Immigration Clearinghouse

40,000 Emails Sent to AZ Legislators Opposing Anti-Immigrant Measures

Now Two Years in a Row-No anti-immigrant bills pass!
Arizona’s anti-immigrant legislator, Russell Pearce, is losing steam and political power

A MESSAGE FROM BORDER ACTION NETWORK

Wednesday, July 1, 2009, at 7:30 am, marked the final day of the Arizona State Legislature, bringing to end yet another senseless barrage of anti-immigrant, hate-based legislation. Thank you to you all for taking action these last three weeks—your hard work and dedication has truly paid off!!

From January to June, the Arizona legislature was deadlocked in debates over resolving the state’s $3 billion budget deficit, withholding all non-budget related bills until there was a budget on the table. Amid the 5 month turmoil of creating the state budget—involving partisan politics, highly charged stand-offs between the Governor and both Republicans and Democrats alike—some legislators grew anxious to have their prized bills heard before the end of the session.

On June 8th, a budget was passed (though not sent to the Governor) and the hold on hearing non-budget bills—acting as a levy holding back the rising tide of overzealous legislators and their flood of anti-immigrant bills—was at last broken. Throughout the span of the legislative session, 27 total anti-immigrant and hate-based bills were introduced—of them 17 were sponsored by Senator Russell Pearce (R-18). Because you took action—you responded to 34 action alerts, sending 40,000 emails to your state legislators—defeating all 12 of the forward-moving anti-immigrant bills in just three weeks!

In the last two weeks of the session, there was a persistent frenzy to hurtle bills through that targeted, alienated or criminalized immigrant families. Last minute antics that fall within the rules and procedures of the legislature were legislators’ only defense against the tick, tick, tick of the session’s rapidly winding down clock, including strike-all amendments (an amendment to a bill that wipes all existing language and replaces it with new language, keeping the bill number and even more key—its positioning in the legislative process), suspension of procedurals rules, and other last minute scrambling.

One bill in particular, HB2280, started its life as a budget bill and was swiftly changed by a strike all amendment from Russell Pearce in the final days of the session.

In its new form, HB2280 was Pearce’s 5th attempt during the session to limit the responsibility of the heads of local law enforcement agencies and Boards of Supervisors to create policy that govern their counties, as well as to preempt the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution by granting local law enforcement the ability to charge a person unlawfully present with criminal trespass.

In the 11th hour, in what was the last step before HB2280 would have been transmitted to the Governor for her approval, Republicans and Democrats alike in the House of Representatives voted down HB2280.

Russell Pearce’s failure to garner enough support of this bill, along with his 16 other anti-immigrant bills, and, not to mention his budget initiative—sends a loud and clear message that the legislature no longer views Pearce as its menacing bully flexing his political muscles throughout the halls of the legislature.