Racist border security bill proves Republicans want to take Arizona back to 1864

Most of the Republicans in the Arizona Legislature were in favor of retaining Arizona’s draconian territorial abortion ban.

It took two defectors in the state Senate and three in the House, joining with all the Democrats, to repeal the old law. This led most of us to believe that the fight had been over reproductive rights.

No. Not really.

We found out on Wednesday — when the GOP majority in the Legislature decided to put on the November ballot a racist, xenophobic, “show me your papers” referendum — that what Arizona Republican lawmakers really want is an all-out return to 1864.

A time when women had no rights and people of color constantly had to look over their shoulders.

HCR 2060 will cost our wallets and our souls

House Concurrent Resolution 2060, the so-called “Secure the Border Act,” is a ham-handed appeal to our worst prejudices. It asks voters to allow police officers to arrest migrants.

Basically, it’s a warmed over version of the disastrous Senate Bill 1070, an awful Arizona law from years ago that caused a colossal amount of unnecessary hardship and resentment, and has cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars.

The nonpartisan Grand Canyon Institute issued a report estimating that the GOP’s latest iteration of that law could cost taxpayers at least $325 million a year, and possibly a lot more.

Arizona's border bill: Does nothing to secure the border

Not counting the human misery, of course.

Or the ill will.

Or the damage to the state’s reputation.

Or the damage to the state’s soul, assuming we have one.

It's 1864 all over again at the Arizona Senate

Noah Schramm from the ACLU of Arizona said the referendum “violates fundamental due process protections for immigrants and creates an entire state system of immigration enforcement impacting all Arizonans.”

Alejandra Gomez, executive director of LUCHA (Living United for Change in Arizona), put it more bluntly, saying the referendum “is a monstrous reincarnation of SB 1070, poised to destroy Arizona’s communities and drive families across Arizona into hiding out of fear and persecution.”

There were raucous protesters at the Capitol when the Senate was taking its vote on whether to put the issue before voters.

Republican Sen. John Kavanagh, a big supporter of the proposal, at one point offered his apologies to the “criminals in the gallery.”

Can it get any more 1864 than that?

Reach Montini at ed.montini@arizonarepublic.com.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona border security bill is latest GOP push to put us back in 1864