Blog For Arizona

Sen. Rick Murphy challenging Sen. Steve Yarbrough for the gold medal in the "Brazen Chutzpah" competition

By Craig McDermott, cross-posted from Random Musings

By now, everyone in the lege-watcher universe knows about Sen. Steve Yarbrough and his penchant for pushing self-enriching tuition tax credit measures in the lege, measures that add to his personal wealth.

And even though his activities have been public knowledge for years now, every year, Yarbrough pushes more self-serving measures through the lege.

Why shouldn't he?  Other than the news stories, he hasn't faced any pushback for his actions - he keeps getting reelected and this state's prosecutors won't touch him.

Now, one of his Senate colleagues, Rick Murphy, has apparently taken the lesson from Yarbrough's situation to heart - go ahead and use the lege as a conduit for self-serving agendas.

Last summer, Murphy was caught up in a scandal when there were allegations the he abused some of the children placed in his care as a foster parent.

After an investigation by Peoria PD and CPS found insufficient evidence to support criminal charges, the matter was dropped.

Well, the police and CPS dropped the matter, but Murphy most assuredly has not.

Apparently, Murphy is still pissed off to no end that they dared to investigate him.

So he has proposed a series of bills to "remedy" the situation.

Pro Publica exposé on Sean Noble and the 'Kochtopus' dark money network (Updated)

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

The Arizona Republic frequently decries "dark money" organizations on its editorial page, but it oddly is limited to concern about public employee union "dark money" organizations that attacked their boy, Phoenix City councilman Sal Diciccio. It's funny (not) how little attention the Republic pays to the vast network hub of "dark money" organizations operating out of Maricopa County. Maybe it's because these people are their friends, neighbors and asssociates whom they hang out with at cocktail parties and political events.

About the only place you can find any reference to Sean Noble* and the "Kochtopus"  dark money network he operates out of Maricopa County is here. This is a fundamental failure of the corporate news media to perform its constitutional function as the "watchdog of democracy."

Kim Barker and Theodoric Meyer at Pro Publica have a richly detailed new exposé on Sean Noble and the "Kochtopus" dark money network, The Dark Money Man: How Sean Noble Moved the Kochs' Cash into Politics and Made Millions:

For a brief, giddy moment, Sean Noble—a little-known former aide to Arizona congressman [John Shadegg]—became one of the most important people in American politics.

Plucked from obscurity by libertarian billionaire brothers Charles and David Koch, Noble was tasked with distributing a torrent of political money raised by the Koch network, a complex web of nonprofits nicknamed the Kochtopus, into conservative causes in the 2010 and 2012 elections.

Noble handed out almost $137 million in 2012 alone -- all of it so-called dark money from unnamed donors -- from his perch atop the Center to Protect Patient Rights, a group run out of an Arizona post office box.

The Trouble with E.Orr - he does not represent the values of his constituents

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Is this a private fight, or can anyone join in?

Tim Steller of the Arizona Daily Star is writing the most recent iteration of the Political Notebook that Rhonda Bodfield and Daniel Scarpinato (now with the RNCC) before her used to write. God, I hated the Political Notebook!

Anyway, Timmeh takes issue with Blog for Arizona's Pamela Powers Hannley for taking issue with a recent column of his, correctly pointing out that Rep. Ethan Orr (R-Tucson) only nurtures the appearance of being a moderate but votes with his GOP caucus routinely.

I would make the point that the occasional departure vote does not make Orr a "moderate" or a RINO, any more than a Democrat casting the occasional departure vote makes him or her a Teabagger or a DINO. It is a voting record taken as a whole that matters.

Here is Pamela's informative post. AZ Star Perpetuates 'Ethan Orr Is a Moderate' Myth. Please note the Votesmart.org link to Orr's voting record.

Today's Steller column wastes everyone's time focusing on Facebook comments about his previous column with which Pamela Powers Hannley took issue. Yeah, that's not news. Too many political reporters are fixated with social media like Twitter and Facebook. It is not news.

AZ House votes to deny Arizonans their constitutional right to vote on a citizens-referred referendum

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Our lawless legislature continues to demonstrate its contempt for the citizens of Arizona and their constitutional right to refer an act of the legislature to the voters to decide in a citizens referendum ("citizens veto"). The larger context here is its utter contempt for democracy and the right to vote.

More than 140,000 Arizonans braved the heat of an Arizona summer to circulate and sign petitions to refer HB 2305, the GOP Voter Suppression Act, to the ballot in November to let the people decide on what the legislature enacted as a "strike everything" amendment in the dead of night when no one was watching. There was no public notice, and no public hearing before a committee.

