Friday, April 2, 2010

Arizona House panel changes, advances immigration bill

(Posted by Uriel Rivera)

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2010/03/31/20100331arizona-immigration-bill-advances.html

A wide-ranging immigration proposal in the state Legislature continues to attract advocates from both sides of the issue.

During a committee hearing Wednesday, the advocates rallied on the Capitol lawn. Some held signs, others wore yellow T-shirts. They made desperate pleas to lawmakers and sent thousands of postcards to the governor.

They all have a lot at stake: Senate Bill 1070 could bring Arizona the toughest immigration laws in the nation.

The bill would, among other things, make it a state crime to be in the country illegally. It would require law enforcement to check immigration status as well as enforce federal immigration laws. It also would make it a crime in some cases to pick up a day laborer or be picked up as a day laborer.

And although the Senate passed the bill in February, concerns about wording and legal impacts lingered. The sponsor, Sen. Russell Pearce, R-Mesa, has spent time since working with the Governor's Office, attorneys and stakeholders to further tweak the language.

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