Posted: Wednesday, February 3, 2016 12:51 pm | Updated: 1:05 pm, Wed Feb 3, 2016.

PHOENIX (AP) — Republican lawmakers want stiffer penalties for Arizona cities that skirt federal immigration laws and for immigrants who break the law while in the country illegally.

A Senate committee passed the pair of measures Wednesday as the latest foray by the Republican-controlled Legislature into immigration policies.

A previous effort, SB 1070, launched protests and lawsuits with its provision requiring police to try and determine the immigration status of people during routine stops.

Sen. Steve Smith, R-Maricopa, said he sponsored the current bills to ensure that everyone is following the letter of the law.

Sen. Lupe Contreras, D-Avondale, was the only Latino on the committee and the only member to vote against both measures.

"We need to fight for the rights of every person good, bad or indifferent," Contreras said. "When we start classifying certain laws to do certain things to certain individuals, I can't stand for it."

The committee passed a measure requiring judges to sentence people to the fullest possible term in jail or prison for new crimes when they've already violated immigration laws.

Smith said the bill came in response to a case from last year in which an immigrant who entered the country illegally and was out on bail for a separate crime shot and killed a 21-year-old convenience store employee over a pack of cigarettes.

Smith says his proposal is designed to ensure that people who already broke immigration laws are penalized if they violate state laws.

Contreras said the measure could violate the Constitution's equal protection clause, but Smith countered that immigrants who are in the country illegally do not have equal protections under law.

"People who are not citizens of this country are not afforded the same rights as our citizens," Smith said. "You can like that or you can not like that. I don't care. That is the law."

Another bill by the Maricopa lawmaker would take state shared revenue from any municipality that enacts sanctuary city policies benefiting immigrants. Such polices are already illegal in Arizona as a result of SB 1070, but Smith's bill adds penalties.

"All we are saying is, 'if you can't follow the law you aren't going to get paid,'" Smith said.

The measure defines a sanctuary city as any municipality that limits federal authorities from enforcing immigration laws and violates application requirements for public benefits that require proof of citizenship.

Dale Wiebusch, who lobbies for the League of Arizona Cities and Towns, said the state does not currently have any sanctuary cities.

Still, the measure could affect Phoenix if it enacts a city-issued ID program that would allow residents, including immigrants who have entered the country illegally, to receive banking services, report crimes and get a library card.

The measure might also affect Tucson based on a 2014 policy by a former police chief who said officers will only check the immigration status of suspects who have prior serious felony convictions, gang affiliations or pose a national security threat.

The Tucson Police Department did not immediately return requests for comment.

The Senate Public Safety, Military and Technology Committee passed Senate Bill 1377 on a 5-1 vote and Senate Bill 1378 on a 4-1 vote with Sen. Barbara McGuire, D-Kearny, not voting on the second measure.

The proposals will now undergo a standard constitutional review before going to a Senate vote.

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