All Articles Tagged "arizona"
Arizona’s Immigration Bill Migrates to Georgia
By J. Smith
It is monkey see, monkey do in state legislatures across the nation, as Georgia adopted an immigration bill similar to the highly controversial one in Arizona. Arguing that the federal government is not doing enough to secure the country’s borders, both chambers passed a bill that would require businesses to confirm that new hires are legally eligible to work in the United States and authorize police to inquire about the immigration status of criminal suspects, Politico reports.
Apparently, Georgia thinks they’re immune from the scrutiny other states have received over their bills that would essentially permit racial profiling. On Monday, Politico reports that the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a district judge’s order barring parts of the Arizona law, including the part that permits police to check the legal status of people they lawfully stop and whom they suspect to be illegal immigrants.
The Georgia bill stipulates the following: “The bill requires employers with more than 10 employees to use the federal government’s E-Verify system to check workers’ immigration statuses. Police would be able to check the status of some suspects and to detain them. It would also penalize people who, while committing another crime, knowingly transport or harbor illegal immigrants, or encourage them to go to Georgia. And it would punish people who use fake identification to get a job with up to 15 years in prison and fine of as much as $250,000.”
This is what I’ve gleaned from the rules in that bill: If I keep my small business at 10 people and under, I can hire 10 illegal immigrants. It is somehow better to support a prison inmate for 15 years on tax payer dollars than for that person to either be working or deported (This is strange since the usual argument against immigrants is that they drain state resources). I have also learned that the next time I recommend Atlanta as a place to visit; I had better ask to see that person’s green card first.
Arizona Becomes First State To Ban Abortions Based on Race or Gender
By Charlotte Young
In the midst of the controversy surrounding anti-abortion billboards that feature President Barack Obama or declare that “black children are an endangered species,” Arizona has become the first state to make abortions illegal based on the race and gender of the fetus.
The law was signed by Arizona’s Governor Jan Brewer yesterday and will go into effect 90 days after the current legislation session.
“Governor Brewer believes society has a responsibility to protect its most vulnerable — the unborn — and this legislation is consistent with her strong pro-life track record,” a spokesman told Reuters.
Proponents say the law will help put an end to the race and gender bias that exists in the state, as well as throughout the nation.
While the new law will not penalize women seeking abortions, doctors and other medical professionals could face felony charges if it’s proven that they performed or provided financing for an abortion on the basis of the race or gender of the fetus or a parent’s race.
According to Reuters, Planned Parenthood Federation of America says the “measure may erode a woman’s rights,” and a spokesperson for the Planned Parenthood Arizona branch condemned Governor Brewer’s legislation.
“This law creates a highly unusual requirement that women state publicly their reason for choosing to terminate a pregnancy — a private decision they already made with their physician, partner and family,” said Bryan Howard, chief executive of Planned Parenthood Arizona .
There is no specific stipulation in the new law that obligates doctors to ask their patients their reasons for wanting the abortion. But critics on the new law believe that doctors may feel compelled to inquire, and that this inquiry infringes on what the patient feels is a private matter.
Arizona Becomes First State To Ban Abortions Based on Race or Gender
By Charlotte Young
In the midst of the controversy surrounding anti-abortion billboards that feature President Barack Obama or declare that “black children are an endangered species,” Arizona has become the first state to make abortions illegal based on the race and gender of the fetus.
The law was signed by Arizona’s Governor Jan Brewer yesterday and will go into effect 90 days after the current legislation session.
“Governor Brewer believes society has a responsibility to protect its most vulnerable — the unborn — and this legislation is consistent with her strong pro-life track record,” a spokesman told Reuters.
Proponents say the law will help put an end to the race and gender bias that exists in the state, as well as throughout the nation.
While the new law will not penalize women seeking abortions, doctors and other medical professionals could face felony charges if it’s proven that they performed or provided financing for an abortion on the basis of the race or gender of the fetus or a parent’s race.
According to Reuters, Planned Parenthood Federation of America says the “measure may erode a woman’s rights,” and a spokesperson for the Planned Parenthood Arizona branch condemned Governor Brewer’s legislation.
“This law creates a highly unusual requirement that women state publicly their reason for choosing to terminate a pregnancy — a private decision they already made with their physician, partner and family,” said Bryan Howard, chief executive of Planned Parenthood Arizona .
There is no specific stipulation in the new law that obligates doctors to ask their patients their reasons for wanting the abortion. But critics on the new law believe that doctors may feel compelled to inquire, and that this inquiry infringes on what the patient feels is a private matter.
