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Home > Press Room > 2006 > Press Release
Press Release
LULAC Praises Colorado Court
for Barring Anti-Immigrant Initiative.
“Governor Owens Should Leave Well
Enough Alone”
June 14, 2006
Contact: Dr. Gabriela D. Lemus
202-833-6130
Washington, DC – The
Colorado Supreme Court’s decision to bar an
anti-immigrant initiative from the November
ballot sends a powerful message to immigrant
advocates that the constitution and reason
still protect them. Despite raising large
amounts of money and basing their campaign
on deliberate misinformation, anti-immigrant
leaders are placed on hold with this
decision. It is disappointing that Governor
Owens then capitulates to anti-immigrant
demands and chooses to over-rule the Supreme
Court Decision and further politicize the
issue by calling for a special legislative
session.
“The Colorado Supreme Court
has established a clear decision about the
legitimacy of the language of the proposal and
put into question the constitutionality of the
initiative,” said Brent Wilkes, LULAC National
Executive Director. “The initiative was not
drafted carefully and should it be passed would
place immigrant and Latino communities in danger
and potentially hurt Colorado state tax payers
with millions of dollars in hidden costs. The
Supreme Court saved Coloradoans from harmful
unexpected consequences”
Governor Owens’ decision to
call a special session of the Colorado
Legislature should the Supreme Court not reverse
itself on the ballot question after they had
already lengthily debated it while in regular
session, is not only an added expense to tax
payers, but a slap in the face of the separation
of powers and the juridical decision making
process. Furthermore, it is a demonstration of a
pernicious tendency in today’s elected officials
to over-rule when things do not go their way.
“The Governor should leave the issue well enough
alone. If the anti-immigrant groups wish to
reintroduce their onerous bill – they can do so
in 2008. Politics should not take precedence
over the importance of an independent court
system. It is not the role of a governor to
dictate, but to respect the overarching
separation of powers for balanced policy,” added
Wilkes.
The League of the United Latin
American Citizen (www.lulac.org) is the oldest
and largest Latino civil rights organization in
the United States. It advances the economic
conditions, educational attainment, political
influence, health and civil rights of Hispanic
Americans through community-based programs
operating at more than 700 LULAC councils
nationwide.
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