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New nonpartisan analysis puts the cost at $325 million/year for state and local governments, Arizona prisons director says HCR2060 could strain resources 

PHOENIXToday, a diverse coalition of local employers, businesses, faith leaders, United States citizens, police and prison directors  vehemently oppose the proposed HCR 2060 measure which, if passed, would empower local and state police to stop, arrest and detain law-abiding immigrants in everyday life: going to work, attending temple and church, or Dreamers going to school.

Momentum is building:

  • Arizona prisons director says HCR2060 could strain resources, at an estimated cost of $250 million over five years.
  • A recent non-partisan analysis puts the cost of HCR 2060 at $325 million/year for state and local governments. Advocates agree those costs could crowd out important spending on public safety, workforce training and business development. 
  • Bipartisan Law Enforcement leaders are joining together across the political spectrum to oppose the bill. Here is one recent example.

Bob Worsley, Chairman and CEO of Zennihomes, Former Republican State Senator of Arizona and Co-Chairman of the American Business Immigration Coalition said, “Don’t forget that after SB 1070, our economy took a serious hit and everyone boycotted Arizona. Let’s not go back there with HCR 2060. We will be in a world of hurt.” 

Arizona’s prisons director Ryan Thornell said his agency wasn’t consulted when the Republican-sponsored legislation was amended late last week, and warned that a plan to let local law enforcement arrest border crossers could put a huge strain on prison staffing and services. “The bottom line is it’s potentially going to have significant staffing and resource impacts, create some serious burdens on our infrastructure and the requirements of our staff for the next two to five years and beyond,” Thornell said in an interview with 12News , “The (amendment) language says that the director shall accept them into a state prison, which is placing a requirement on me.”

According to a fiscal analysis by the Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Re-entry, a projected 1,500 inmates a year would be added to the prison system, at an estimated cost of $250 million over five years.

“The ballot referral includes no money to pay for the demands it makes of local law enforcement agencies. That omission should concern voters,” said Kimber Lanning, CEO of Local First Arizona. “When Arizona tries to take a federal issue into its own hands, the people of Arizona pay the price, whether emotionally or psychologically or economically. Our community deserves better.”

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce estimates there are only 71 Arizona workers available for every 100 open jobs. Cutting into that supply is the wrong move and would only drive up inflation, business leaders warned. 

Watch last week’s Live stream of press conference here 

STATEMENT LEADERS: 

In the Arizona State Capitol’s Rose Garden, advocates drew attention to the undue economic and social consequences of the “Show Me Your Papers” proposal, as well as a wasteful taxpayer mandate whose ripples have far-reaching negative consequences — disrupting businesses and harming the public trust and safety of every Arizonan, citizen or otherwise.