4 of 5 Supervisors Oppose SOS Measure

After poignant testimony this week, four of five members of the Ventura County Board of Supervisors agreed to a resolution opposing the “Save Our State” initiative, which would deny education and social services to illegal immigrants.

Supervisor Vicky Howard abstained from the vote Tuesday.

The initiative purports to save $300 million in state and local revenue by withholding medical care and social services.

Some residents expressed support for the measure, which will appear on November’s ballot.

“The board is out of order taking a stand,” said Louise Moore, who declined to say where she lives. “We’re supporting people who are breaking the law.”

Supervisors expressed concern about the illegal immigration problem, but laid blame on the federal government’s border policies.

“Taking this to an initiative does not deal with the real problem we have to deal with,” Supervisor Maggie Kildee said. Often, she added, such measures have unexpected consequences for communities.

The SOS measure, for instance, would require schoolteachers to confirm the immigration status of their students. That could cost the schools $10 million annually, according to the initiative.

Cuts in medical care could begin to threaten community health if students did not receive immunizations or seek treatment for contagious diseases, argued Bernardo Perez, president of El Concilio del Condado de Ventura, a social services agency.

“This constitutes not just a threat to individuals but to the public health,” Perez wrote in a letter to the board.

But Moore argued that her own family can barely afford health care. “It just goes against the grain with me,” she told the board. “My money is short.”