Play the video above to see these stories on AZ Illustrated Politics for Friday, Oct. 25 with guests Councilman Steve Kozachik, and Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce President Lea Marquez-Peterson and Pima County Democratic Party chairman Don Jorgensen:
Kozachik, who is unopposed in his run for reelection for Tucson's Ward 6, said the city was grappling with the enforcement of SB 1070, Arizona’s controversial immigration law, which requires Tucson Police Department officers to call the U.S. Border Patrol if they suspect someone they have detained may be in the country illegally. Kozachik, who would like to see SB 1070 repealed completely, said the City Council may be able to take some steps to establish a policy that would limit the amount of time that Tucson cops would detain suspects before releasing them if Border Patrol officers have not yet arrived.
Kozachik also discussed the ongoing debate over how the future widening of Broadway Boulevard between downtown and Country Club Road should proceed and his concern about the links between domestic violence and gun violence.
On the AZ Illustrated roundtable, Marquez-Peterson and Jorgensen discussed:
SB 1070, IMMIGRATION REFORM: Both Marquez-Peterson and Jorgensen said SB 1070 had left the Tucson Police Department in a bind because officers are required to call the Border Patrol if they suspect someone they have detained is in the country illegally, but the requirement has caused problems between the police department and the Latino community. Marquez-Peterson said she was traveling to Washington next month with other members of the business community to persuade Republican lawmakers to support comprehensive immigration reform, while Jorgensen said that Gov. Jan Brewer’s continuing push against immigration reform could lead to an uptick in Latino voting in 2014.
ATTORNEY GENERAL TOM HORNE’S LEGAL TROUBLES: Jorgensen said that a recent investigation by Yavapai County Attorney Sheila Polk showed that Horne had violated campaign-finance laws. Marquez-Peterson said that Horne’s political experience could still carry him to reelection next year.
CITY ELECTION: Both Marquez-Peterson and Jorgensen said that the city’s two ballot propositions—a proposal to increase the city’s spending limit and to update the city’s general plan—deserved to pass in next month’s election.
AZ Illustrated Politics is produced by Jim Nintzel. Contact him at jnintzel@azpm.org.
By submitting your comments, you hereby give AZPM the right to post your comments and potentially use them in any other form of media operated by this institution.