to the Legislature this week after President Bush came forth with his plan to deal with illegal immigration, and Congress continued its debate on the hottest political issue in Arizona.
Linked to a new state budget by the Democrat governor, the Republican-sponsored immigration bill was awaiting a vote in the House after passing the Senate 18-7 on May 16. Ms. Napolitano has said she won’t put her signature on a budget without suitable immigration legislation, but told reporters the Legislature should wait to see what the federal government does on the issue.
“The Legislature needs to take a breath and see what happens in Washington,” she told reporters May 17, the day before she left for Yuma to meet with Mr. Bush, who visited the border city as a follow-up to his plan to use 6,000 National Guard troops at the U.S.-Mexico border.
“We’ll see what the [Arizona] House does,” she said.
That vote was not expected to be held until after May 22. If the bill gets out of the House, where it reportedly has only one or two votes to spare, its fate could decide that of the proposed $9.9 billion budget and thus when the lengthy legislative session can adjourn, and tired lawmakers can hit the campaign trail.
Some Republicans in both chambers aren’t satisfied with the immigration bill and fear it will be vetoed, but say they must support it politically.
“Everyone, myself included, wants the border closed, and they’re tired of waiting for the federal government to do something,” said Rep. Marian McClure, R-30.
She said the $10 million appropriation for the National Guard in the state bill is not enough — that it will cost $30,000 per day for 100 troops.
“Do that math,” she said. “I’m concerned people will think we can put troops on the border for $10 million.”
Ms. McClure said she will support the legislation — even the previously vetoed trespass provision — because her constituents want it, but is telling them it will cost more than what’s appropriated in the bill.
“I will support it, but I have to tell my citizenry that this will cost them millions on their property taxes. There’s no other way,” she said.
Ms. Napolitano, whom Republicans criticize for being tardy on the illegal immigration issue and vetoing separate immigration bills, called for comprehensive immigration legislation, which is contained in H2577, sponsored by Rep. Russell Pearce, R-18. The $160 million proposal includes provisions to permit local and state law enforcement officials to arrest illegal aliens under state trespassing laws and $10 million from the General Fund to send Arizona National Guard troops to the border — both previously vetoed.
The bill also provides for sanctions against employers who knowingly hire workers here illegally, but Democrats say the sanctions are not enforced in the bill.
Governor: Leadership playing
politics with immigration
Ms. Napolitano says there has been no negotiation with her on immigration.
“Legislative leadership — the president and the speaker — both said they wanted to negotiate a bill I would sign,” she said. “They have not negotiated an immigration bill and, moreover, they moved this bill without waiting for the president to illuminate us as to what additional federal resources are coming for our border. It seems to me they’re still playing politics with the immigration issue.”
The governor said the state bill needs to complement, not preempt federal actions.
“At the state level, we should always take the view that if the federal government is putting the resources [on the border], that should go first because once we start spending state money, we’ll never get reimbursed.”
Ms. Napolitano said she expects to get a substantial number of Guard units from other states because Arizona has the most illegal crossings, and she will be in command of troops from other states.
The Guard will be working on drug interdiction, engineering projects, such as fence maintenance and surveillance and maintenance of border cameras, she said. There are about 170 Arizona National Guard troops on the border now.
“The president has obviously taken a difficult stance,” Ms. Napolitano said. “He’s got to get a good bill for the United States and a good bill for Arizona.”
Senate rejects amendments
The state Senate rejected numerous Democrat amendments to toughen penalties for employers, 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-6.
Sen. Bill Brotherton, D-14, said the bill’s employer sanctions were toothless. 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, Mr. Brotherton said. “That’s not fair. That’s not just.”
In all, 15 Democrat floor amendments were disposed of in preliminary voting in the Senate, 11 of them from Mr. Brotherton
“What I have observed is a very unjust and not a very even-handed approach to this immigration issue,” he said. “The reality is the employer sanction aspect of this is going to be probably the single most effective way to deal with this issue, and yet… the majority in this body and the other body has really ignored putting teeth into that sanction area.”
Mr. Martin said Mr. Brotherton wasted more than 25 minutes of the Senate’s time with his amendments and motions for roll call votes.
Mr. Brotherton responded, “You bet we’re going to put it up on the board and point out that type of unjust law being placed on the books.”
“I think Representative Pearce would even accept some of these amendments,” Democrat Leader Linda Aguirre added. “This is the only voice we have.”
The debate then turned rhetorical. Mr. Martin called the Democrat support of more employer sanctions “the new communism.”
Newly appointed Sen. Edward Ableser, D-17, said ignoring the plight of immigrants and religious minorities is “the new fascism.”
Sen. Carolyn Allen, R-8, capped things off by calling for restoration of civility on the floor.
“Is it a guy thing, or what?” she asked.
Ms. Allen and several other 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-3.
House reporter Jim Small and The Associated Press contributed to this article