Don Goldwater Op-ed: Illegal Immigration measures won, despite defeat

Don Goldwater has a good article in the Republic today, discussing how his two illegal immigration measures failed to collect enough signatures to make the ballot (unlike the "Legal Arizona Workers Act," which was backed by business interests so it could afford paid signature gatherers, Goldwater's initiatives had to rely solely on volunteers). He points out how the initiatives served an important purpose; ensuring that the existing employer sanctions law passed and maintained its teeth.

In the beginning, our initiative - Legal Arizona Workers Act (LAW) - was the main factor that helped pass the Fair Employment Act. Had our initiative not been in place and going strong, the governor would not have signed the bill into law.

Later, our initiative was used as protection and leverage against dangerous bills designed to undermine and destroy the Fair Employment Act. Had our initiative not been in place and going strong, I believe, these bills would have passed and the Fair Employment Act would have been gutted and destroyed. Your hard work kept those bills in committee, never to see the light of day.