(If you want to outlaw something in the Arizona Constitution, let's start with the "strike everything" amendment. All bills should have to be filed, noticed for public hearing, and proceed through "regular order" of committee hearings and floor amendments.)

You willl recall that at the end of January, the House Judiciary Committee took up HB 2196 (.pdf), a singe-sentence bill to repeal the GOP Voter Suppression Act. House Judiciary Committee approves repeal of HB 2305 on a party line vote. The House Rules Committee signed off on this GOP skullduggery earlier this week.

(Update) Sen. Gail Griffin pulls bill to seize a piece of Pima County for Rosemont Mine

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

It turns out the only people who supported this crazy idea are teabaggers and supporters of Rosemont Mine, who are a distinct minority. There was strong opposition from constituents living in the affected areas and from the county governments. The Green Valley New reports, Griffin ends bid to move county line:

Sen. Gail Griffin (R-Hereford) introduced SB 1357 last week. The bill would have put to a vote the idea of moving the Santa Cruz County line to Pima Mine Road on the northern boundary of Sahuarita.

Griffin's office has been barraged by emails and phone calls on the bill since last week.

Griffin on Thursday put the brakes on a bill that could have moved Green Valley, Sahuarita and the mines into Santa Cruz County.

Griffin said questions raised on both sides led to the decision, and said her committee also has 20 other bills to consider before a Monday deadline. She said she hasn't decided whether to reintroduce the bill next year.

Here's your answer: "The plan has been floated several times in the past and has met near-universal disapproval on both sides of the county line." Give it up.

The AZLege's Black Helicopter Caucus wants a Constitutional Convention. Just the wrong kind.

By Craig McDermott, cross-posted from Random Musings

...Just a vent, but it is time to rename the "Legislative Department" (Article 4) section of the AZ Constitution as the "Micromanaging The Legislative Department" section...

Led by renowned/notorious (pick your preferred term) tea party type Rep. Kelly Townsend, the Arizona Legislature's Black Helicopter Caucus (BHC) has proposed HCR2027, a proposal for a convention to propose amendments to the US Constitution.

They want to impose term limits on federal-level elected officials ('cuz term limits have helped AZ become the best-run state in the country. don'cha know?) and fiscal and authority limits on the federal government.

And after watching the Arizona legislature in action this session, and many sessions before this, I have come to think that the BHC is on to something here.

I mean, they have the wrong goals and the wrong target in mind, but it is definitely time to update the Constitution to address some malfeasance on the part of members of a branch of government.

Of course, the Constitution that needs updating is the Arizona Constitution, and the branch of government that needs to be brought to heel is the Arizona Legislature.

There's a culture of institutional corruption at the legislature, exemplified by the never-ending stream of legislation that serves deep-pocketed lobbyists or even the legislators themselves, almost all contrary to the interests of the people of Arizona.

That corruption is rooted in, and enabled by, a culture of contempt for public service, public servants, and even the public itself.

Time to make some "adjustments".

None of the suggestions that follow are partisan in nature, nor are they about policy.  Those considerations change over time; the need for elected officials to conduct the people's business, and themselves, with focus and integrity is timeless.

 

Suggestion one:

Black helicopters day at the Arizona Lege came early this year

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

The GOP crazy base bills are moving through the legislature at a break-neck pace this year. Last year "black helicopters day" at the Arizona Lege didn't come until April. Black helicopters day at the Arizona Lege.

On Wednesday the annual "constitutional sheriffs" bill, a favorite of anti-government right-wing conspiracy theorists who believe the black helicopters of the federal "guvmint" are coming for their guns and "freedom!", is sponsored by far-right extremist groups like former Graham County Sheriff Richard Mack's conspiratorial Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association and the Oath Keepers, made up of former and current law enforcement officers and military personnel who believe it is their duty to defy what they deem to be unconstitutional orders. Here is a profile of Mack from the Southern Poverty Law Center. 'Army' of Sheriffs to Resist Federal Authority.

In 2012, wingnut Rep. David Gowan (R-Sierra Vista), who has now been promoted to House Majority Leader, sponsored HB 2434 which would have required employees of federal agencies to first notify the sheriff of the county "before taking any official law enforcement action in a county in this state." HB 2434 was actually approved by the Arizona legislature. It took a veto by Governor Jan Brewer to restore sanity. Governor Brewer vetoes 'States' Rights' Tea-Publican bill.

