Poster elicits claims of racism, free-speech violations

WASHINGTON (Map, News) - A political joke about a Mexican hat has exposed deep fissures in the Maryland Legislature over race and immigration that have two Prince George’s County delegates at their center.

Accusations of racism and free speech violations have been tossed between House members following an incident earlier this week in which House Judiciary Committee Chairman Del. Joseph Vallario, D-Prince George’s, shut down the testimony of a woman who had distributed a flier to committee members portraying Vallario in a sombrero with the title “wanted for aiding and abetting” illegal immigrants.

Vallario, who is of Italian descent, according to his colleagues on the panel, reportedly tried to blame the bills’ sponsors, Delegates Warren Miller, R-Howard, and Patrick McDonough, R-Baltimore County, for distributing the fliers, but McDonough said they knew nothing about it.

Now, Miller is calling for Vallario to resign, and McDonough said he will file an ethics violation against Del. Victor Ramirez, D-Prince George’s, if Ramirez doesn’t apologize for describing Miller, McDonough and other bill sponsors as racists in reports on the incident.

“[Delegate Vallario] became a censor of free speech” when he stopped Susan Payne from testifying Tuesday, Miller said. “I would suggest he move to another country and run for officer there. It’s time for someone else to take over [the committee].”

Calls to Vallario were not returned.

Following the incident, Ramirez, a Salvadorian immigrant, described the flier to a reporter as “blatant racism” and suggested it showed “the true colors of the bills’ proponents.”

On Thursday, after learning McDonough would file an ethics violation against him for calling fellow lawmakers names, Ramirez told The Examiner, “putting the drawings that put down an ethnicity are inappropriate as well. ... McDonough has a history of misconstruing opinion with fact.”

The bills being discussed Tuesday would have created penalties for Maryland municipalities that pass laws thwarting federal immigration regulations.

McDonough and Miller both said their biggest concern was that Payne’s right to speak freely during the testimony had been violated, although McDonough did not agree Vallario should be removed as chairman.

On top of her testimony, Payne also submitted dozens of pictures of people who had been either assaulted or murdered by illegal immigrants, all of which Vallario would not allow to be submitted.

Payne said she’s heading back to Vallario’s hearing room next week to testify on other immigration-related legislation. “I’d better get a chance to speak,” she said.

fklopott@dcexaminer.com

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