WASHINGTON — Arizona House Republicans just passed a controversial anti-immigrant ballot measure proposal, giving final approval for the measure to appear on the 2024 ballot, which bypasses the need for approval from the governor. Arizona Senate Republicans passed the proposed measure last month. The measure allows local law enforcement to arrest people they suspect are undocumented immigrants, opening the door to racial profiling and discrimination, and allows state judges to issue orders of deportation, encroaching on federal immigration authority. The measure clearly copies Texas’ dangerous SB 4 and is similar to a proposal that Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs already vetoed this year. Republicans have now circumvented her veto through this measure that will appear on the November 2024 ballot.
This is just the latest in Arizona Republicans’ extreme policies vilifying immigrant communities. Earlier this year, they advanced a dangerous bill that would have allowed people to legally shoot and kill undocumented migrants or anyone who crosses their land. These harmful proposals illustrate the stakes of flipping control of the Arizona legislature this year. Democrats are just two seats away in each chamber from gaining control of the legislature – Arizona represents one of the best flip opportunities this cycle, and the DLCC is leaving nothing to chance.
Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee Press Secretary Sam Paisley issued the following statement:
“Arizona Republicans have taken their anti-immigrant extremism to a new level with this ballot measure that will now appear on the 2024 ballot. After failing to pass this dangerous legislation into law, Arizona Republicans have wielded their power to go around Gov. Hobbs through a ballot measure that scapegoats and vilifies immigrants. Make no mistake – this proposal is a distraction from commonsense border solutions and will only make Arizona more dangerous.
“The GOP’s mission to circumvent systems of checks and balances to place this offensive proposal on the ballot drives home the importance of the 2024 legislative elections. The only way to stop this crusade of anti-immigrant hate and advance actual solutions on the border is to elect commonsense Democrats to the state legislature. Democrats are only two seats away in each chamber from winning legislative majorities, and the DLCC is leaving nothing to chance to flip legislative control in Arizona in 2024.”
The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC) is the official Democratic Party committee dedicated to winning America’s state legislatures and building state infrastructure. Over the last decade, we have fought cycle-over-cycle to gain a dozen new legislative chamber majorities and we are leading the effort to bring national attention and investment to our ballot level. State legislatures are the building blocks of our democracy and have the closest connections to Americans’ day-to-day lives. From protecting fundamental freedoms and voting rights to growing the middle class, the DLCC and state legislators are moving the Democratic agenda forward and shaping the future of this country.
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