I was arguing with a friend the other day about the Arizona illegal immigration law, and he said something that got me wondering.  He was railing on Arizona for passing a law that was going further than federal law regarding immigration.  First, I have to disagree with him, SB 1070 basically codifies into Arizona state law what is already a crime on the federal level.  Second, let's say his argument is correct (which it isn't).  What if Arizona law goes further than federal law?  That got me thinking why the left only complains when a state goes further than federal law against their ideological wishes.  If a state goes further than federal law on leftist issues, nothing is said.  For instance:

Welfare for illegal immigrants.  Federal law states:

 Illegal immigrants are barred from the following federal public benefits: grants, contracts, loans, licenses, retirement, welfare, health, disability, public or assisted housing, post secondary education, food assistance, and unemployment benefits. States are barred from providing state or locally funded benefits to illegal immigrants unless a state law is enacted granting such authority.

However, here in Illinois and in other states, illegal immigrants can apply and receive Link cards.  No complaints from the left on Illinois going further than federal law here.

Environment.  The federal government has the Environmental Protection Agency.  The federal EPA has set certain standards for clean air, clean water, lead levels, etc.  California has taken many of these regulations to another level.  California has some of the strictest environmental laws in the United States and these laws go much further than federal law on car emissions and lead to name just two.  Do the leftists complain about California overstepping it's bounds?  Nope, not a peep.

Taxes.   More importantly, gasoline tax.  The federal government taxes each gallon of gasoline 18.4 cents .  Illinois taxes gasoline at 19 cents , unless you use diesel, then it's 21.5 cents per gallon, unless you are a commercial highway driver, then it's 27.5 cents per gallon.  Any word from the leftists that Illinois out taxes the federal government?  Silence.

Marijuana.  Growing, smoking, distributing and selling marijuana in the United States is a federal crime.  Unless you are in California where "medicinal marijuana" is legal.  Not to be outdone, SB 1381 in the Illinois Senate would also allow the legalization of "medicinal marijuana".   Maybe the left is too busy taking their "medicine" for glaucoma to speak up in opposition?

Minimum wage.  Federal law sets minimum wage at $7.25 per hour .  Illinois' minimum wage is at $8.00 per hour right now.  In fact, in Santa Fe, New Mexico, minimum wage is $9.85 per hour.  Any lefties taking states to court about going further than federal law on this issue?  No?  Silence again.

Amazing how the left only races off to court to sue states when they go past federal law on issues they disagree with like gun rights laws, abortion restriction, or illegal immigration to name a few.  If states go past federal law on lefty favorites, nothing is said except to call conservatives bigots, racists, Nazis, homophobes, or other names the left likes to use.  Just to reiterate, the Arizona law does not go further than federal law, it mirrors it.  But even that is too much for the left to handle.