Arizona lawmakers mull automatic citizenship bill

By JACQUES BILLEAUD
The Associated Press
Feb 7, 2011
Phoenix, AZ

The Arizona lawmaker who proposed a challenge to automatic U.S. citizenship for children of illegal immigrants called off a scheduled vote on his measure Monday because he didn’t have enough votes yet to get it out of committee.

But Republican Sen. Ron Gould of Lake Havasu City said his bill is not dead. Calling off a vote in committee does not prevent lawmakers from bringing up their proposals for a vote again.

Gould is hoping the measure will prompt a court interpretation on an element of the 14th Amendment, which guarantees citizenship to people born in the U.S. who are “subject to the jurisdictionâ€