Defend Colorado Now is gathering signatures for a ballot initiative that would deny all but emergency services to illegal aliens. They still need 70,000 signatures to get it on the ballot, but supporters say they should be able to get 100,000. Republican Representative David Schultheis says that a survey of his district shows that 86% of the people support the initiative.
The bill will also prevent illegal aliens from receiving in-state tuition. The bill won't be able to deny illegal aliens children from attending K-12 or illegal aliens from receiving emergency room treatment because federal law mandates those. The bill also restricts transfer of property to an illegal alien.
Similar in nature to Arizona Proposition 200 -- which passed with 56% overall approval and 47% approval among Hispanics -- the Colorado bill is a long overdue crackdown on the skyrocketing costs of services being used by those not in the country legally.
California attempted to get an initiative put on the ballot in February, but failed to get the required 600,000 signatures in time.
There are of course people opposed to the bill.
Los Angeles Times
"It's a very bad idea that places blame where blame doesn't belong," said state Rep. Terrence Carroll, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. "If we look at what happened in California and Arizona, you see people playing to the worst fears and instincts of people. If they do that here, it has a very good chance of passing."
...
Critics of the initiative call it racist, dangerous and impractical. They say banning illegal immigrants from most public services would harm everyone.
"It would endanger all Colorado kids if you deny vaccinations to illegal immigrants," said Polly Baca, executive chairman of the Latin American Research and Service Agency in Denver. "We need reform of our immigration laws, this will do nothing to stop illegal immigration. There are angry, negative and hate-filled people behind this."
Then you have the ACLU with this ridiculous comment, which has nothing to do with the legislation, and nowhere in the legislation does it call for random checking of ID's.
The American Civil Liberties Union said if the measure passed, people could be required to show identification to enter a state park, ride a city bus or use other state services.
"I think even those concerned with illegal immigration would resent this invasion of privacy," said Mark Silverstein, legal director for the Colorado ACLU.
If that isn't "playing to the worst fears and instincts of people" I don't know what is. The same argument those opposed to the legislation are using against it is being used by those same people.
Another ridiculous statement is made against the legislation because the people of Colorado elected a Democrat Hispanic to the House and Senate last election.
Opponents of the measure note that Arizona and Colorado are very different places.
"We proved that in the last election when the Democrats took over the legislature and we elected a Latino to the Senate and his brother to the House," said Manolo Gonzalez-Estay, chairman of Keep Colorado Safe, which is fighting the initiative. "Colorado is a very smart state and we don't do things just because other states do them."
Huh? What does that have to do with legislation against illegal aliens? Is he saying that all Hispanics are illegal aliens? Or maybe he's saying those two that were elected are both illegal aliens and the people voted for them anyway?
I'm not sure what the hell he's saying there.
