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Mexican ID cards OK with governor

PHOENIX - Gov. Janet Napolitano refused Friday to block Arizona communities from honoring the Mexican consular identification card. The Democrat, in her 43rd veto of the session, said the legislation would have unintended consequences. The biggest, she said, is legal visitors could find themselves unable to get services from a police officer. "Arizona draws tourists and businessmen and women from around the world. It hosts thousands of foreign nationals every day who are lawfully present here for a variety of productive reasons," Napolitano wrote. "To say that Arizona law-enforcement agencies cannot rely on, for example, a British passport for the purpose of identifying a London tourist makes no sense and inappropriately hampers law enforcement's effectiveness." Sen. Dean Martin, R-Phoenix, countered that the legislation he wrote contains an exception when "required by treaty." He said treaties the United States has with foreign countries require that each nation honor the other's passports. The legislation does not actually refer to the Matricular Consular, which the Mexican consulate issues to citizens of that country who are in Arizona, regardless of their legal status here. Instead, it would have barred state and local officials from recognizing any document unless it was issued by a state or federal authority or Indian tribe and was verifiable by law-enforcement or homeland-security agencies. But proponents made it clear during debate that they were angered that some communities, including Tucson, Chandler, Mesa, Scottsdale, Tempe and Phoenix, have agreed to honor these consulate cards when presented by people needing certain public services, such as water or city business licenses. That fact did not escape Napolitano. "Without the ability to accept this form of identification, Arizona law-enforcement officers will be unable to confirm the identities of foreign nationals who are stopped for any reasons," she said. "This means, for example, that police would be unable to determine whether such a person is wanted for any crimes."