Arizona, N.M.: side by side, but a world apart. New Mexico's governor says it is a step backward.

Texas isn't touching it. And California? Never again. Arizona's sweeping new ...

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2011851137_immigstates13.html

As the Arizona Legislature steamed ahead with the most stringent immigration- enforcement bill in the country this year, the New Mexico House unanimously was passing a resolution recognizing economic benefits of illegal immigrants. While Arizona police will check driver's licenses and other documents to root out illegal immigrants, New Mexico allows illegal residents to obtain driver's licenses, as a public-safety measure.

Even New Mexico's supporters of Arizona's law — and there are some — agree such a measure never would pass in their state, given the outcry among legislators and immigrant advocates that police might detain and question Latinos who are legal residents and citizens but are mistaken for illegal immigrants.

Why the difference?

First, New Mexico (population 2 million) has the highest percentage of Hispanics of any state — 45 percent compared with 30 percent in Arizona (population 6.5 million), and they historically have commanded far more political power than their neighbors do. The New Mexico Legislature is 44 percent Hispanic, compared with Arizona at 16 percent, according to the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials.

Both were once part of Mexico and, later, the same U.S. territory. However, since they became states in 1912, New Mexico has had five Hispanic governors (including Richardson, whose mother is Mexican), and Arizona has had one, according to the group.

New Mexico legislators embrace civil-rights protections in the state's constitution — including so-called unamendable provisions akin to a Bill of Rights that historically protected Spanish-speaking citizens of the former Mexican territory — and often mount a "protective stance" toward immigrants regardless of legal status, said Christine Sierra, a political-science professor at the University of New Mexico.

Those are interesting stats.

megastation, with limbaugh and hannity and savage on, and then local wannabes asking the same questions- do we want it too, putting on the dittoheads who tell stories about mexicans stealing their stuff, or repeating the earlier talking points. or topics like is the gov out of touch, or the gov is corrupt, etc , 24/7, and reaching every part of the state and 17 at night- the same station does the U of NM lobos sports broadcasting- 770 KKOB.