Amid shouts from those on both sides of the issue, Sen. Steve Gallardo, D-Phoenix introduced legislation on Monday to repeal the controversial two-year-old immigration law.
And just as quickly it was pronounced dead by Sen. Ron Gould, R-Lake Havasu City, who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee where it was assigned.
"I have a special drawer in my desk where bills go that are never going to come back out,'' Gould told supporters of the legislation approved two years ago to give police more power to detain and arrest illegal immigrants. "That's where that bill's going.''
The pronouncements became the bookends of more than an hour of noisy demonstrations at the Capitol on the controversial measure. But with Gould in his position -- and Republicans in firm control of both the House and Senate -- the speeches and chanting accomplished little other than for each side to rally its backers.
It also means that the last word on SB 1070 from 2010 rests with the U.S. Supreme Court which has agreed to consider its legality.
That, however, is not going to happen in the immediate future.
In an order Monday, the justices gave attorneys for the state through Feb. 6 to file its paperwork contending that U.S. District Court Judge Susan Bolton erred in blocking the state from enforcing key parts of the law. The judge ruled that many provisions were preempted by federal law.
Then the U.S. Department of Justice, which challenged the law, has until March 19 to respond to the state's arguments.
Gallardo said Monday the main accomplishment of the legislation has been to polarize the state.
"It has done nothing to solve any of our immigration issues here in the state of Arizona,'' he told those who want the measure repealed.
"Immigration remains a federal issue, and we must continue to put pressure on the federal government to do something in terms of immigration,'' Gallardo continued. "But it is not an issue that the Arizona state Legislature can fix.''
But Sen. Al Melvin, R-Tucson, told the pro-1070 rally that's not true.
"Illegal aliens in this state are costing all of us, collectively, between $2 billion and $3 billion a year in costs related to education, incarceration and hospitalization,'' he said. "We can't afford it.''
The rhetoric was at sometimes heated.
"(ITALICS) They (ROMAN) want to take your freedom and liberty away from you,'' said Sen. Frank Antenori, R-Tucson, pointing across the courtyard to where foes of SB 1070 were having their own rally.
"They want to hand everything over to the big and almighty government and have you subject to their rules and laws,'' he continued. "We are a nation of laws and we are not going to surrender our sovereignty and throw our laws out just to appease a bunch of vocal, I won't say it.''
The pro-1070 rally did create a backdrop for Sen. Sylvia Allen, R-Snowflake, to promote a measure to declare an emergency in the state.
SCR 1008 notifies federal agencies that, due to lack of congressional oversight, the state "will be exercising its right of sovereignty over soil within its boundaries. What that will do, Allen said, is allow state and local police to patrol federal lands to find drug dealers and illegal immigrants without seeking federal authority.
She said that's the state's right.
"The state of Arizona never gave up its police powers when it became a state for the welfare and public safety of its citizens,'' she said. Allen said Arizona has an inherent right to act to protect its citizens however it is necessary.
"And the federal government cannot keep us out,'' she said.
Missing from Monday's rally, at least in body, was Russell Pearce.
But Melvin and others made sure to single him out for thanks for crafting not only SB 1070 but for a long string of measure aimed at illegal immigrants. That started with getting voters to approve a 2004 initiative to require people to provide proof of citizenship to register to vote and identification when casting a ballot.
"A lot of people didn't think we could get it on the ballot, but we did,'' Melvin said. "And now, over 30 states have followed the lead.''
Juggernaut8000 posted at 5:27 pm on Wed, Jan 25, 2012.
And take Obama with you too...
Juggernaut8000 posted at 5:47 am on Tue, Jan 24, 2012.
I hope each and every person who pushed to block SB 1070 gets assaulted, raped, defrauded, burglarized and vandalized by the very criminal element they desire to keep here.
You, my triators, would be a pathetic embaressment to the forefathers who made this country great. I wish each and every one of you would get out of this country and take the filthy illegals with you.
Rational Human posted at 9:05 pm on Mon, Jan 23, 2012.
On Friday, Rasmussen Reports released the results of a national telephone survey which found that 61 percent of Likely Voters “agree that if a police officer pulls someone over for a traffic violation, the officer should automatically check to see if that person is in the country legally.”
Only 30 percent of respondents disagreed.
The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on January 17-18, 2012 by Rasmussen Reports, with a margin of sampling error of +/- 3 percentage points.
The poll puts the majority of the American electorate directly at odds with the Obama administration which has sued Arizona over the passage of SB1070 (one of the key parts of that law is allowing local police to investigate a suspect’s immigration status).
TeaPartyPatriot posted at 8:31 pm on Mon, Jan 23, 2012.
The gift that just keeps on giving. They have an all American by the name of Russell Pearce to thank for this incredible turn around.
Alabama’s unemployment rate continues to drop amid state-wide enforcement of a new immigration law, despite Democratic efforts to block and stigmatize the popular reform.
December’s unemployment rate fell to 8.1 percent, down from 8.7 percent in November and 9.8 percent in September.
“In the last three months alone, we’ve seen an unprecedented drop of 1.7 percentage points,” noted Alabama Republican Gov. Robert Bentley in a Jan. 20 statement
“Our rate is once again below the national average, and over 41,000 more Alabamians are employed now than at the beginning of the year… but we still have work to do,” said Bentley.
The drop began after a bipartisan 2011 law toughened the state’s immigration enforcement policies.
onerebel posted at 7:24 pm on Mon, Jan 23, 2012.
Liberals could care less about what the majority want, it's all about what they want. The majority of Arizona's support SB 1070, if they don't like it they can move !
Leon Ceniceros posted at 5:11 pm on Mon, Jan 23, 2012.
P.S........Notice all the Pro-Illegal Alien Amnesty bystanders with their cell phones and cameras out to see who can take the "ugliest photograph" to put on their Anti-American websites and blogs.
Oh, and don't you just love the way the "Chicano Rights' Movement" has cleaned up it's act. Now they all look like models from a ..."Mens' Warehouse" TV Commercial.
Gone are the "Commie Red" tee-shirts and the Red and Black "Cesar Chavez Farmworkers Union" Flags and the Mexican Flags. No more "La Raza" spokesmen or spokeswomen with that "Pachuco" sing-song accent sounding like the Mexican Comedien, .....LA INDIA MARIA.................lol.
Masterrogue666 posted at 4:51 pm on Mon, Jan 23, 2012.
Gallardo stated: "It has done nothing to solve any of our immigration issues here in the state of Arizona" -- WRONG! I guess you forgot about the MASS EXODUS of ILLEGAL ALIENS that packed up, and went to other states? There are still "Day laborers" in the streets, but not as many as there was prior to SB1070....
Masterrogue666 posted at 4:47 pm on Mon, Jan 23, 2012.
' And just as quickly it was pronounced dead by Sen. Ron Gould ' and ' "I have a special drawer in my desk where bills go that are never going to come back out,'' Gould told supporters ' -- I like his style! I wouldn't have used the word "pushing" in the article's title. Perhaps "attempted"?
Daddyburger posted at 4:08 pm on Mon, Jan 23, 2012.
So much for the charge by Democrats that the Republicans are always trying to force bills through Congress that have no chance of passing.
Hey, Randy: Haven't seen anything about you running for Maricopa County Sheriff; or any other elected office for that matter. No courage?
Rational Human posted at 3:47 pm on Mon, Jan 23, 2012.
The more these anti-Americans push the harder we will push back until every last illegal alien is booted out of our state.