VIEW LARGER Boxes containing petitions collected by the People's Defense Initiative were displayed on July 3, 2019, before the group submitted them to Tucson city officials. Arizona's Sen. John Kavanaugh and Rep. Jay Lawrence both sent statements to the media threatening to file legislation to punish Tucson if voters approve Proposition 205, better known as the sanctuary city initiative.
Kavanaugh's bill would allow the city to be sued by crime victims if the person who commits the crime is in the country illegally. Lawrence's proposal would specifically prohibit sanctuary cities in Arizona.
Neither bill has been filed in the Legislature at this point.
Legal experts say if the Legislature were to pass the laws, they would assuredly end up in court.
The first legal question is whether or not the Legislature can punish Tucson's city government by withholding funds or another type of sanction if the law is passed by voters and not the local government.
The Arizona Constitution includes strong protections that make it difficult for the Legislature or a local government to change a voter-passed law.
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