Russell Pearce

Introduced Arizona's SB1070, a law that made illegal immigration a misdemeanor and required officers to request papers from anyone suspected of being undocumented. Pearce ran bill by ALEC for approval before introducing. Russell Keith Pearce, a fifth-generation Arizonan, was born on June 23, 1947, in Mesa to Hal Frost Pearce, an auto mechanic (and, he said, an alcoholic), and Norma Crandell, a musician and homemaker. His parents divorced when he was 13. he earned a degree in management from the University of Phoenix. He went on to serve as director of the Arizona Motor Vehicle Division. Elected to Arizona’s House of Representatives in 2000 and the State Senate in 2006, he supported the state’s Proposition 200, which requires proof of citizenship before Arizonans can register to vote or apply for public benefits. His survivors include his wife, LuAnne; their children, Dodi, Sean, Colten, Justin and Joshua; and three grandchildren.