Arkansas will go to ballot if immigrant bill falters - Republican Says Law Not Racist Because Cousins are Latino (what a relief!)

Senate sponsor Jim Holt, R-Springdale, said Monday he will go to the voters if the Legislature does not approve Senate Bill 206, which would require proof of citizenship to receive state benefits. Holt made a guest appearance Monday night on "Lou Dobbs Tonight," a news program on CNN. "Right now we're going through the education process," Holt said "The first salvo was fired already saying this bill is racist and it's bigoted. Of course, it's quite the contrary. My cousins are Latino. My wife is the great-granddaughter of a Russian immigrant, so of course that has nothing to do with the issue. The issue has to do with compassionate justice for the taxpayers of Arkansas, and not only that, it has to do with 600,000 immigrants who are trying to get here legally."  Gov. Mike Huckabee is opposed to the bill, which the governor calls unrealistic and uncharitable. Huckabee said the bill could deny care to pregnant mothers, for instance, which would drive up costs for medical service to their child when born at much greater expense to the taxpayer. The bill is modeled after a law that was approved by voters in Arizona, called Proposition 200. SB 206 is, "if anything, a little more strict than Proposition 200," Gabriela Lemus, spokesman for the League of Latin American Citizens headquarters in Washington, D.C., said in a telephone interview Monday night. Lemus said Holt's bill would hamper workers trying to administer services, especially in emergency situations. The bill requires workers and benefit providers to demand proof of citizenship and report suspected cases of illegal immigrants. "If somebody comes into a hospital emergency room, for instance, and a worker doesn't check ID, he could be in trouble after the patient is treated for not reporting this," Lemus said. "This bill would take people with no training or any experience in law enforcement and put them a law enforcement capacity." Speaking on the bill's provisions against illegal immigrants voting: "I've never understood that," Lemus said. "We can't even get our citizens to vote." Latino Americans have historically had low voter turnout, she said. [more]