http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/knau/local-knau-906314.mp3
Phoenix, AZ – The drive sees to return state law to what it was before
lawmakers approved the controversial measure. Set to take effect
July 29, it will require police to check the immigration status
of those they stop if they reasonably suspect the person is in
the country illegally and make being an illegal immigrant a state
crime. But the path to overturning the law the group is taking
sets that hurdle of 155,000 signatures of registered voters. More
to the point, petitions are due by July 1st. That translates out
at something north of 7,500 signatures a day for the all-
volunteer effort. Treasure Moira Carney conceded getting that
many names in that short a time is unprecedented.
(But we are fighting an unprecedented situation where our
legislature has chosen to adopt policies geared at removing from
our midst 500,000 of our fellow human beings, disrupting the
lives of countless families, ruining our economy and making our
state the subject of boycotts and international ridicule.)
Carney said even if the petition drive falls short she believes
it will accomplish something by giving foes of the law a chance
to talk to people about it and possibly change some minds. The
petition drive is separate from various lawsuits asking a federal
judge to declare the law illegal. For Arizona Public Radio this
is Howard Fischer