¿JOSÈ SOLORIO LOST IN TRANSLATION?
On April 12, 2007, the California Republican Party issued a release entitled, "The Democrat Double Talk," where we highlighted Assembly Public Safety Chairman Josè Solorio's rejection of Assembly Bill 39, but remained a co-author of Assembly Concurrent Resolution (ACR) 24 which also urged "the Governor and the Attorney General of the State of California to institute an action in federal District Court for the Eastern District of California to compel the BJA to reimburse the State of California for all costs of housing undocumented foreign nationals...."
On the same day that Assemblyman Solorio voted against AB 39, he made statements to the Spanish language newspaper, La Opinion, noting that demanding reimbursement from the federal government for state incarceration of undocumented immigrants has failed in the past and trying to sue the federal government would be more costly to the state.
On Tuesday, May 8, 2007, with Solorio's support, ACR 24 passed the Public Safety Committee on a 7-0 vote.
Given Solorio's support for ACR 24, it would appear that Assemblyman Solorio either has separate policy statements for English and Spanish language speakers, or his statements to La Opinion may have just been lost in translation.
Hector M. Barajas, Communications Director, California Republican Party
AB 39 Was Rejected Because Similar Proposals Had Failed In The Past
"El asambleísta demócrata de Santa Ana, José Solorio, presidente del Comité de Seguridad Pública de la Asamblea, dijo que rechazaron la propuesta de Benoit porque en el pasado no ha tenido éxito al tratar de demandar al gobierno federal para que les reembolse el costo de encarcelar a los inmigrantes indocumentados. 'Vamos a seguir intentando que el gobierno federal nos regrese más dinero por los inmigrantes indocumentados, pero la manera como lo planteaba Benoit no es la indicada', refirió. 'Demandar al gobierno federal habría salido más caro al estado', remató." (Araceli Martinez-Ortega, "Rechazo A Plan De Reembolso Por Indocumentado Presos, La Opinion, 4/12/07)
Translation: "The Assembly Democrat of Santa Ana Jose Solorio, Chairman of the Assembly Public Safety Committee, stated that they [the public safety committee] rejected Benoit's bill [AB 39] because in the past we have not been successful in trying to demand the federal government to reimburse us for cost for incarcerating undocumented immigrants. He stated, 'We are going to continue trying to have the federal government reimburse us more money for the undocumented immigrants, but the method in which Benoit proposed is not the right one. 'To sue the federal government would have been more costly to the state,' he stated."
Assembly Bill: ACR 24 Amended
"Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate thereof concurring, That the Legislature hereby urges the Governor and the Attorney General of the State of California to institute an action in federal District Court for the Eastern District of California to compel the BJA to reimburse the State of California for all costs of housing undocumented foreign nationals...." (Assembly Bill: ACR 24 Amended, Accessed: 4/18/07)
Assemblyman Solorio Votes In Favor Of ACR 24
(http://www.assembly.ca.gov/acs/acsframeset2text.htm)
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