You must obey these laws, but not those laws

Here’s a Chronicle story profiling EPA regional administrator Al Armendariz:

That the EPA is picking on Texas, a favorite refrain of the politicians, is an “unfortunate characterization” because the agency works with the state on many issues, ranging from oil spills to clean water for impoverished communities along the Mexican border, Armendariz said in a recent interview at his office.

“Unfortunately,” he said, “the elected officials — the governor and the attorney general (Greg Abbott) – see some value in fighting the federal government for their own sake. They’re fermenting the disagreements we see. It’s bad public policy. It’s bad for permit holders. And it creates uncertainty.”

Armendariz insists that anyone in his position would be taking the same steps he has. He notes that Richard Greene, the Bush appointee who proceeded him as the EPA’s regional administrator for Texas and four adjacent states, sent “strong letters” to the TCEQ about problems with aspects of its permitting program. Armendariz later determined that roughly 130 refineries, chemical plants and factories with so-called flexible permits needed to bring them into compliance with federal law.

“The steps we’re taking are required by law,” he said. “What people are disagreeing with is the Clean Air Act, as written by Congress. What they don’t like is how the law is written.”

And here’s an Express News story about “sanctuary cities” and the legislation that will be taken up to deal with it.

Several, including one by state Sen. Dan Patrick, R-Houston, would deny state grants to cities that don’t enforce immigration laws. Several similar bills have been filed in the House, including one by state Rep. Debbie Riddle, R-Tomball. Riddle also filed a bill that would allow police to arrest illegal immigrants on trespassing charges.

[Mayor Raul] Reyes said that would put more burdens on cities like El Cenizo.

“They should be helping communities like El Cenizo,” he said. “We don’t have the economic means to hire personnel.”

Bennett Sandlin, the executive director of the Texas Municipal League, agreed with Reyes. It’s almost unheard of for city councils to tell police not to ask about immigration status, Sandlin said; most policies are set by police departments.

And he said the Legislature shouldn’t be interfering with police chiefs. On top of that, Sandlin said, requiring police to enforce immigration laws would be an added financial burden in the midst of budget shortfalls.

“In a perfect world we’d have the state and federal money to enforce immigration statutes,” he said. “But right now we’re bare to the bone just locking up the bad guys.”

Riddle said she’s confident her bills fall under Perry’s emergency item designation and will be voted on in the session’s first 30 days.

Patrick said he wants sanctuary cities done away with so individual cities aren’t thumbing their noses at federal and — assuming the Legislature passes a bill he filed that requires officers to ask anyone without identification about their immigration status — state law.

So let me see if I’ve got this straight. It’s bad for the federal government to enforce its laws in Texas. It’s good for the state to require cities to enforce federal laws, even as such requirements represent unfunded mandates and fall outside the jurisdiction of municipal law enforcement agencies. Maybe what environmentalists need to do is get someone to file a bill that would require cities to arrest violators of the Clean Air Act. That seems to be the approved method of federal law enforcement these days.

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