Republicans in the Arizona State Legislature are preparing the Secure the Border Act for a public referendum in November following high profile vetoes of border security measures by Governor Katie Hobbs, allowing lawmakers to circumvent the governor should Arizona voters agree.
Both State Senate President Warren Petersen (R-Gilbert) and House Majority Leader Ben Toma (R-Peoria) have confirmed their support as of Wednesday for HCR 2060, the Secure the Border Act ballot initiative that would strengthen penalties for submitting false information to E-Verify and require new safeguards to keep illegal immigrants from receiving public welfare benefits.
“As the relentless crisis at the border rages in Arizona, Governor Katie Hobbs and Arizona State Democrat lawmakers are neglecting their duties to not only keep our citizens safe from the associated criminal activity infiltrating our communities, but to also stop the drain of taxpayer dollars being used to handle the mass numbers of illegals entering our state,” the Arizona Senate Republicans argued in a May 1 statement.
They declared, “In response, Arizona State Senate and House Republicans are gearing up to advance a ballot measure this month, which voters will have the opportunity to weigh in on come November to combat the crisis.”
After the Arizona Senate made amendments to the original version of the legislation, originally introduced by Toma, the speaker confirmed he approved of the changes.
“It’s been incredibly disappointing that Governor Katie Hobbs has repeatedly vetoed well-crafted bills passed by the Legislature, designed to secure our southern border and protect Arizonans. The Democrats’ deliberate open-border policies have inflicted devastating, long-lasting harm to Arizona’s communities,” Toma declared. “People have had enough, and it’s time for their voices to be heard.”
He explained, “The Secure the Border Act creates two new class 6 felonies for illegal aliens who try to submit false documents or information to evade Arizona’s strong E-Verify laws or obtain taxpayer-funded public benefits. It also requires state and local agencies to verify a noncitizen’s documents and eligibility for benefits through a federal database, known as the SAVE program, whenever noncitizens apply for public benefits.”
Reports indicate lawmakers could approve HCR 2060 by the end of next week. If approved, Arizonans could cast their vote on the referendum in November.
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Pennsylvania Daily Star and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Illegal Immigrants” by Chief Jason Owens.
