Posted by AzBlueMeanie:
Well that didn't take long. Yesterday i posted that the AZ Lege seeks to repeal the GOP Voter Suppression Act, HB 2305, to deprive the voters of their 'citizens veto'. A co-author of the GOP Voter Suppression Act, Sen. Michele Reagan (R-Scottsdale), indicated that she would like to "repeal the bill before it goes up for the referendum election. However, she would like lawmakers to go back and pass portions of the bill once again in 2015."
"Republican Sen. Adam Driggs of Phoenix, who has had discussions with both Reagan and McComish about repealing the law, said he can’t control what bills lawmakers decide to introduce. But he said he would discourage lawmakers from immediately sponsoring new legislation including measures from a repealed HB2305."
Rep. "Fast Eddie" Farnsworth (R-Gilbert), has already filed the bill for repeal of HB 2305, as HB 2196 (.pdf).
Howard Fischer reports, Arizona lawmaker considering end run on voting-law referendum:
State lawmakers are moving to repeal major changes in voting laws made last year — and then re-enacting at least some of them in a way to thwart a referendum drive.
The proposal by Rep. Eddie Farnsworth, R-Gilbert, comes after foes of those changes gathered enough signatures to put the measure on hold until voters have a final say in November.
HB 2196 would repeal the law, making the November vote unnecessary.
But Farnsworth said he still believes some of the provisions of last year’s law are necessary, notably one that allows counties to remove people from the permanent early-voter lists. So he wants to re-enact that.
And he acknowledged that other legislators may have pieces of that law they want to readopt.
Re-enacting all or part of the law would force foes to launch an entirely new referendum drive.
“We think that it’s a cynical attempt to try to get around our referendum,” said Robbie Sherwood, spokesman for the coalition that forced last year’s bill to a public vote. “We won’t take that lying down.”
* * *
Farnsworth’s repeal measure would make [the referendum] moot. But he said he wants to try again to make the “permanent early voting list” a little less permanent.
Those who sign up are automatically mailed ballots before every election. Voters can mark them and mail them back or take them to a polling place.
Farnsworth said he believes that list is clogged with people who aren’t interested in voting early, may have moved or are dead, costing taxpayers money to mail out ballots, as well as costing candidates to send their campaign materials.
That’s only partly true.
The change Farnsworth wants re-enacted would allow removal of people from the early-voting list if they have not used their early ballots for two election cycles, choosing to vote in person instead, and then did not respond to a postcard from the secretary of state. Maricopa County Elections Director Karen Osborne said there are separate procedures to “scrub” the voting rolls of people who have not voted at all, perhaps because they moved or died.
Farnsworth said he cannot guarantee other legislators won’t use repeal of the law and voiding of the referendum drive as a chance to enact it again. [hint-hint]
To the coalition of organizations that came together to put the citizens referendum ("citizens veto") of the GOP Voter Suppression Act on the ballot: these evil GOP bastards are about to try to suppress your vote again. it is time to rise up in righteous anger and to turn these evil GOP bastards out of office, and to hold them accountable for their anti-democratic actions. If the GOP thinks that rendering the citizens referendum moot while still actively engaging in voter suppression is a winning strategy, they are sadly mistaken. Organize, energize, vote!
As Klinger said, "I'll get out of the Army the old fashioned way, with a Section 8!" The Republicans in the Arizona legislature say they will stay in power the old fashioned way, Cheat!
Posted by: Frances Perkins | January 17, 2014 at 11:15 AM