Sponsor pulls proposal, saying he wants discussion of immigrants' contributions.

LUKE TURF

The Arizona Senate recently issued a message to Congress that it would support a tax on funds wired to Mexico.

The memorial, similar to a resolution, was aimed at showing the state Senate's support for a way to offset health-care and jail bills rung up by illegal immigrants.

But the measure created such a "firestorm" that its sponsor, Democrat Sen. Pete Rios, is pulling it off the table.

The measure is nothing more than a formal message to Congress, said Rios, whose district is mostly in Pinal County.

Still, the measure generated such a backlash from the Mexican government and immigration advocates that Rios asked the chair of the committee it's been assigned to in the state House of Representatives to hold it indefinitely, meaning it would never be voted on by the House.

Still, Rios said, its mission was accomplished.

"The cat's out of the bag," he said.

The United States could raise at least $60 million from a tax of 50 cents on every $100 of the $15 billion wired annually to Mexico. Rios said that money could be returned to states to offset the costs of illegal immigration.

A self-described regular advocate of issues favoring illegal immigrants, Rios supports the DREAM Act, which would allow children of illegal immigrants to pay in-state tuition at state universities. Four times he has introduced bills to grant drivers licenses to illegal immigrants.

Rios said "Caucasian Arizona" often asks why he supports helping illegal immigrants instead of getting them to contribute to the systems they take from. He said the memorial was intended to offset jail and health costs, moving that issue off the table and opening dialogue about immigrant contributions.

"What I generally believe is that immigrants pay more into the economy of this country than they take out," Rios said.

A Tucson-based human rights group, Derechos Humanos, this week urged the backlash against the memorial.

"It's an issue that belongs to all of us, not just immigrants," Derechos co-chair Isabel Garcia said. "It's perpetuating the same lies and misinformation about immigrants."

Garcia said she's upset it was introduced, but glad it was revoked because the memorial didn't look at the financial benefits from immigrants in society.

Republican Rep. Randy Graf of Green Valley is an outspoken critic of illegal immigration and its cost on society, but he's not sure he would have voted for the memorial.

"This does nothing to stop the systemic problem with illegal immigration and the tremendous costs we incur with it," Graf said.