VIDEO: TEXAS LT. GOV SAYS NO TO ARIZONA TYPE LAW

Since Arizona Governor Jan Brewer signed that tough immigration bill into law, support for it has been overwhelming. Arizonans support it by 70% and Americans support it by 60%. Texas is two states over from Arizona and has a border with Mexico significantly longer than any of the other three states in America that share that distinction. Here in Texas, public sentiment is not all that different, if not stronger, than Arizonans and Americans.

However, on May 3rd, Governor Rick Perry issued a statement that didn't seem to reflect the views of a majority of Texans when it came to Arizona's SB 1070. Here is a portion of that statement, courtesy of the Texas Insider:

I fully recognize and support a state’s right and obligation to protect its citizens, but I have concerns with portions of the law passed in Arizona and believe it would not be the right direction for Texas.

Now we learn courtesy of the Texas Tribune that Lieutenant Governor of Texas, David Dewhurst appears to be singing from the same hymnal.

Via Texas Tribune



In an April 29th article, the Texas Tribune has more on Dewhurst's take:

In his official statement on the question, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst never said whether he agrees or disagrees with the Arizona law. “I understand the frustration of the people of Arizona with the federal government’s failure to secure our borders and stop illegal immigration, drug trafficking and dangerous transnational gangs coming across from Mexico. Texans are frustrated too... While Texas is doing its part, I think the federal government should do theirs by dramatically increasing the number of border patrol agents to secure our borders once and for all.”

Dewhurst has obviously tacked to the left on this issue since he made that statement back on April 29th. The talking points of the establishment leadership - I've gotten this when calling some of the Texas State Reps - is that Texas doesn't have the same problems Arizona does and that border enforcement is a bigger priority than enforcing state laws which mirror federal laws that aren't being enforced.

This is pure bunk. Besides, the two State Reps. who support such a bill in Texas an who plan to introduce one in January - Leo Berman and Debbie Riddle are now having to deal with the state's Governor and Lt. Governor already coming out against something that hasn't been introduced. The question I have is, why are they opening their mouths this early? Why not see if Berman and Riddle get traction? Why not wait and see how successful the Arizona law is?

Most disturbing is the fact that Texas currently has a Republican Governor, a Republican Lt. Governor, a Republican Attorney General, and Republican majorities in both houses of the Texas legislature. If the voters want a bill like AZ SB 1070, they should get it and the state's top two officials apparently are more disconnected from public sentiment than I realized.

I'd also like to remind Rick Perry of what he said during one of the Gubernatorial debates this year:

"Texans know best how to govern Texas."

Stay tuned....