Candidate Plays Role In Arizona Immigration Law
Kris Kobach Running For Kansas Secretary Of State
POSTED: 5:54 pm CDT April 29, 2010
UPDATED: 6:32 pm CDT April 29, 2010

KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- An area lawmaker and Republican candidate for Kansas Secretary of State has had a hand in the controversial Arizona immigration laws passed recently.

KMBC's Micheal Mahoney spoke with UMKC law professor Kris Kobach, who talked about his role in crafting Arizona laws dealing with illegal immigration.

Kobach said he has been involved in four pieces of legislation passed in Arizona and upheld by the courts, starting in 2006. He had a hand in Arizona's human smuggling statue; the law prohibiting illegal aliens from receiving public benefits and an Employers Sanction law. He has also been associated with a conservative Arizona state senator.

"Ever since then I've been working with Arizona state legislators, in particular state Sen. Russell Pearce," said Kobach.

"And I've been working with Maricopa County (Phoenix) officials to help them draft laws that will stand up in court," said Kobach. He said he was "also helping Maricopa County be sure its deputies are working well within the law and their actions will stand up in court."

According to the Lawrence Journal-World, Kobach has a contact with the Maricopa County Sheriff, which allows him to give his input into the department's training.

Kobach said his role in immigration issues would be limited if he wins the election for Kansas Secretary of State – which would make him the state's top election supervisor.

"I don't think it's the Secretary of State's job to lobby for laws outside of what's in the Secretary of State's province," he said.

There could one area where his views on strict immigration laws and election supervision could meet: the issue of voter fraud.

Kobach said, "I think Kansas should follow Arizona's example and should have a law requiring people to prove their citizenship when they register to vote."

http://www.kmbc.com/news/23312317/detail.html