with I-03-2004
A citizens' initiative to require proof of citizenship to register to vote, photo
ID to vote, and proof of eligibility for non-federally mandated public benefits
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PROTECT ARIZONA NOW with I-03-2004 A citizens' initiative to require proof of citizenship to register to vote, photo ID to vote, and proof of eligibility for non-federally mandated public benefits |
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Ariz. immigration fight divides GOP - Pits state group vs. U.S. lawmakers The Arizona Republic, Sept. 2, 2003 ...At one end of the spectrum, Sen. John McCain and Reps. Jim Kolbe and Jeff Flake, all Arizona Republicans, have introduced bills in Congress to regulate the flow of workers into the United States and over several years grant permanent residency to undocumented workers already here. At the other end, a grass-roots group... has launched a state ballot initiative campaign for the 2004 election. It is aimed at clamping down on illegal immigration by requiring proof of citizenship when registering to vote and proof of eligibility for state services... The outcome of the Protect Arizona Now ballot initiative could set the tone for the national immigration debate. It also could have political implications in Arizona and nationally, Sharry said... "it could galvanize Latinos (in Arizona) to be Democrats for the next decade to come." That could threaten the Republican majority of voters in Arizona and affect the outcome of a tight presidential race. said... Dan Stein, executive director of the Federation For American Immigration Reform, said the initiative and the guest-worker proposal illustrate the long-standing rift between the Republican Party's rank-and-file and "corporate wing" over the subject of immigration. Rank-and-file Republicans, he said, clamor for stricter immigration controls, while the party's corporate wing lobbies for just the opposite. "The rift that exists within the Republican Party is primarily related to corporate funding," said Stein, whose organization favors reducing immigration... But Kathy McKee, director of Protect Arizona Now, said a "disconnect" exists between "the spineless" leadership of the Republican Party and rank-and-file Republicans. More than 1,000 volunteers have come forward to collect signatures since the campaign for the initiative was announced in July, she said. "I think the divide is not within the Republican Party but between regular people and the political leadership," said [Center for Immigration Study's] Camarota, whose organization favors reducing immigration. "It's really taboo to talk about illegal immigration. Most politicians won't touch it with a 10-foot pole. I think the initiative shows that grass-roots (efforts) can make a difference," Childress said. "We're trying to make it so the politicians do care." |
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