Arizona Politicians Weigh In On Fight Over Birthright Citizenship

Tucson - Arizona State Senator Russell Pearce has been a vocal proponent nationally of changing the 14th Amendment to deny birthright citizenship to children of undocumented immigrants. However not everyone in his home state feels as strongly as he does on the issue.

Clair Doan of KGUN 9 on your side has the full story HERE:

The idea is not novel, but it sure is controversial: State Senator Russell Pearce is leading the fight to end what he calls the "hijacking of the 14th Amendment" – automatically granting citizenship to the children of illegal immigrants born in the United States.

Pearce has amassed support from at least 13 other state lawmakers to challenge birthright citizenship in a nationwide effort led by State Legislators for legal Immigration (ILLI).

Yet even Arizona Governor Jan Brewer is apprehensive about moving forward with the legislation:

And while the idea has generated state and national media coverage, Governor Jan Brewer told KGUN9 News at a meet and greet in Green Valley on Thursday that she has not taken a stance on the controversial issue.

"I understand Senator Pearce is speaking out loudly in regards to what he calls anchor babies," Brewer said. "I have not heard a lot of the deliberation on it. Certainly the legislature is the arena where it should be vetted and deliberated. I look forward to listening to that information, but I certainly don't have a position on it currently."

Extremist GOP District (7) candidate Jessie Kelly is all for that and more, Pearce is also crafting legislation for immigrants to pay for their public education:

Pearce wants to push the envelope even further; he is in the process of crafting legislation that would require illegal immigrants to pay for their own public education – an idea that fellow Republican and Congressional candidate Jesse Kelly agrees with.

"We cannot give birthright citizenship. That's not what the Constitution means whatsoever. We need a statute passed through the federal government to clarify the 14th Amendment," Kelly told 9 On Your Side. "I think that everybody should pay for public education. I think the taxpayers pay it with our tax dollars. Someone who's come here illegally should obviously pay for it."

Democrat Gabrielle Giffords disagrees, with this idea:

However, Democratic Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords disagreed, saying talk of challenging the 14th Amendment is not only impractical, but also detracts from a far more important issue.

Giffords said, "I think it's really difficult anytime someone thinks they're going to change the Constitution of the United States. Instead what we have to focus on is real border security…so we don't have to do these run-arounds to deal with the issue."

But there is no running around what many scholars say: Changing the Constitution is an uphill battle. 

Changing the constitution is an uphill battle, and in Arizona, where their is a good chance that the state legislature could become a Republican Super Majority, Pearce's entreaties to change the 14th Amendment look more and more like a get out the vote campaign then thoughtful legislation.