Council Considers Travel Ban on Arizona

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Austin Mayor Pro Tem Mike Martinez, City Council Member Bill Spelman and Mayor Lee Leffingwell announced today that they will introduce a resolution at the May 13th City Council meeting directing the City Manager to limit employee travel to Arizona and to present a plan to the Council for terminating business and investment relationships with the State of Arizona.

“The reasons for introducing this measure are two-fold,” said Mayor Pro Tem Martinez. “First and foremost, we want to ensure that we are not exposing city employees to risk by sending them into an uncertain and potentially hostile environment in Arizona. Second, we want to send a loud and clear message to the State of Arizona that our community stands in vehement opposition to racial discrimination in any form.”

“This resolution has precedent in past Council actions,” added Martinez. “For example, we’ve previously passed policies prohibiting the city from doing business with manufacturers who utilize sweatshop labor. It is squarely within the Council’s purview to determine with whom the city should or should not do business based on their practices.”

The resolution comes on the heels of passage of SB 1070 in Arizona that effectively mandates racial profiling throughout the state. Other cities across the country, including Los Angeles and Washington D.C., are contemplating similar legislation. San Francisco has recently passed a resolution that will terminate all contracts with Arizona-based companies and end city business with the state.

“Arizona’s new immigration law puts anyone traveling to the state in jeopardy of being detained, based on a law enforcement officer’s ‘reasonable suspicion’ that that person might be an undocumented immigrant,” said Council Member Bill Spelman. “That’s wrong, and I can’t responsibly allow our city employees to be placed at such a risk.”

“While I’m normally reluctant to support the Council formally weighing in on issues outside of our jurisdiction, Arizona’s legislation potentially has a direct impact on our employees, and is generally so offensive that I believe it demands our attention,” said Mayor Leffingwell. “I’m supporting this resolution because I believe that we have a responsibility not only to protect our own employees, but also to speak out loudly against racial discrimination wherever it exists.”

Check out the American-Statesman story here

9 Responses to “Council Considers Travel Ban on Arizona”


  1. PecosRoyBean had this to say on May 13th, 2010 at 3:02 PM

    This just shows that Martinez, Spelman, and Leffingwell are undeucated, i.e. they have not read SB1070 and are unfamiliar with US Laws. SB1070 mirrors US Law: if you are in the US illegally, you have broken US Law; if you are in the US on a visa and are not carrying your papers, you have broken US Law. These three council members need to resign for their stupidity and for pandering to the hispanics in Austin. Shame on the three of you!

  2. Alissa H. had this to say on May 13th, 2010 at 9:06 PM

    Wow, that’s pretty stupid of them. If their employees are legal citizens then they have nothing to worry about. If they’re not, then I think they should get into some major trouble for employing illegal aliens with American tax dollars.

  3. CitizenKate had this to say on May 14th, 2010 at 4:10 PM

    While Martinez, Spelman, and Laughing-well are getting fat off of the taxpayer dole, they are advocating for BREAKING THE LAW in their boycott of Arizona. How about the three of them get deported to Mexico to show solidarity for their “brothers” that are in the midst of a murderous crime wave because of corruption and drug cartels?

    VIVA LOS 1070!

  4. woody had this to say on May 14th, 2010 at 7:56 PM

    Israel is for jews.
    Mexico is for mexicans.
    The US is for everybody, but jews are still in control.

    Go Back To Is Ra El , Bill Spelman.

  5. Colin Gregor had this to say on May 15th, 2010 at 3:27 AM

    Mr. Spelman,

    One of your main arguments for not supporting Arizona is so our citizens continue to cooperate with police, but instead why do you try to stop illegal immigration in the first place instead of condoning it? We moved to Austin from LA to get away from the mess created illegal aliens who don’t pay their share of taxes and often get themselves in trouble with the law.

    50% of US citizens fund 100% of this countries taxes. Continue to let people interested in adding value to the US immigrate but make sure they do it legally and pay their share of taxes in order to keep our teachers teaching, our police protecting, our parks open, our hospitals saving, etc..

    And if they’re not here legally they are breaking the law!

    Colin Gregor

  6. Julie had this to say on May 15th, 2010 at 8:14 AM

    I won’t be spending one dime in Austin,Tx. I am from a town close to Austin and cannot believe Austin did this. It was a mistake and it will backfire. Everyone I have talked to supports the Arizona law. Guess Austin will go broke over this and Governor Perry needs to step up to the plate. If the employees are illegal, what does that tell you about Austin City Council? Support Arizona and boycott all cities who are trying to break the laws of our land.

  7. Mike Christian had this to say on May 15th, 2010 at 10:15 AM

    This proposed action by the Austin city council is absurd, assinine, and obviuosly for political reasons.
    A state that has suffered from all the evils, INCLUDING THE DEATHS OF INNOCENT U.S.CITIZENS that come with illegal entry into our country, attempts to slow the tide of crime, drugs, overcrowded E.R.’s, overcrowded schools, welfare fraud, etc., by passing laws to ENFORCE laws ALREADY existing but NOT ENFORCED by our federal government, and you wuish to punish them for doing the right thing?
    I will spend no more nights or money in Austin, a city I love but that has made such a stupid and ANTI-AMERICAN move on belhalf of ILLEGAL ALIENS!
    Mike Christian

  8. Max had this to say on May 17th, 2010 at 9:58 AM

    Send in the clowns….the grandstanding clowns.

  9. Jerry Angel had this to say on May 21st, 2010 at 4:28 PM

    Another of our public representatives has fallen from the stupid tree. I go through a red light. I have to show a license, do you have to show a license maybe these public officials don’t have to show a license. No license? Could it be that there is something else wrong? Time to vote these idiots out.

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