By Howard Fischer
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/knau/local-knau-931971.mp3
Phoenix, AZ – Reporter Laura Sullivan said the idea was hatched at a meeting
last December of the American Legislative Exchange Council.
That's a business-sponsored organization that gathers with
generally conservative state lawmakers to discuss measures of
common interest. Sullivan said -- quote -- that plan became
Arizona's immigration law. Pearce said that ignores the history
of the bill.
(I've introduced this bill in 05, 06, 07, 08, 09 and 2010. I
wrote this bill with the help of some good constitutional
attorneys. Never have had a conversation with prison industry on
this bill. I don't know where they come up with that. I guess it
makes for a good story. It doesn't matter that it's true or not.)
Pearce has been at the forefront of measures aimed at illegal
immigrants going back to before 2004 when he crafted and got
voters to adopt a law denying them benefits. In fact, SB 1070 did
not exist in the form it was introduced until this session. But
Pearce has pushed elements of it before. Just last year, for
example -- before what NPR called that secret December meeting in
Washington -- Pearce sponsored legislation to forbid cities from
limiting what police can do to go after illegal immigrants. He
sponsored other legislation making any illegal immigrant in
Arizona guilty of the state crime of trespass. Both are key
elements of what eventually became SB 1070. Pearce did
acknowledge that there were prison industry representatives
present when he took the bill to ALEC last December in hopes of
making a model that other states can imitate.
(They're part of a committee that I'm required to go through to
get model legislation passed. That has to be presented to the
board.)
That still leaves the question of whether a state law that
results in more illegal immigrants being arrested and turned over
to Immigration and Customs Enforcement will mean that agency
needs more space in private prisons.
(But that's between them and ICE. I have nothing to do with that.
I don't set their policies or encourage them to do anything
except enforce the law. I can tell you now, what I am encouraging
is more tents in Tent City.)
That is part of the Maricopa County jail system, where illegal
immigrants charged under Arizona laws would go, a jail system
that is run by the county government. Efforts to get comment from
Sullivan for this report have so far proven fruitless. For
Arizona Public Radio this is Howard Fischer.