After a rocky start, the birthright legislation finally received committee approval on Feb. 22, overcoming the initial hurdle before the full Senate can debate and vote on the measure that is stirring so much raw emotion and is solidifying Arizona’s reputation as ground zero in the struggle to confront illegal immigration.
By an 8-to-5 vote that hewed nearly along party lines, the Senate Appropriations Committee gave the green light to a two-bill proposal whose ultimate aim is to get the U.S. Supreme Court to revisit the issue of American citizenship, though critics question whether the judiciary would actually answer this exact issue and not dismiss the legislation on some other grounds.
The birthright legislation is but one of several measures emanating from Arizona that attempt to fill the void left by the federal government’s refusal to permanently solve the problem of illegal immigration. Legislators on both sides of the debate have been clamoring for a final fix to this complex problem.
Feb 7: Sen. Ron Gould, R-Lake Havasu City, and chairman judiciary committee.
An Arizona bill that would put a stop to automatic U.S. citizenship for children of illegal immigrants could come to a vote next week, according to an Arizona lawmaker intent on pushing the legislation forward, even if it the measure is defeated.
Republican Sen. Ron Gould said Tuesday he called off a previously expected vote by the Senate Judiciary Committee because he believed the bill would have lost.
Gould, of Lake Havasu City, now says he plans to seek a vote Monday Tuseday so voters will know which lawmakers support and oppose the measure.
Legislative Alert Information:
MEETING NOTICE: COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
DATE: Tuesday, February 15, 2011
TIME: 2:00 P.M.
ROOM: SHR 109
Bill Text SB1308 - Introduced Version
Bill Text SB1309 - Introduced Version
Sen. Kyrsten Sinema listens to Chapman University School of Law professor John C. Eastman argue Monday for a bill that would deny citizenship to children born to illegal immigrants. (Photo by Ryan Cook/RJ Cook Photography)
Backers of proposals that aim to ultimately deny U.S. citizenship to children born to illegal immigrants suffered a setback on Monday when the chairman of the Arizona Senate committee that tackled the bills concluded he did not have the votes to approve them.
Sen. Ron Gould, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, held the two measures after three hours of testimony by proponents and critics surrounding the legal complexities of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and the intricacies of today’s immigration system.
When asked why he held the two-bill legislation, Gould admitted that the measures do “not (have) enough votes yet.”
“It was going to go down,” said Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, a Democratic member of the panel.
Sinema surmised that just based on the questions raised by at least two Republicans on the eight-member committee, Sen. Adam Driggs of Phoenix and Sen. John McComish of Phoenix. With Sinema clearly opposed to the bills and another Democrat, Steve Gallardo, also expected to oppose them, the bills Would have failed on a 4-4 vote if Sinema’s hunch was correct.
Bill Text SB1308 – Introduced Version
Bill Text SB1309 – Introduced Version
JUDICIARY COMMITTEE:
Ron Gould (R), Chairman rgould@azleg.gov
Andy Biggs (R), Vice-chairman abiggs@azleg.gov
Adam Driggs (R) adriggs@azleg.gov
Steve Gallardo (D) sgallardo@azleg.gov
John McComish (R) jmccomish@azleg.gov
Rick Murphy (R) rmurphy@azleg.gov
Kyrsten Sinema (D) ksinema@azleg.gov
Steve Yarbrough (R) syarbrough@azleg.gov
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In a press conference held at the state capital today, State Senator Russell Pearce announced plans to present a new bill that would prevent illegal aliens from taking advantage of a misinterpretation of the 14th Amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America. Fourteen states in total participated in similar press conferences across the country.
Joined by State Representative John Cavanaugh, and representing The State Legislation Coalition for Legal Immigration (comprised of 41 states) Senator Pearce outlined the reasons why this new bill is so necessary, not just for Arizona, but the nation as a whole.
More from the National Black Conservative press conference in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 4:
