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GOP works to shape immigration package
May 9, 2006, 08:42 AM MST

Republican lawmakers are working to draft legislation to combat illegal immigration, and House Speaker Jim Weiers said lawmakers may scale back a possible criminalization measure because of concerns that it otherwise could lead to mass roundups.

Weiers and other House Republicans on Monday discussed the planned legislation during a two-hour caucus that indicated some issues are nearly settled but that others aren't. Meanwhile, Senate GOP leaders held a shorter session that covered some of the same ground.

The proposed elements include making illegal immigrants' presence in Arizona a crime under the state's trespassing law, money for radar to spot illegal border-crossers, new dollars for law enforcement, sanctions against employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants and funding to deploy additional National Guard troops along the border.

However, the leaders said nothing was settled, including whether to package the proposals in one or more bills.

"There isn't a bill," said House Majority Whip Gary Pierce, R-Mesa.

Senate President Ken Bennett, R-Prescott, said one factor being considered is whether putting funding measures in the bill would enable Democratic Gov. Janet Napolitano to use her line-item veto power to pick and choose what elements to let become law.

Napolitano has called for employer sanctions and border enforcement funding but already has vetoed separate bills on two of the elements -- the trespassing change and a mandatory National Guard deployment.

Weiers and Bennett each said they want the Legislature to pass a package that Napolitano will sign.

Because the trespassing bill has drawn criticism that it could lead to mass roundups, an idea under consideration now is to make enforcement contingent on law enforcement officers coming into contact with a person because of another offense, said Weiers, R-Phoenix.

"It's when there actually has been a crime and a contact has been made on the crime," he said.

A similar approach is already in place in state law for enforcement of the state law requiring motorists to wear seat belts.

Some GOP lawmakers urged leaders not to bend to Napolitano's will if it means surrendering important elements of the package.

"I'm not really interested in watering down our immigration proposal so much so that she can sign something," said Sen. Dean Martin, R-Phoenix. "I'd like to see something actually done."

Other Republicans expressed unease that various elements of the still-development package would burden local governments and law enforcement agencies without providing the funding to pay for additional work and roles required by the state.

"We're not ensuring that our counties and cities are going to be covered in their costs," said Rep. Jennifer Burns, R-Tucson.