Gov. Janet Napolitano vetoed a bill that would have criminalized the presence of illegal immigrants in Arizona, citing opposition from police agencies that want immigration arrests to remain the responsibility of the federal government.
The proposal would have expanded the state’s trespassing law to let local authorities arrest illegal immigrants anywhere in Arizona, the nation’s busiest illegal entry point. Congress also had considered criminalizing the presence of illegal immigrants in the country.
In a letter to lawmakers, Napolitano said she opposes automatically turning all immigrants who sneaked into the state into criminals and that the bill provided no funding for the new duties.
“It is unfortunate that the Legislature has once again ignored the officials who are most directly affected by illegal immigration and instead has passed yet another bill that will have no effect on the problem but that will impose an unfunded burden on law enforcement,” Napolitano wrote Monday.
More below on the other bills vetoed.
From the East Valley Tribune, here are Napolitano’s other vetoes:
Two legislative efforts to place new restrictions on abortions and a third that would have made criminals of women who sell their eggs for cloning research.
- One measure that would have required parents to notarize any statement permitting their minor daughter to have an abortion.
- Legislation that would have barred state and local governments from providing health insurance coverage to employees that includes abortion.
- Making it a crime for women to sell — or for doctors or researchers to buy — human eggs that would be used for cloning research. “I am persuaded that this bill represents an unwarranted intrusion into the medical decisions of women — and only women,” she wrote in vetoing HB2142.
The pro-lifers are already screaming for her head here.