Considering that campaigns haven’t done a great job of disseminating reaction to the Arizona law, I have to hand it to the Texas Tribune for getting some answers.
Linda Chavez-Thompson for Lt. Gov.: Chavez-Thompson said the Arizona statute will cost that state’s economy, and that police are against it. “I’ll fight to ensure that Texas rejects the advice of those who don’t understand economics, who refuse to listen to law enforcement, and have little respect for the rights of citizens to be free of police harassment,” she said.
Barbara Ann Radnofsky for Attorney General: “The Arizona law should be declared unconstitutional,” she said. “Any similarly worded Texas law should also be declared unconstitutional. The government should not be in the business of violating individual U.S. citizen’s rights, regardless of the citizen’s appearance. The sitting Texas Attorney General, consistent with his belief that he has the power to sue the federal government for fair treatment of Texas should now insist that Texas receive its fair share of federal funding and assistance for enforcement and security. Texas taxpayers should not bear the burden for enforcement and border security, including our vital ports.”
And we saw Hank Gilbert’s the other day: “The fact of the matter is this: undocumented immigrants make up a significant segment of the agricultural labor force in Texas. These men and women help Texas grow food not just for our state, but also for the rest of the nation. If you take away their ability to move freely within our society and survive without being under constant threat of police action, they will go somewhere else for jobs,” Gilbert said.
The strongest statement from Texas Gubernatorial candidate Bill White is this one:
A lack of enthusiasm for Arizona’s law is something that the two gubernatorial candidates agree on. Yesterday in Lubbock, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bill White mocked the law.
“’How many of you have your passports or birth certificates with you?” He asked the crowd. When no one raised their hand, he gasped, ‘Oh my gosh, you’re all suspects!’
The thing is, it doesn’t help when a national Latino voter group is pushing Rick Perry’s response, even though we sure as hell know that Rick Perry’s record is one of lies and deception, as Phillip at BOR points out.
Meanwhile, the City of Austin is set to vote on limiting business it has with companies in Arizona. I sure wish the Mayor would do the same here in Houston.
