Vote on birthright bill planned for Monday

Feb. 8, 2011 05:33 PM
Associated Press

An Arizona lawmaker said Tuesday he intends to seek a committee vote next week on his challenge to automatic U.S. citizenship for children of illegal immigrants -- even if it means the measure is defeated.

Republican Sen. Ron Gould said he called off a previously expected vote by the Senate Judiciary Committee because he believed the bill would have lost.

Gould, of Lake Havasu City, now plans to seek a vote Monday so voters will know which lawmakers support and oppose the measure.

"We'll play chicken with Republicans that don't want to take a look at this," Gould said.

Supporters of the idea say guaranteed citizenship results in taxpayers covering the costs of services provided to illegal immigrants and their children. Opponents believe the move would be declared unconstitutional.

Gould and other supporters hope the measure will prompt a court interpretation on an element of the 14th Amendment that guarantees citizenship to people born in the U.S. who are "subject to the jurisdiction" of this country.

Supporters of the bill argue the amendment doesn't apply to the children of illegal immigrants because such families don't owe sole allegiance to the U.S.

The bill's sponsors say the goal is to force a court to rule that a child born in the U.S. is a citizen only if either parent is a U.S. citizen or a legal immigrant.

Even if his bill is defeated Monday, Gould said it could be resurrected in future proposals.

Democratic Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Phoenix, an opponent of the bill, said some lawmakers believe the measure would violate the purpose of the 14th Amendment, while others support the idea but feel the measure is either poorly drafted or the wrong way to prompt a challenge.

"I think there may be enough energy to kill this bill," Sinema said.

Gould said he called off Monday's vote at the request of Senate President Russell Pearce, the Legislature's staunchest advocate for cracking down on illegal immigration.

Pearce was the author of the controversial immigration enforcement law that was approved last year by the Legislature.

http://www.azcentral.com/news/election/ ... onday.html