Remedy the situation
Governor Beebe continues to state that Secure Arkansas'initiative isn't necessary because illegal aliens can't receive restricted government benefits. He needs to take a close look at the regulations in some of his own departments to see just what kind of identification is required to access some of the very benefits that the initiative would prohibit. These wimpy identification requirements are the reason that many department employees have told us that illegals are already getting prohibited Arkansas benefits.
I hope citizens are contacting their legislators to pressure them to resolve this situation during the next legislative session. That is the way that Colorado took care of the same problem. With bipartisan support in an overwhelmingly Democrat legislature, they were able to pass a strong immigration law in 2006, called the toughest in the nation, that was based on an initiative very similar to the one Secure Arkansas offers. Maybe with enough pressure, our legislature will have enough gumption to support our citizens despite what the governor wants.
When you consider that all of the surrounding states have passed very tough immigration laws cracking down on employers who hire illegal aliens and eliminating much of the nonfederal benefits illegals can collect, Arkansas becomes an obvious mecca for them. It will be unconscionable for our legislature not to remedy the situation.
NORVEL OGDEN / Bella Vista
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