El Paso Mayor to go to Arizona for conference despite City Council ban on travel to state

El Paso City Council found itself split on Tuesday on whether to pay for and make an exception to a council policy not to travel to Arizona.

The issue came up because Mayor John Cook was invited to speak at a at a border trade conference there. Back in 2010, City Council adopted a policy not to spend tax money in Arizona in protest of the passage of state senate bill 1070 which allowed local police to inquire about immigration status. It was a step critics said would lead to racial profiling.

Earlier this month, council voted to retain the Arizona ban after Cook put an item to reconsider it on the agenda. But Tuesday, after Cook pointed out that he was invited by the U.S/ Department of Commerce to speak at the border trade conference on border security measures and how it impacts trade, council voted 4-to-4 on the issue.

Voting against it were city representatives Steve Ortega, Emma Acosta, Susie Byrd and Eddie Holguin. Voting to send the mayor to Arizona were city reps Dr. Michiel Noe, Ann Morgan Lilly, Cortney Niland and Carl Robinson.

That left Cook to break the tie and he voted in favor of him going to the conference using City funds, a decision that he defended afterward.

“I thought it was important that I attend that meeting and I accepted the invitation but I thought it only fair to let the City Council know that I did accept the invitation,” Cook said.

“I still think Arizona is at the forefront out there trying to initiate the bans that actually target Hispanics and unless you’re an Hispanic you don’t understand that,” Acosta said.

Cook said had he not received approval from council he would have still attended the conference, but paid for it himself.

Byrd asked that council’s Arizona ban policy be put on next week’s agenda to discuss whether it discuss whether it should still exist if there are going to be exceptions.