Last Wednesday, our Attorney General filed a legal brief supporting Arizona’s new discriminatory racial profiling law (SB1070). Worse, he did so in Texas’ name.
It appears Attorney General Abbott may have missed a blog we wrote last month. The blog in question highlighted Texas law enforcement’s opposition to Arizona’s new discriminatory racial profiling law (SB1070). Had he read the blog, Attorney General Abbott would have saved our state both the embarrassment of being associated with Arizona’s discriminatory law as well as the time and expense (at taxpayers cost) of taking this legal action. In addition, he would have understood that in addition to being unconstitutional and a waste of our tax dollars, SB1070 makes communities less safe.
As our Executive Director, Terri Burke, stated:
“We are deeply disappointed that Attorney General Abbott has filed a brief supporting Arizona’s extreme ‘show me your papers’ law. Discriminatory laws have no place in Texas, or in America. By filing this brief in support of Arizona’s discriminatory racial profiling law, Attorney General Abbott has brought shame on my native state.”
As Texans, we are proud of our values … and supporting a discriminatory racial profiling law is certainly not one of them. Furthermore, we rely on law enforcement to keep us safe. Their input should not be ignored. Shame on Attorney General Abbott for dragging Texas into Arizona’s mess. His action was plain un-Texan.
