(Press release, June 27 8pm) From my standpoint as a Tancredo ally on real immigration reform, there has been no "deal" between the supporters of cutting off services for illegal aliens and the amnesty crowd led by Federico Pena. We still need a special session and we still need Initiative No. 55. Yesterday's Supreme Court death blow to the Defend Colorado Now petition left that organization defunct -- politically irrelevant and financially broke. Its former steering committee, three Democrats and myself as the lone Republican, must now go our separate ways in seeking a solution to the illegal alien invasion.
The best solution in my opinion is a constitutional amendment referred by the legislature for decision by the voters in November. There is zero evidence that should lead Coloradans to expect a tough statute on immigration reform to emerge from the Democrat-led state House and Senate.
I respect Dick Lamm, but on this divisive issue he speaks only for himself, not for the 40,000 citizens (in my party as well as his) who signed the petition asking for a chance to vote on cutting off services. They still deserve that chance. None of us have their proxy to deal it away.