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Colorado Compact Seeks to Guide Immigration Debate

While the country waits for a new debate on immigration reform, a plan was submitted over the weekend by a bi-partisan group of Coloradans aimed at helping guide the national discussion when it does take place.

KUNC’s Brian Larson spoke to Colorado Statesman publisher Jody Hope Strogoff about theColorado Compact which is being led by Senator Michael Bennet (D-Colorado).

Strogoff says Bennet is a good choice.

“Bennet has really forged a reputation of being to work with both sides of the aisle in the Senate and I think it’s that kind of approach that will be important in Congress for people to come together and work together from both sides of the aisle and really come up with some immigration reform. He was the member of the “Gang of Eight” which tackled some of the economic problems that the government was having and he seems to do really well when it comes to building coalitions and trying to come to consensus.”

Senator Michael Bennet
Senator Michael Bennet.

The Colorado Compact is non-binding and Strogoff says thesix principals in the compact are fairly general and similar to what other states like Utah have already drafted.

Strogoff says whether it makes a difference or not remains to be seen.

“He’s got a lot a wide array of people who’ve signed onto this – including Latino outreach groups and religious organizations, everybody from the corn growers to the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, so he’s hoping that all these conversations, people will realize that immigration is a broad topic that needs specific input.”

In a press release on Sunday, Senator Bennet said he’s confident that taking some “Colorado commonsense” to Washington will help fix the immigration system.

Jody Hope Strogoff is the editor and publisher of The Colorado Statesman. The Statesman is a non-partisan political weekly newspaper, founded in 1898. Jody began working at the newspaper in the late 1970s, later purchasing the publication in 1988. She discusses the state’s political scene each Tuesday at 6:35 and 8:35 during KUNC’s Morning Edition.
Email: brian.larson@kunc.org
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