The sponsor of this year's version of the bill, SB 1290 (.pdf). is the "Birther Queen," Rep. Judy Burges (R-Sun City West), who is also the Grand Inquisitor of climate science denialism. This woman is never without her tinfoil hat.

Sen. David Farnsworth fears living a sci-fi TV series

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

I don't watch a lot of television, mostly because of crappy television programming like NBC's post-apocalyptic science fiction television drama Revolution, the premise of which is that all electricity on Earth has been disabled and people are forced to adapt to a world without electricity.

Oh noes! Mankind survived for thousands of years without electricity. Hardly scary stuff. You can survive.

Sen. David Farnsworth (R-Mesa), he of "constitutional" chickens fame, fears one day he will be living the premise of this sci-fi TV series. When one can no longer distinguish between reality and a fictional TV series, I do believe it's time to seek professional help.

I almost spit out my coffee this morning when I read this report. Lawmakers discuss essential supplies for electronic disaster:

State lawmakers are moving to make sure you know what to have on hand when electronic Armageddon strikes.

Legislation approved Wednesday by the Senate Public Safety Committee would require the state Division of Emergency Management to develop recommendations for what Arizonans should buy now and store in the garage, basement or storage room just in case an enemy detonates a nuclear or other bomb that wipes out power and communications in the state — and possibly nationwide.

AZ Reps. Grijalva and Barber Back Extension of ERA Ratification Deadline

by Pamela Powers Hannley

Ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) has received bipartisan support in the Arizona Legislature, but Arizona's Congressional delegation appears to be lagging behind. Of Arizona's 11 Senators and Representatives, only two--  Southern Arizona Reps. Raul Grijalva (D- CD3) and Ron Barber (D- CD2)-- have signed on to co-sponsor legislation to remove the ERA's ratification deadline.

There are two Congressional bills to remove the ratification deadline. In the House, HJ Res 43 has 104 cosponsors (including Grijalva and Barber), and in the Senate, SJ Res 15 has 34 cosponsors.

The ERA was introduced during every Congressional session between 1923 (when it was originally proposed) and 1972. It finally passed Congress nearly 70 years after it was originally introduced. In the 1970s, there was a ground war at the state level to get 38 state legislatures to ratify the ERA in order for it to become a Constitutional Amendment. The ERA fell 3 states short of ratification; Arizona is one of a handful of states that never ratified the ERA. (Contact and Twitter info for Arizona's Congressional delegation after the jump.)

HCR2016 ERA Ratification Bill Languishes on Speaker Tobin's Desk

by Pamela Powers Hannley

Tucson Rep. Victoria Steele has introduced two bipartisan bills to advance the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) in the Arizona Legislature. One has made it to committee, while the other is waiting on Speaker of the House Andy Tobin's desk.

HCR2016 is a bill to ratify the ERA. Although ERA ratification has 22 sponsors, including four Republicans, it hasn't made it "out of the gate" yet. According to an aid in Steele's office, HCR2016 hasn't had a "first read" yet. Bills are read first by Speaker Tobin, who determines committee assignments. If a bill is never assigned to a committee, it is dead in the water. (HB2016 text here.)

HCM2006 is a memorandum to the federal government asking that the ratification deadline be extended. HCM2006 has 19 sponsors, including two Republicans. The bill has been assigned to the Federalism and Fiscal Responsibility Committee (FFR) but hasn't made it on the committee's agenda... yet. (More about the committee here. HCM2006 text here.)

Bills can be killed in multiple ways: they can be voted down in committee, voted down by the Legislature, or just plain ignored by the Speaker or the committee chair. Although it's early in the session, it appears as if the ERA bills are being ignored-- even though the ERA has bipartisan support in the Legislature and broad, popular support among the majority of Americans. (Sponsor list after the jump.)

"Both parties suck! Wah! Why won't you Democrats fix it?!?"

Crossposted from DemocraticDiva.com

Laurie Roberts at the AZ Republic is beside herself that the well-heeled proponents of the dumb Top Two Primary idea are, as she delightedly exclaims, baaaaaack. (Much more after the jump)

So what happened in the Senate Elections Committee?

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

So what happened in the Senate Elections Committee on Tuesday? Hint, you won't find it in your newspaer, I looked.

SCR 1003 (.pdf), which would refer a legislative ballot measure to the ballot that requires "the reauthorization of statewide initiative and referendum measures that create funds for public monies, dedicate public monies to a specific purpose or otherwise effect state General Fund (GF) revenues or expenditures," was held in committee.

