Arizona AG rules Proposition 200 applies only to welfare programs News
Arizona AG rules Proposition 200 applies only to welfare programs

[JURIST] Proposition 200, the Arizona state initiative aimed at keeping illegal immigrants from receiving public benefits, is limited to certain welfare-related programs, Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard ruled Friday. Goddard wrote an advisory legal opinion [PDF] to clarify some of the confusion regarding the reference to "state and local public benefits" in the text of the Proposition. He stated that the proposition should apply to Arizona's welfare law, because the proposition amended that law. However, many welfare programs, including food stamps and Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, are exempt because they are federally required. The proposition, approved by voters on November 2nd, should become law later this month. AP has more. JURIST's Paper Chase has background on Proposition 200.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Laws of Burgos put into effect

The Spanish Crown put the Laws of Burgos into effect on December 27, 1512. These laws governed the relationship of Spanish settlers with the indigenous peoples of the Caribbean. The laws established the encomienda system of labor, promoted conversion to Catholicism, and safeguarded the indigenous peoples from physical abuse.  However, historians argue that the laws were ineffective at protecting the rights of the indigenous population. Learn more from the Library of Congress.

Prohibitionist Carrie Nation carried out her first public bar smashing

On December 27, 1900, militant Prohibitionist Carrie Nation carried out her first public smashing of a bar, at the Carey Hotel in Wichita, Kansas. Nation argued that destroying bars was an acceptable means of battling the liquor trade since the Kansas Constitution prohibited alcohol. Learn more about Carrie Nation.

World Bank created

On December 27, 1944, the World Bank was created during the United Nations Monetary and Financial Conference in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, USA. Learn more about the history of the World Bank.