http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/printDS/123039

2 GOP senators ask for National Guard at Monday's march
By Howard Fischer
CAPITOL MEDIA SERVICES
PHOENIX — Two Republican senators want Gov. Janet Napolitano to call out the National Guard in anticipation of Monday's marches to protest federal immigration proposals.
A third wants the state to enforce truancy laws against students who skip school to participate. Sen. Jack Harper, R-Surprise, said more than 100,000 people could be involved in the Phoenix march, which is one of several events planned for cities nationwide.
"That could be volatile and could turn violent," Harper said during a floor speech Monday.
"I'm not sure that there are enough police officers to patrol this crowd, should it become a violent issue," Harper continued.
He wants Napolitano to activate Guard troops by Saturday for two days of crowd and safety training, then have them deployed with police officers should extra crowd control help be needed.
Harper said it might also be necessary to have Guard troops in Tucson where a similar, albeit smaller, march is planned for Monday.
Senate Minority Leader Linda Aguirre, D-Phoenix, said the event will be nonviolent, just like an earlier protest more than a week ago where about 20,000 people marched on the Phoenix offices of U.S. Sen. Jon Kyl.
And an aide to the governor called Guard troops "unnecessary." Pati Urias said there is a "coordinated effort" by Phoenix police, Department of Public Safety and Capitol police to prepare for any crowds.
"They are meeting daily to ensure they have the necessary resources and personnel to manage the crowd and have met with organizers of the march," said Urias.
Sen. Dean Martin, R-Phoenix, separately urged schools to crack down on students in any Arizona community who skip school to participate in marches. Martin said he has no problem with youngsters protesting after school or on weekends.
"But if you're skipping school, there should be a penalty for that," he said. "If anyone's to have respect for the law, we need to be enforcing every one of them, even the little ones like truancy."
Martin noted Monday's protest is the same day schools will administer one part of the AIMS test — a test given several times in junior and senior years, which students must pass to graduate. Martin said he wants those schools "not to provide any amnesty for students who choose to walk out on those AIMS tests."