Ethnic Studies Not Allowed in Arizona
By Charlotte Young
Learning about one’s culture or the cultural background of others is a big no-no in Arizona state schools. According to local TV station KGUN9, classes on ethnic studies in Arizona’s Tucson Unified School District (TUSD) are being banned, and it’s fueling a heated conflict between students and state authorities.
“We have African American studies for African American kids. We have Asian studies for Asian kids. We have Indian studies for the Native American kids. It sounds just like the Old South I fought against in the 1950′s and 1960′s,” Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne said.
Ethnic studies classes became a point of contention when Horne, then acting as the state schools superintendent, outlawed the Mexican-American Studies program, declaring it was racist right before he stepped out of office.
This past Tuesday, students at the Latino Law group invited him to participate in a discussion on HB 2281, Arizona’s law against ethnic studies in any district in the state. The law states that these classes may possibly promote racial division and the overthrow of the government.
“The difference between his America and mine is in my America, you get to pick what you believe because you have developed critical thinking skills that have led you to a conclusion grounded in fact,” Richard Martinez said. Martinez is the civil rights attorney representing 11 teachers fighting to keep the Ethnic Studies program alive.
In order to defend its Ethnic Studies program, The Tucson Unified School District will have to undergo an independent audit that is estimated to cost about $170-200 thousand. While supporters consider this an unnecessary use of taxpayer’s dollars, it’s a small price to pay compared to the millions in federal funding TUSD will lose if the Ethnic Studies program does in fact violate the new Ethnic Studies Law.
Ethnic-Studies Classes Now Illegal in Arizona
(Christian Science Monitor) — A controversial Arizona law targeting ethnic studies in public schools will take effect come midnight. Like the state’s tough immigration law – which a federal judge put mostly on hold last summer – the new measure that Gov. Jan Brewer signed in May has sparked protests and legal action, as well as concerns about the future of education. The law bans classes that promote the overthrow of the United States government and resentment toward a race or class of people. Also outlawed are courses designed primarily for students of a particular ethnic group and those that advocate ethnic solidarity rather than treat students as individuals.
Ethnic Studies Courses Banned In Arizona Public Schools
(KVOA.com)–Ethnic studies courses are now illegal in public schools across Arizona – the law banning them went into effect New Year’s Day. Some school districts, including Tucson Unified, are being told today to drop the classes or face funding cuts. Some background on the issue: “Ethnic studies” was established in the 1970′s, focusing on African-American studies. In 1997, TUSD added “La Raza,” a class that focuses on Mexican-American studies. The program was designed to promote understanding, but critics say it divides students by race.
Ga. Seeks Ariz.-Like Immigration Law
(AJC) — Georgia state lawmakers said this week they are looking to Arizona for ideas as they seek to crack down on illegal immigration here. Meeting at the state Capitol on Thursday, a special committee of Republican legislators began discussions on a comprehensive immigration bill for the next session of the General Assembly, in January. The panel talked about Arizona’s laws, the nation’s toughest, and received a report showing how Georgia statutes stack up against those in Arizona.
Judge Halts Parts of Arizona Immigration Law
Advocates of the illegal immigration are raving over a stringent immigration law proposed by the federal judge in Arizona court yesterday that would require police officers to check a person’s immigration status and incur other laws, according to BV Black Spin.
Showdown Between Federal Gov. and Arizona Immigration Law Begins
VS. 
In a battle royal the federal Justice Department is going to court with Arizona over the much debated SB 1070 immigration law.
Scheduled to go into effect July 29th, the Republican-controlled Arizona Legislature approved the law to “investigate the immigration status of anyone they reasonably suspect of being an illegal immigrant” in April. President Obama has publicly denounced the law, arguing that it undermines U.S. foreign policy and violates the U.S. Constitution. Although there are an estimated 10.8 million illegal immigrants that live and work in this country, Democrats and protesters still feel the ruling is racist and unjust.
US to Watch Arizona For Racial Profiling
(Black Politics On The Web) – Attorney General Eric Holder isn’t ruling out another federal lawsuit challenging Arizona’s immigration law—if there’s evidence of racial profiling. The Obama administration sued Arizona on Tuesday, arguing that the state is impinging on federal responsibilities for dealing with immigration. Holder tells CBS’ “Face the Nation” that if the law goes into effect as scheduled at the end of the month, the federal government will look at how it’s being enforced to see if there’s racial profiling.
