PHOENIX — Arizona Republicans took a step toward letting the people decide how to secure the border in the future.
The Secure the Border Act, which is also known as HCR 2060, was passed by a Senate committee on Wednesday night with a 4-3 vote along party lines.
Anyone crossing the line without permission would be a state crime. It would be on the November vote, and the governor would not have to sign it.
The idea came from a Texas bill that lets local police enforce federal immigration rules.
The courts are reviewing Texas’ law to see if it follows the Constitution.
Before a meeting in the state Senate on Wednesday, Senate President Warren Peterson was at a news conference with other Republicans to push the bill forward.
They said that the people should decide what should happen with border security in the state.
“We are asking the people to decide on a border security policy.” “The people will have the chance to decide on issues of border security and safety,” Peterson said at the news conference.
Some people said it would be one of the strictest immigration laws in the country, while others said it was illegal and like the controversial immigration law from 2010 “SB 1070 on steroids.”
An Arizona Border Invasion Act bill, which would have made crossing the border illegally a state crime, was vetoed by Gov. Katie Hobbs in March.
She said on Wednesday that she doesn’t agree with this new form of the bill and that the work to make the border stronger will go on no matter what.
If this measure doesn’t make it to the ballot, Hobbs said, “we’re still going to deal with the situation and work with border communities and the coalition we’ve built.”
Now the plan goes to the Senate floor, where it will likely be passed on on May 15.
The House still needs to take a look at the bill. The plan is backed by House Speaker Ben Toma, a Republican from Glendale.
