Each week the editorial board reflects on a current issue in Our View. The position taken does not reflect the opinions of everyone on the Hilltop Views staff. This week’s editorial board is composed of Viewpoints Editors Sully Lockett and Kenny Phipps.

With all the chaos occurring in the federal government in recent weeks, it’s easy to pay little to no attention to state politics and issues coming before the Texas legislature; however, state affairs affect our lives at least as much as national ones and should be given proper attention.

Senate Bill 4, the anti-sanctuary cities bill proposed by Senator Charles Perry (R-Lubbock) is one such piece of legislation. The bill proposes a change in the law regarding the responsibility of local law enforcement to comply with and enforce federal immigration laws by forcing local police departments and jails to detain any immigrants charged with a class B misdemeanor or above. This would revoke Austin’s status as a sanctuary city, somewhere where local law enforcement will not attempt to deport illegal immigrants on their own recognizance.

The bill was voted forward by the State Affairs Committee after hours of fraught testimonies by opponents and supporters of the bill on Feb 3, 2017. Designated by Abbott as an emergency item, the bill will be voted on earlier than most bills, which must undergo a 60 day period after they are proposed.

There are several problems with SB-4 — the high possibility of increasing racial profiling by police officers, eroding trust between communities and their police departments, and actually decreasing security, as Sheriff Sally Hernandez of Travis county has argued. Hernandez contends that forcing local law enforcement officials to effectively act as federal immigration agents will divert funds and efforts away from important local initiatives towards matters traditionally outside their purview.

The governor has appeared to take personal offense to these objections. In recent years, he personally attacked Sheriff Lupe Valdez of Dallas County when she acted according to her own judgement instead of his when concerning deportation of illegal immigrants. Similarly, Abbott has promised to deny further funding to the City of Austin and Travis County if Sheriff Hernandez does not comply with his views. SB-4 will codify these grant denials into law.

Abbott has cited “security concerns,” calling sanctuary policies like the one in place in Travis county “misguided and dangerous.” Hernandez has repeatedly reminded Abbott and the press that persons charged with serious crimes will still be detained and vetted as is the norm in Texas. Despite this, Abbott has denied $1.5 million in funding to Travis county police due to his partisan politics and seemingly personal feud with Hernandez.

Abbott has also called for creating legislation that would allow him to remove those who support sanctuary policies from office, and the Attorney General of Texas Ken Paxton has agreed with him. Abbott’s rhetoric surrounding this is all too reminiscent of what happened in North Carolina recently, where the outgoing Republican administration attempted to strip the incoming governor of power due to a partisan agenda.

Abbott’s actions and rhetoric are dangerously undemocratic. Threatening to enact legislation that will remove those who disagree with the powers that be seems more like rhetoric from a strongman dictator than previous leaders of this great democratic state. Abbott does not have the unilateral power to enforce his backwards views, and he should stop acting like he does.