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State of the State Address Highlights Sanctuary City Status
During the State of the State Address, Governor Doug Ducey recognized the City of Tucson’s overwhelming rejection of sanctuary city status and called for all Arizonans to have the same opportunity to stand for the rule of law.
Governor Ducey is calling for the Legislature to refer to the November ballot a referendum allowing all voters to decide whether sanctuary cities should be legal in Arizona.
During the speech, the Governor said, “If anyone needed a reminder, that here in Arizona, we respect the rule of law: last fall the voters of Tucson demonstrated that loud and clear. There, in our state’s second largest city, a troubling proposal to defy federal law was soundly and overwhelmingly rejected by Democrats and Republicans alike. It wasn’t even close. And now it’s time for all Arizonans to make their voices heard, and enshrine it in our Constitution. T.J. Shope has the ballot referral. This November, let’s give all Arizona voters the opportunity to say YES to the rule of law and NO to sanctuary cities.”
Sanctuary Cities put federal resources and public safety at risk. Last November, nearly 70 percent of Tucson voters voted against Prop 205, which would have established Arizona’s second-largest city as a Sanctuary City. The measure threatened $130 million annually in shared revenues to the city of Tucson and was rejected by law enforcement and city and county leaders.
According to the governor’s office, Republican State Rep. TJ Shope of Coolidge will lead the campaign.