DENVER — State Legislator Jordan Carter (D-Colorado) noted Monday that Texas Gov. David Acton's latest release conceded the central factual dispute over Carter's Florida amendment — that it does not ban cooperation with immigration authorities — before raising a fresh mischaracterization.

"Yesterday the Governor said my amendment forced a conviction for 'an additional crime.' It didn't. Today he admits, in writing, that it doesn't ban cooperation. I appreciate the correction," Carter said. "But now he says it 'explicitly protects' sanctuary cities. It doesn't do that either. It removes a state mandate and leaves the decision to local officials — who can require cooperation, decline it, or anything in between. Striking a mandate isn't protecting a policy. It's silence. It's local control."

"The Governor says this is really about accountability. We agree," Carter added. "I think the people accountable to a community should set that community's priorities — not a blanket order from the state capitol. That's the whole argument. We can have it honestly now that we've established what the amendment actually says."