Citizens initiative divides GOP
State party opposes push for stricter employer sanctions
Matthew Benson
The Arizona Republic
Aug. 3, 2007 12:00 AM
http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/ ... 0803.html#

State Rep. Russell Pearce and the Arizona Republican Party were on the verge of producing a YouTube video this week when Pearce balked at a line in the script he was asked to read.

The state GOP wanted Pearce, one of the state's leading voices against illegal immigration, to tout his support for Arizona's new law against the hiring of illegal labor.

But it also wanted him to oppose any initiatives or other efforts that would affect the new law, the most notable of which is an even stricter initiative for the 2008 ballot. Pearce backed out at the eleventh hour.

"Mr. Pearce apparently got cold feet on that," state GOP spokesman Brett Mecum told The Republic. "We pulled the plug."

The party is nonetheless going ahead with its opposition to the initiative, including a resolution by one of its consultants that was to be proposed to the Maricopa County GOP on Thursday night.

But the YouTube failure underscores the political strain and sensitivities at play with the employer-sanctions issue, especially within the Republican Party. The new law spurred an immediate lawsuit and not-so-subtle campaign threats against its supporters from big-moneyed business interests.

The citizens initiative is inspiring even more political heartburn. A striking political dynamic has resulted, personified by the opposition of state GOP Chairman Randy Pullen to an initiative supported by many of the same people who put him in power earlier this year.

The strange saga began last month when Democratic Gov. Janet Napolitano surprised many politicos by signing into law House Bill 2779. Considered the nation's toughest, the law revokes the business license of any employer found to have twice in three years knowingly hired an undocumented worker. It takes effect Jan. 1.

Now, some of the GOP standard-bearers who applauded that measure are opposing, and in some cases working against, the competing citizens initiative.

"I don't like the idea of the threat of the initiative out there," said House Speaker Jim Weiers, a Phoenix Republican. "I'm not in favor of it."

The initiative, led by former gubernatorial candidate Don Goldwater, would revoke violators' business license on a first offense.

That prospect, especially since the measure would be much more difficult to amend once passed, frightens even some members of the get-tough border crowd.

The Arizona Republican Party is opposing the initiative, as well as any other measures that would impact HB 2779. So are Weiers and Sen. Bob Burns, a Peoria Republican who helped craft the language of the new law.

Said Mecum, "We would prefer to let (HB) 2779 work before putting anything else out there."

That's also the gist of a resolution that Republican consultant Constantin Querard planned to propose at a meeting of Maricopa County GOP officials Thursday night.

"I've heard that from people in the party. I've heard that from lawmakers. I've heard that from activists," said Querard, who's helping the state Republican Party with candidate recruitment and other campaign issues. "We don't want someone to screw with (HB) 2779. It's a good bill."

Pearce, a key initiative backer who also was instrumental in the new law, conceded that the pressure against the initiative is real.

"I'm a little reluctant to back away from (the initiative) at this point," said the Mesa Republican.

But Goldwater and his supporters are pushing ahead. They're distrustful of talk of a special session to tweak the new law, doubtful it'll go into effect as promised and wary of an already-filed legal challenge.

In short, they view their initiative as a hedge against a government with a long history of inaction on illegal immigration.

"We do not have faith that the law passed by the Legislature will actually reach fruition and be put into place," said Phoenix Republican activist Rob Haney.

Goldwater seconded those concerns and noted a pending lawsuit that seeks an injunction against the law ever taking effect. For now, signature gathering continues. He likes his chances at next year's ballot.

And he offered this slap at the state GOP, which under Pullen has been an immigration ally until this issue: "I'm surprised the state Republican Party thinks it owns this issue. They don't. It crosses party lines."