Desertdog
Member
Not very long ago she ordered the troops to help at the border, http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=187756 . Anybody surprised at the change of mind? Or was this her idea all along? Maybe she should be called, "Old Two Face".
Governor vetoes bill to pay for sending troops to the border
http://kvoa.com/Global/story.asp?S=4613867
Gov. Janet Napolitano vetoed legislation Thursday that provided $10 million for her plan to send National Guard troops to the Arizona-Mexico border to help federal authorities confront illegal immigration.
Her rejection of the bill came a day after the governor signed an order that expanded the National Guard's presence at the porous border yet had held off on increasing the number of troops there until funding is set aside.
Napolitano objected to the bill's requirement that she send troops to the border, a mandate that she said was an unconstitutional infringement of her powers to command the National Guard.
"The Legislature has no constitutional or other authority to control when or how the Guard is deployed," Napolitano wrote in a letter to lawmakers, promising to sign a similar bill if it contained funding but left out the deployment requirement.
Some Republican lawmakers said the Democratic governor isn't serious about confronting illegal immigration and is trying to back out of her plan.
The National Guard has assisted in anti-drug and other law enforcement efforts at the Arizona border since 1988. The governor wants to add more troops at the border to perform support duties in an effort to give federal agents more time to catch people crossing illegally into Arizona, the nation's busiest illegal entry point.
Public pressure is mounting for state politicians who face re-election races this year to confront illegal immigration, even though immigration has long been considered the sole province of the federal government. A recent poll shows a strong majority of voters approve of sending troops to the border.
Proponents say the National Guard's assistance in immigration efforts could help reduce border-related crime and make it more difficult for the tens of thousands of people who try to cross into Arizona illegally each year.
Critics say the National Guard's lack of training in immigration law could lead to racial profiling and that stationing troops at the border could hurt the morale of those who may have already served in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Republican Rep. John Allen of Scottsdale, sponsor of the vetoed bill, said he wouldn't leave out the proposed mandate if he seeks a similar bill again.
"We are going to do our very best to get troops on the border and force the governor's hand to do so, but I don't think she has any real expectation of doing it," Allen said.
The state House gave preliminary approval Thursday to another proposal that would provide an unspecified amount of money for Napolitano's plan but wouldn't require her to send troops to the border.
Republican Rep. Russell Pearce of Mesa, sponsor of the other proposal, said the lack of a dollar figure was the result of an unintentional omission, but that he hopes his bill will be changed to put $10 million toward the project.
Jennifer Allen, director of the Border Action Network, an immigrant rights group that opposes Napolitano's plan, said border troops won't stop immigrants from crossing into the state illegally.
"I think it's an enormous mistake," Allen said of the plan.
Arizona already has about 170 National Guard troops at the border assisting federal and state officers with communications, fence construction and anti-drug efforts.
The costs of the governor's plan and the number of troops to be stationed at the border have never been specified. Napolitano also has asked the military to pay for her proposal.
Governor vetoes bill to pay for sending troops to the border
http://kvoa.com/Global/story.asp?S=4613867
Gov. Janet Napolitano vetoed legislation Thursday that provided $10 million for her plan to send National Guard troops to the Arizona-Mexico border to help federal authorities confront illegal immigration.
Her rejection of the bill came a day after the governor signed an order that expanded the National Guard's presence at the porous border yet had held off on increasing the number of troops there until funding is set aside.
Napolitano objected to the bill's requirement that she send troops to the border, a mandate that she said was an unconstitutional infringement of her powers to command the National Guard.
"The Legislature has no constitutional or other authority to control when or how the Guard is deployed," Napolitano wrote in a letter to lawmakers, promising to sign a similar bill if it contained funding but left out the deployment requirement.
Some Republican lawmakers said the Democratic governor isn't serious about confronting illegal immigration and is trying to back out of her plan.
The National Guard has assisted in anti-drug and other law enforcement efforts at the Arizona border since 1988. The governor wants to add more troops at the border to perform support duties in an effort to give federal agents more time to catch people crossing illegally into Arizona, the nation's busiest illegal entry point.
Public pressure is mounting for state politicians who face re-election races this year to confront illegal immigration, even though immigration has long been considered the sole province of the federal government. A recent poll shows a strong majority of voters approve of sending troops to the border.
Proponents say the National Guard's assistance in immigration efforts could help reduce border-related crime and make it more difficult for the tens of thousands of people who try to cross into Arizona illegally each year.
Critics say the National Guard's lack of training in immigration law could lead to racial profiling and that stationing troops at the border could hurt the morale of those who may have already served in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Republican Rep. John Allen of Scottsdale, sponsor of the vetoed bill, said he wouldn't leave out the proposed mandate if he seeks a similar bill again.
"We are going to do our very best to get troops on the border and force the governor's hand to do so, but I don't think she has any real expectation of doing it," Allen said.
The state House gave preliminary approval Thursday to another proposal that would provide an unspecified amount of money for Napolitano's plan but wouldn't require her to send troops to the border.
Republican Rep. Russell Pearce of Mesa, sponsor of the other proposal, said the lack of a dollar figure was the result of an unintentional omission, but that he hopes his bill will be changed to put $10 million toward the project.
Jennifer Allen, director of the Border Action Network, an immigrant rights group that opposes Napolitano's plan, said border troops won't stop immigrants from crossing into the state illegally.
"I think it's an enormous mistake," Allen said of the plan.
Arizona already has about 170 National Guard troops at the border assisting federal and state officers with communications, fence construction and anti-drug efforts.
The costs of the governor's plan and the number of troops to be stationed at the border have never been specified. Napolitano also has asked the military to pay for her proposal.
