Lawmakers prepping punishment for Tucson if voters approve sanctuary city law

[DesertRat]

Arizona's Sen. John Kavanaugh and Rep. Jay Lawrence both sent statements to the media threatening to file legislation to punish Tucson if voters approve Proposition 205, better known as the sanctuary city initiative.

Kavanaugh's bill would allow the city to be sued by crime victims if the person who commits the crime is in the country illegally. Lawrence's proposal would specifically prohibit sanctuary cities in Arizona.

Neither bill has been filed in the Legislature at this point.

Legal experts say if the Legislature were to pass the laws, they would assuredly end up in court.
The first legal question is whether or not the Legislature can punish Tucson's city government by withholding funds or another type of sanction if the law is passed by voters and not the local government.

The Arizona Constitution includes strong protections that make it difficult for the Legislature or a local government to change a voter-passed law.

https://www.azpm.org/p/home-articles-news/2019/10/16/160236-lawmakers-prepping-punishment-for-tucson

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[Iliyah]

1. Punish the voters?

That sucks.

[ChazInAz]

5. Sure!

That's the Arizona Legislature for you. They'll probably find ways to cut our cash flow, too, so that even more can be kept in Phoenix.

[Kali]

2. of course.

respect for local governance only applies to conservative causes.

[DesertRat]

3. Exactly

[Ptah]

4. I'm on the fence about Prop 205.

The AZ legislature has often objected to cities
being able to decide on their own.

They don't even like voters deciding issues
without the state legislators having input.

I'm not sure what Tucson would gain from Prop 205.