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Legislator fights lawsuits over initiative petition on immigration issue
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Chad Christensen<br>Republican lawmaker's petition drive hits a wall amid a onslaught of lawsuits
REVIEW-JOURNAL CAPITAL BUREAU
Updated: Jul. 9, 2010 | 7:20 a.m.
CARSON CITY -- The state legislator who wants Nevada to adopt Arizona's controversial immigration law said Thursday he has not yet circulated petitions because he must first raise money to fight lawsuits.
Assemblyman Chad Christensen, R-Las Vegas, said he has been sued by several large organizations, including the Nevada Resort Association and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, over his initiative petition that would allow police to check identification of people suspected of being illegal immigrants.
He said he is not wealthy and it is not easy facing off against organizations with a lot of money.
"I expect to begin circulating petitions soon," said Christensen, who was defeated in the June 8 primary election for U.S. Senate. "We have no shortage of volunteers."
A June 1-3 Review-Journal poll showed that 57 percent of registered voters in Nevada would support an immigration law like Arizona's. The poll conducted by Mason-Dixon Polling & Research Inc. showed that 32 percent would oppose such a measure, with 11 percent undecided.
Christensen intends to rely largely on volunteers to collect the 97,000 signatures he needs by Nov. 9 to qualify the petition for a future ballot.
But first he has an Aug. 9 court date before District Judge James Wilson in Carson City over a lawsuit filed against the petition by the Nevada Open for Business Coalition, a group headed by two Hispanic Assembly members, Mo Denis and Ruben Kihuen, both Las Vegas Democrats. Other groups opposed to the petition have joined that lawsuit.
Wilson could decide to let the petition move forward or require Christensen to make word changes before he circulates it.
Even if Christensen wins, his opponents probably will appeal to the state Supreme Court, a step which would reduce the time he has to circulate the Nevada Immigration Verification petition.
Christensen faces a formidable task qualifying his petition through the use of volunteers. In recent years, groups in Nevada that used volunteers exclusively have failed to secure sufficient signatures.
In addition, lawsuits have been filed against virtually every petition and these lawsuits generally have prevailed. No petitions to make changes to the constitution qualified for the ballot this November.
Christensen is seeking to change a law, not the state constitution. If he secures sufficient signatures, then it would be up to the Legislature next year to implement or reject his petition. If legislators refuse to adopt it, the matter would be placed before voters in the 2012 election.
The lawsuit the U.S. Department of Justice filed against Arizona earlier this week shows how embarrassed the Obama administration has become of its failure to enforce immigration laws, according to Christensen.
"It completely has ignored doing its job," Christensen said. "A state had to rise up and say, 'We're tried of waiting for the federal government to do its job.' "
Christensen said there are four key points to his petition and the Arizona law:
■ Law enforcement officers can verify the legal status of individuals;
■ Companies that knowingly hire illegal residents will be penalized;
■ State benefits such as welfare and unemployment will be denied to illegal residents;
■ People must show a photo ID before they can vote.
A U.S. Department of Homeland Security study earlier this year estimated there are 260,000 illegal residents in Nevada, or about 10 percent of the state population. On a per capita basis, Nevada has more illegal residents than Arizona, according to Christensen.
Information about the petition may be found on the noillegals.org website. The site, however, has little information about the petition and is more about Christensen's failed U.S. Senate campaign.
Denis, who is unopposed in a bid for the state Senate, said it is clear that Christensen's petition violates the "single-subject rule" since it deals with police, businesses, voting and other subjects.
Opponents to petitions frequently have won in Nevada courts because the petitions deal with multiple subjects, contrary to state law.
The description that explains the intent of Christensen's petition also is confusing, Denis said.
One sentence reads the intent of the petition is to "make attrition" through enforcement of public policy by law enforcement officers.
Denis said the Nevada Resort Association and other business groups have joined his lawsuit because of their concern that passage of the petition might lead to boycotts of casinos and conventions by Hispanic people and groups.
He said the Arizona law is not yet in effect, but already business people there have complained they have lost $100 million in potential convention and tourism business.
Hispanic tourism in Nevada is a $1.5 billion-a-year business, according to Denis.
"Something like that would kill us economically," he added.
A member of a national legislative immigration task force, Denis said he has visited both the Canadian and Mexican borders and noted there is increased security and fewer illegal residents coming to the United States.
He favors an immigration reform law that would give illegal residents who have been paying taxes and not violating other laws a pathway to citizenship that would include paying penalties and learning English.
Contact Capital Bureau Chief Ed Vogel at evogel@reviewjournal.com or 775-687-3901.
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Come on Chad - Get the Petions Going.
The people want this ..
get the Petitions going
What would happen if we limit welfare to the truly disabled? Controversy would end and thus Harmony among people would rise.
If the word gets published around the nation that the Nevada Resort Association supports illegal immigration. When the huge vast majority of citizens in this nation support Arizona; the boycott of Las Vegas from supporters of Arizona could do much more harm than a boycott from criminal supporters.
Especially when resorts are the biggest employer of criminals and so many citizens are out of work. This is knowledge we should make sure the nation knows about.======= ==============I would like to know where Denis gets his dollar figures that he is actually able to state a 1.5 billion dollar figure. Are there forms a person or group fills out stating what race or ethnic group they belong to when they visit? Or are these figures coming from supporting organizations and businesses of illegal immigration?
Great comment by Denis reguarding Christensens purposed law; "Something like that would kill us economically." Once again money talks and legality walks, all do to the money mongers up and down LV Blvd. who are opposed to enforcing the law and losing their cheap illegal labor.I wonder if anyone has ever established how much money is "being lost" from all of those tourists from Caliornia, and elsewhere, who no longer come here as they feel they are surrounded by illegals at home, and don't care to come here and spend their money for for more of the same.
The Nevada Resorts Association is the most corrupt group in the state. Lies is all they know.
Mac You have had your head buried in the sand for to long or your are truly ignorant. Have you forgot how the Bush Administration turned it's head the other way on this issue, while following the U S Chamber of Commerce and thier agenda?McCain said illegal Mexicans were Gods children and should be allowed to come to America illegally. The hypocrite McCain has since changed his tune.
Since the 1960's, white men have submitted to the ridiculous demands of non-whites (blacks and now hispanics). White men are the only persons not granted "special" handouts or bonuses. The white man has been and is being ostracized and demeaned in the name of "diversity", "social justice" or "equality". The white man just works hard and pays taxes.
Maybe Reid will vote to build a fence and send troops to secure our border?
No? You say that every illegal alien is a potential democrat voter? That Reid is courting the illegals? Obama too? Let no thought of border security interfere with their vote gathering.
GOODBYE HARRY
"Hispanic tourism in Nevada is a $1.5 billion a-year-business, according to Denis." Well, well, well...is that from the drug cartels laundering their money through Las Vegas casinos? Or, is that really the amount of money sent back to the mother country? How much are Nevada taxpayers laying out for health, education, housing and welfare for illegals? Frankly, at this time and place, a boycott by hispanics against the casinos would register like the sound of one hand clapping. I don't like being threatened by wrong headed legislators, who are clueless about the U.S. CONSTITUTION. Shame on them.
Denis favors an immigration reform law that would give illegal residents who have been paying taxes and not violating other laws a pathway to citizenship that would include paying penalties and learning English.
What part of illegal doesn't Denis seem to understand? He, like everyone else who wants reform, will give criminals a reward for their actions. That's what every illegal alien here is...a criminal. They have violated United States immigration laws and then these "people" want to reward them.