Segment Transcript
Lou Dobbs Tonight - CNN - (Kitty Pilgrim filled in for Lou)

Former Lebanese Prime Minister Killed by Car Bomb; Bush Requests $82 Million for Iraq War

Aired February 14, 2005 - 18:00 ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

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Well, a national effort is under way to crack down on benefits for illegal aliens in this country. Lawmakers in Arkansas have proposed new legislation that's modeled on Arizona's Proposition 200. Now like the Arizona law the Arkansas legislation would require proof of citizenship in order to vote and to receive state benefits. Arkansas state Senator Jim Holt proposed the legislation in his state and he joins me tonight from Little Rock. Thanks for which for being here, sir.

JIM HOLT (R), ARKANSAS STATE SENATE: Thank you, Kitty, for having me. I appreciate it.

PILGRIM: Do you expect this to pass? What are the odds?

HOLT: I think the odds are pretty well right now. Right now we're going through the education process. The first salvo that was fired already saying that this bill is racist and it's bigoted and of course it's quite the contrary. My cousins are Latino, I have several which are Latino. My wife is the great grand-daughter of a Russian immigrant. So of course that has nothing to do with the issue. The issue has to do with compassion and justice for the taxpayers of Arkansas. And not only that, it has to do with those 600,000 legal people who are trying to get here -- the immigrants who are trying to get here legally. And that's something that we need to address.

PILGRIM: But this salvo that you call it was leveled on you by the governor of Arkansas. Do you think that he will have enough political leverage to actually block this?

HOLT: Well, we'll have to wait and see. I don't think so. I think the people of Arkansas -- once again we have an issue like it was in Arizona. It's either the state of Arkansas or the people of Arkansas, and I just choose to be on the people's side.

PILGRIM: Why did you decide to introduce legislation rather than have a citizens' initiative?

HOLT: Well, if it doesn't pass this session, we will launch a citizens' initiative. We have a representative republic, and that's what we need to realize as legislators that we need to hear the voice of the people. And when I have Mexican citizens that are here as legal residents telling me we have a problem with illegal immigration and benefits that are being drawn from the state, that's something we need to address and I intend to do that.

PILGRIM: How many illegal aliens do you expect are in Arkansas?

HOLT: Well, there are some reports -- of course, no one really ever knows, but it's been reported as far -- I've heard as little as 40,000, as of 2000 -- Census 2000, all the way up until now I've heard up to 125,00 to 250,000. So no one really knows for sure, of course, Kitty.

PILGRIM: Arkansas isn't a border state. Is it really that big on the consciousness of the citizens?

HOLT: It's huge, especially in my district in northwest Arkansas, it's gigantic. As I went around the state just running for U.S. Senate people wherever I went told me we have to address this issue.

PILGRIM: Now, President Bush has tried to initiate a guest worker type of program. What's your opinion on that, and how does that dovetail with anything you're trying to do? HOLT: Well, it goes back to the issue of this. People that are here legally already, what does that say to them? What does that say when we're trying to wait and become legal citizens of America and Arkansas. What does that say to them? It says you're a fool if you wait in line, and this is about the respect of law and justice, and we're going to have to -- as far as Bush's plan, the proposal for the guest worker program, I have not read it. I would have to read it before I'll be able to give you an accurate comment on that.

PILGRIM: All right. Thank you very for being with us. Jim Holt, thank you.

HOLT: Thank you.

PILGRIM: And that brings us to the subject of tonight's poll, would you support a measure like Proposition 200 in your state? Yes or no. Cast your vote at loudobbs.com. We'll bring you the results later in this show.

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