Thread: Napolitano immigration veto could be big campaign issue

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Napolitano immigration veto could be big campaign issue

The Business Journal of Phoenix - 1:12 PM MST Friday
by Mike Sunnucks

The Business Journal

Gov. Janet Napolitano has vetoed a record number of bills during her first term in office. However, her veto this week of an immigration package that included fines against employers who hire illegals and money for border security could be the most politically perilous of that lengthy list.

The GOP will make immigration and the vetoes a top issue in their efforts to unseat Napolitano in November, arguing she is impeding state efforts to better secure the porous Mexican border.

The Democratic governor nixed a Republican immigration bill earlier this week, arguing the employer sanctions aspect allowed scofflaws to get off the hook if they simply fired undocumented workers and that a provision that allows local police to arrest illegals for trespassing would overly burden local law enforcement agencies.

The vetoed GOP bill would have also allocated more than $150 million to implement ground radar along the border, help local law enforcement with issues related to illegal immigration and the state to go after employers who hire illegals. Arizona is a top entry point for undocumented immigrants and drug cartels illegally entering the U.S. from Mexico.

Republicans -- including House Speaker Jim Weiers, state Senate President Ken Bennett and gubernatorial challenger Len Munsil -- are highly critical of Napolitano's veto. Bennett and Weiers defended the employer sanctions provisions, saying they would fine and sometimes revoke the licenses of businesses caught hiring illegals. The two stressed that the trespassing measure would allow police to detain illegals on trespassing charges if they involved in other crimes.

Both the governor's office and Republicans accuse the other side of being more interested in politics.

Napolitano also opposed a successful 2004 ballot question denying some state welfare benefits to illegal immigrants; previously supported the idea of allowing illegals to get state driver's licenses and opposes the idea of constructing expansive fences and security walls along the border.

The governor does support immigration plans put forward by President Bush and Arizona Sen. John McCain, both Republicans. Those plans include a guest worker program, and the use of the National Guard in a support role at the border.

Democrats hope to make gains on the immigration issue with Hispanics and moderates who may be turned off by harder-line border and immigration stances favored by some conservative Republicans.

Immigration is almost certain to be a top issue in the governor's race as well as key congressional contests and the U.S. Senate race between incumbent Republican Jon Kyl and Democrat Jim Pederson.

She is determined to not allow Arizona to be left behind in the Azlan movement.