Arizona Senate adjourns following no vote on controversial immigration bill

TUCSON, Ariz. (13 News) – A much-anticipated vote of House Concurrent Resolution 2060, also known as the Secure the Border Act, did not happen because Republicans did not have enough votes to pass it.

There is a very narrow margin for the Republicans in the state legislature. They cannot lose a single vote to pass bills and on Tuesday, they lost two.

The first was District 1′s Ken Bennett who said he had concerns about the language of the bill. And the second is Tucson Republican Justine Wadsack, who was absent.

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Without enough votes, the chamber recessed until May 22, when they will likely try again. That is, if they can change the language to suit Bennett.

“There are some things that if we don’t get it we are not going to vote for it,” Bennett told a gaggle of reporters who surrounded him following the vote to adjourn. “Some of the things are important enough my vote is contingent on that.”

HCR 2060 would give local police the power to arrest someone if they suspect they are in the country illegally. It would also let the state to deport them and not even to their country of origin, which is one of Bennett’s concerns.

Another is racial profiling, like the “Show Me Your Papers” bill, SB 1070, which passed 14 years ago and was mostly struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court.

This has caused concerns that police will stop brown-skinned people without probable cause.

Although supportive of law enforcement, Bennett still has some concerns about that.

Then there’s the cost of enforcement and implementation which some estimate could be as high as $325 million a year. He’s got concerns about that too.

Some groups and organizations believe the bill could target DACA recipients which is another concern for the Republican lawmaker.

The body recessed for eight days when they will come back to try again.

Even if they pass it, it must still go to the House for approval before it can get on the ballot and that is not a guarantee.

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