Arizona state Sen. Steve Gallardo (D-Phoenix) introduced an amazingly shortsighted bill to repeal the state’s legislative crackdown on illegal immigration, known as SB1070. Gallardo’s bill (SB1218), if passed, would eliminate ALL provisions contained in SB1070, including the current requirement of law enforcement officers to investigate a suspect’s immigration status.

Gallardo claims that SB1070 has “put a black could over the state of Arizona” saying the new law has had a huge [negative] impact on the economy and tourism. Former state Senator Russell Pearce counters that the law did have a “huge impact” on tourism… but a positive one despite the sluggish economy.

According to the Arizona Office of Tourism, the number of visitors who came to the state and stayed overnight increased by 4.5 percent in 2010 over the previous year, generating $17.7 billion in direct spending across the state. That trend continued in 2011 as well.

http://www.minutemanpac.com/index.asp

OBAMA DOUBLES DOWN ON DREAM ACT

In last night’s State of the Union address, the president said it “doesn’t make sense” to kick promising kids out of the country when they could be contributing to its economic growth though he did not name the DREAM Act he was referring to, it did not hold him back in making his opinion on the matter clear.

Supporters of the DREAM Act – which will grant amnesty to qualified individuals who are enrolled in postsecondary training or join the military – say the bill would “empower motivated young people to develop skills that could benefit the entire country.” Opponents argue that it’s nothing but backdoor amnesty riddled with loopholes waiting to be taken advantage of at a time when Americans cannot afford more competition in the work place.

Either way, the issue is a huge one for the Hispanic voting bloc, particularly in swing states like Florida, Arizona, New Mexico and Nevada.