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AG candidates spar over legislative votes, ethics Tuesday, Aug 29, 2006 By Betsy Turner Arkansas News Bureau LITTLE ROCK - Republican attorney general candidate Gunner DeLay accused Democratic opponent Dustin McDaniel of being soft on illegal immigration Monday, and the two also questioned each other's ethics. DeLay charged that McDaniel, a first-term state representative from Jonesboro, cast inconsistent votes in last year's regular session on legislation intended to curtail illegal immigration. House Bill 2539, requiring proof of citizenship to obtain an Arkansas driver's license, and HB1012, granting state police authority to enforce immigration laws, both passed the Legislature and were signed into law. McDaniel voted for HB1012 when it first came up for a vote in the House and failed. He voted against a successful motion to reconsider the measure. He did not vote when the measure came up for a second time in the House but later voted to concur in a Senate amendment. On HB2539, McDaniel did not vote when the bill originally passed the House later voted to concur in a Senate amendment. "There are many times an amendment makes a dramatic change on a bill. In neither one of these bills was this the case," said Delay, a Fort Smith lawyer who formerly served in both the House and Senate. "His votes are entirely inconsistent and extremely difficult to explain." McDaniel said he voted to pass both of the bills. He said he was out of the chamber when HB2539 originally came up for a vote. He said HB1012 was a "good" bill and that he supported it originally and in its final passage. "The key is I voted for it twice," McDaniel said. "I never voted against the bill. I voted no on a procedural motion." The candidates also questioned each other's ethics. McDaniel recalled Delay's past tax problems, noting tax liens were filed against Delay in 1995, 2000 and 2001 for failing to pay taxes. He also said Delay was fined for violating Federal election laws during his failed 2001 congressional campaign. "We need an attorney general who respects and follows the law, not one who dodges it," McDaniel said in a release. Delay said the IRS gave conflicting information on the taxes he owed during those years. He said the situation was resolved with no interests or fines against him. Delay accused McDaniel of ethical lapses in not filing the proper information, such as occupations for numerous campaign contributors on financial disclosure reports. McDaniel said the campaign was trying to get information for donors that mailed in checks or dropped off donation at fundraisers. |
