There’s much contorversy in Arizona over a ballot initiative, Proposition 200 , that would require proof of citizenship when registering to vote, proof of identity when actually voting, and proof of legal status when applying for government benefits (those benefits not mandated by federal law, like emergency room care). All the usual suspects are against it, including big business, big labor, and big religion, along with the Democratic governor, “Republican” John McCain, and of course, The Wall Street Journal.

So imagine my surprise when I read in yesterday’s Arizona Republic that Mexico has had these very requirements in law for many years. In the words of a spokesman for the Mexican agency that oversees immigration, “Every agency has its own regulations, but generally, that’s the rule. To receive these government services, you have to prove you are in the country legally.”