Having vetoed nearly 60 bills in her term, including some key bills to cut benefits and the flow of illegal aliens into the state, Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano is facing a political backlash that could cost her re-election in 2006. The nearly 60 vetoes is the most by any Governor in the states history.

Bills she has vetoed include one denying in-state tuition and day care for illegal aliens and one allowing law enforcement to enforce immigration law on May 20. On May 10 she also vetoed a bill making English the official state language which would have allowed the state to save money by not having to provide all official documents in multiple languages and would have encourage assimilating immigrants into the American culture more effectively.

She also vetoed a bill that would have officially rejected the Matricula Consular from Mexico as a valid form of identification which an FBI official has said are "easy to forge" and a "major item on the product list of fraudulent document trade currently flourishing across the country and around the world.".

Knoxstudio

Napolitano said none of those bills would have solved immigration-related issues. She added that the immigration law enforcement bill did not include federal funding, so it would have cost the state millions of dollars.

"She is going to regret it," said Kathy McKee, founder of Protect Arizona Now. Her group played a major role in the passage of Proposition 200, which denies many public benefits to undocumented immigrants.

Kat Rodriguez, Tucson's Coalicion de Derechos Humanos coordinator , said Napolitano sent a strong message by not giving in to anti-immigrants while recognizing that "these bills would've been destructive to our community."

The coalition, however, regretted Napolitano's signing of a bill that prohibits use of taxpayer money for the construction of day-labor centers. She approved the legislation the same day she vetoed the most recent anti-immigrant bills.

"Day laborers won't go away," Rodriguez said, stressing the centers provide the workers some protection from exploitation.

It should be an interesting election in Arizona in 2006.