A report by a Washington-based think tank claims Arizona lost $141 million in convention and conference business because of SB 1070.

Enlarge By Ross D. Franklin, AP Protesters in Phoenix marched Tuesday in support of those arrested while blockading downtown Phoenix's 4th Avenue Jail last July after portions of the Arizona immigration bill took effect. Enlarge By Matt York, AP David Dumyahn is a bellhop at the Fairmont Scottsdale (Ariz.) Princess resort. A statewide drop in tourism has meant job losses. Economic boycotts against Arizona after the state passed a tough immigration enforcement law in April have resulted in more than $250 million in losses to the state's conference and convention industry, according to a study commissioned by a research group critical of the legislation. Canceled conferences have led to losses including the elimination of more than 2,700 jobs, about $86.5 million in wages for Arizona workers, nearly $10 million in tax revenue for the state and $141 million in spending by conference attendees, according to the study conducted by the consulting firm Elliott D. Pollack & Co. for the Center for American Progress, a liberal-leaning think tank. The study predicts the total damage to the conference industry could reach $388 million in coming years given the current rate of cancellations. The study is the first to analyze the overall economic costs of the boycott. IMMIGRATION LAW: U.S.-Latin America relations strained HEARING STARTS: Ariz. illegal immigration law IMMIGRATION POLICY: More stories Angela Kelley of the center said the study should serve as a "cautionary tale" to legislators in more than a dozen states who are considering similar legislation. James Garcia, of the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, said the study is only the first step in gauging how much the law has hurt the state. He said it doesn't begin to account for the revenue lost by Hispanics fearful of the new law who fled the state, of business owners who decided not to move to Arizona because of the law and lost tourism dollars from concerned travelers. "The first thing people say to me is, 'What's going on in Arizona? It sounds like chaos there,' " Garcia said. "That pounding of that negative imagery is devastating. It has a ripple effect in every avenue of society." Supporters of the law say the short-term losses pale in comparison to the long-term economic drain that illegal immigrants have on the state. According to the Federation for American Immigration Reform, which advocates lower levels of immigration, Arizona will pay $2.8 billion in 2010 for the education, health care and incarceration of illegal immigrants. "The overall improvements in quality of life make for a healthy balance sheet over the long run for Arizona," said Bob Dane, a spokesman for the federation. Arizona lawmakers passed a law April 23 that requires police officers to determine the immigration status of suspects stopped for another offense if there is "reasonable suspicion" they were in the country illegally. The law, known as S.B. 1070, was blocked by a federal judge in July; Republican Gov. Jan Brewer has filed an appeal. Paul Senseman, a spokesman for Brewer, said they can't deny that the boycotts have hurt the state. But he said it's "truly impossible" to determine how much the state's struggling economy has been to blame, and said Brewer has no regrets despite the study's estimates. "The governor and the vast majority of Arizonans support S.B. 1070," Senseman said. University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law professor Kris Kobach, who helped Arizona and other state and local governments draft and defend tough immigration laws, said the study was "looking at one tree instead of the whole forest." He said the law has proven successful in driving illegal immigrants out of the state, lowering the state's fiscal responsibility to pay for public services for them. He said the gloomy economic forecasts also don't include the people who have visited Arizona to show their support for the immigration law. Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon, who has been critical of the law, said his city has seen no positive effects from the law. He said the city has historically thrived on tourists and convention attendees, but that market has dried up. The lack of conferences has had a spiraling effect, hurting all kinds of small businesses, he said. "The small businesses are dependent on the multiplier effect of all those visitors," Gordon said. "Those that took credit for (S.B. 1070) should take the blame for all of these jobs that are lost and all of the suffering they've created." Guidelines: You share in the USA TODAY community, so please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. Use the "Report Abuse" button to make a difference. You share in the USA TODAY community, so please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. Use the "Report Abuse" button to make a difference. Read more