Posted by AzBlueMeanie:
Two earlier initiative drives to refer SB 1070 to the ballot folded after organizers decided that referring the law to voters for review was probably not the best idea. Organizers opted to allow the legal system to review the law. Several lawsuits have already been filed.
A new group, however, has begun another initiative drive to refer SB 1070 to the ballot this November. The Arizona Capitol Times reports Group needs thousands of signatures per day for S1070 initiative:
A small grassroots organization seeking to put Arizona’s strict new illegal immigration law on the ballot is optimistic but faces the daunting task of collecting about 7,500 signatures a day by July 1.
The organization, Compassion for All, must collect 153,365 valid signatures in less than a month to qualify for the November ballot. Organizers took out petitions for their ballot initiative on May 24, a month after Gov. Jan Brewer signed S1070.
Compassion for All held a press conference at the Capitol June 7 to publicize its efforts and announce its new leadership. The group was initially organized by a Phoenix priest who has since passed the torch to the small group of about 25 people.
Moira Carney, a Spanish teacher at Central High School who serves as treasurer Compassion for All, said the group has collected several thousand signatures and little money. But she is hopeful that the group can collect the signatures, or least change people’s minds in the process.
“I’ve had people walk up to me against what we’re doing, pro-1070, and leave signing (the petition),” she said. “We need to look at what we can do as a compassionate group of people to alleviate the suffering of others. I am an eternal optimist. I hope in three weeks to be walking in here to present 155,000 signatures. And if not, I’ll say we gave it our best shot, and hopefully in this process we will change or bring out the compassion of our humanity.”
Organizers said they don’t have any financial resources or the backing of any larger organizations, but are meeting soon with representatives of the League of United Latin American Citizens and other advocacy groups.
Without time and resources, this initiative is unlikely to qualify for the ballot.