Governor and Veteran Lawmaker Contradict Statements|Channel 7 News

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Governor and Veteran Lawmaker Contradict Statements

posted 3:15 pm Sun September 23, 2007 - Little Rock

tags: governor • lawmaker • immigration

Channel 7 News - Governor and Veteran Lawmaker Contradict Statements

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Mike Beebe and Karen Ray may need to start a support group. They're both suffering from the same problem immigration. They're tripping over their words on the matter. Beebe, the Democratic governor and veteran lawmaker, last week said he's asked state police to work on an agreement to allow troopers to enforce immigration law.

Last year he questioned the effectiveness of such a program. Ray, the newly hired director of the Arkansas GOP, heads a party whose members have been pushing for more immigration prohibitions at the state level.

However, she told a Republican lawmaker that such legislation could be seen as racist and would drive business away from the state.

The inconsistencies show the problems both Democrats and Republicans are facing as the immigration debate picks up in Arkansas.

Asked to list their top concerns last fall, voters in a poll by the University of Arkansas didn't cite immigration.

Instead, they focused on health care, education and the economy. But a lack of federal action and congressional hearings on immigration may put a little more pressure on Beebe to come up with an immigration solution.

University of Arkansas at Little Rock political science professor Art English says Beebe may be warming up to the idea that the state ought to involve itself.

English said the question is what responsibility Beebe wants the state to have.

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