Opinion: Immigration Initiatives to Watch Tonight

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Colorado and Arizona vote today on six ballot measures, all placed before voters by the legislature. Depending on who’s talking, the proposed laws are examples of blatant political posturing or necessary steps by states to counter federal inaction.

Arizona

• Proposition 100: Denies bail to illegal immigrants charged with serious felony offenses, among other conditions.
• Proposition 102: Denies illegal immigrants punitive damages in lawsuits in any Arizona court.
• Proposition 103: Declares English the official language of the state because it ‘has been threatened’ by government action or inaction.
• Proposition 300: Denies illegal aliens subsidized in-state tuition and some child care assistance.

Colorado

• Referendum H (pdf): Prohibits businesses from claiming as an expense wages paid to illegal immigrants.
• Referendum K (pdf): Requests that Colorado’s attorney general sue or join other states in suing the federal government for failing to enforce immigration laws.

And here’s where you can find the results as they come in: for Arizona, scroll to the bottom and choose the Proposition results you want to see. Colorado’s Secretary of State has no link yet for today’s results, but may post when results become available.