Thread: Gov. won't change approach to immigration issue

Gov. won't change approach to immigration issue

http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/hourlyupdate/155077.php

Tucson, Arizona
11.08.2006

PHOENIX -- Gov. Janet Napolitano said she won't change the way she approaches the issue of illegal immigration despite voters effectively overriding two of her vetoes on the issue.

More than 70 percent of Arizonans who cast ballots decided that Arizona law should deny adult education classes and subsidized child care to those not in this country legally. The margin of victory on that is larger than

Napolitano's win over Republican Len Munsil.

Proposition 300 also says students who are not citizens or legal U.S. residents have to pay the higher tuition charged by state universities and community colleges to out-of-state residents.

Napolitano had vetoed that measure, specifically calling the tuition provision unfair.

And by an even wider margin, voters also approved Proposition 103 to declare English the state's official language -- a measure also rejected by Napolitano.

Lawmakers put both measures on the ballot following her vetoes.
Voters also adopted two other measures that never made it to her desk: Denying bail to people accused of certain crimes if they are here illegally, and saying that illegal immigrants are ineligible to collect punitive damages in lawsuits.

Napolitano, however, said she does not consider any of the votes a rejection of her policies.

"They expressed their opinion," she said. "And I disagree."

Napolitano said voters "are going to disagree with me from time to time."
"At least they know where I stand," she continued. "I know where they stand. I will carry out their wishes."

But Napolitano, who has argued for only a limited role for the state in dealing with border crossers, said the votes will not change how she deals with the issue in the next four years.

"I'm going to continue to insist that we get fundamental immigration reform from the U.S. Congress, that we get Washington monies out here as opposed to Arizona taxpayer monies ... to keep the focus on the federal government," she said.

Napolitano vetoed several border related measures last session, saying some are an unfair burden on state resources while others do not go far enough. She has particularly pushed for sanctions against employers who knowingly hire undocumented workers, saying that is a key to drying up the flow of people across the border.

House Speaker Jim Weiers said Republicans intend to pursue border security measures. And he said the GOP also is willing to pursue employer sanctions if they can be enacted in a fair manner -- and if it can also gain the blessing of the business community.

That could prove difficult: The Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry fought against any type of state penalties for employers, saying this is a federal issue. Weiers defended seeking business input before enacting any new state law.

"You work with all parties," he said. "You get the input in finding out what does work."

The measure finally adopted by the Legislature last year not only required the state to prove that a company knowingly hired an undocumented worker but also gave the firm 10 days to dismiss the employee.

Napolitano rejected that measure -- actually passed as part of a more comprehensive plan -- saying it amounted to amnesty for lawbreakers.
Weiers said federal law limits what states can do about employers who hire people not in this country legally.

I'm not surprised. She did the same with Prop. 200.