SB 1344 (.pdf), which would strips the voter-enacted Citizens Clean Elections Commission of any jurisidiction from accepting, investigating or acting on complaints of campaign contribution and expense violations by non-participating candidates for statewide or legislative office, was also held in committee.

SB 1403 (.pdf), Sen. Michele Reagan's half-measure to introduce some transparency into "dark money" campaign finance disclosures, was also held in committee.

SB 1232 (.pdf), which would "require circulators who are not residents of this state (non-residents) and paid petition circulators to register with the Secretary of State (SOS) prior to circulating petitions and prescribes circulator registration information," passed with a "do pass" recommendation 5-0, with two absent. This was an element of HB 2305.

Your tax dollars at work.

Time for the restoration of ex-felon voting rights

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Bravo to Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. for calling for the restoration of ex-felon voting rights. Someone who has repaid their debt to society should not be forever banned from the franchise to vote. This holdover provision from Jim Crow laws should go. We are a better country than this. Holder Urges States to Lift Bans on Felons’ Voting:

Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. called Tuesday for the repeal of laws that prohibit millions of felons from voting, underscoring the Obama administration’s determination to elevate issues of criminal justice and race in the president’s second term and create a lasting civil rights legacy.

In a speech at Georgetown University, Mr. Holder described today’s prohibitions — which in some cases bar those convicted from voting for life — as a vestige of the racist policies of the South after the Civil War, when states used the criminal justice system to keep blacks from fully participating in society.

“Those swept up in this system too often had their rights rescinded, their dignity diminished, and the full measure of their citizenship revoked for the rest of their lives,” Mr. Holder said. “They could not vote.”

Mr. Holder has no authority to enact the changes he called for, given that states establish the rules under which people can vote.

The 'meth lab of democracy' advances more Neo-Confederate bills

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

I warned you that it was going to be a manic Monday for the GOP batshit crazy base in the Arizona legislature -- the "meth lab of democracy" as Jon Stewart of The Daily Show calls it.

The Senate Rules Committee approved by a party-line vote:

SR 1003 (.pdf) is a resolution which "Pronounces the Senate’s support for the nullification of all rules implemented by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency." Because these teabaggers want Arizona to be the new West Virginia! "Nullification" is unconstitutional no matter how many times teabaggers tell themselves it is not.

SCR 1006 (.pdf) calls for shifting management of Mexican gray wolves, a protected endangered species, from federal to state control and focusing reintroduction efforts on the other side of the border in Mexico. Because teabaggers believe they can dictate to the federal governments of two nations.

Tea-Publicans move to deny Arizona citizens their constitutional right to vote on a citizens-referred referendum

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

More than 140,000 Arizona citizens signed petitions for a "citizens veto" of the GOP Voter Suppression Act, HB 2305, exercising their constitutional right under the Arizona Constitution to refer the legislature's anti-democratic measure to the voters in a referendum.

Tea-Publicans, fearing retaliation from the voters in November, are moving to deny Arizona citizens their constitutional right to vote on this citizens-referred referendum -- making it a two-fer for voter suppression, and demonstrating their utter disdain for your constitutional rights.

Rep. "Fast Eddie" Farnsworth's (R-Gilbert) bill to repeal the GOP Voter Suppression Act, HB 2305 subject to a citizens referendum ("citizens veto"), HB 2196 (.pdf), cleared the House Rules Committee on Monday on a party-line 5-2 vote.

The Senate Judiciary Committee voted for SB 1270 (.pdf), the Senate version of Rep. "Fast Eddie" Farnsworth's (R-Gilbert) bill to repeal the GOP Voter Suppression Act, on a party-line 6-3 vote. It now goes to the Rules Committee.

Remember in November -- kick 'em all out!

Senate Judiciary Committee advances unconstitutional 'nullification' of federal gun laws

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

The Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday advanced SB 1294 (.pdf), the gun worshipers' wet dream, sponsored by the Neo-Confederate "interposition, nullification and secession" caucus (Ward, Burgess, Crandell, D. Farnsworth, Borelli, Gowan, Mitchell, Seel, Thorpe, Barton, Kwasman. Livingston, and Petersen).

This gun worshiper's wet dream "Declares federal law that violates the Second Amendment invalid and void in Arizona and prohibits state and local enforcement of federal firearm laws within the state."Howard Fischer reports, Senate panel moves forward on broad gun legislation:

State lawmakers sent a warning Monday to local officials: Do anything to help the federal government enforce its guns laws and find yourself out on the street.

The legislation approved on a 6-3 vote by the Senate Judiciary Committee declares that all federal acts, laws, orders, rules and regulations that violate the “true meaning and intent of the Second Amendment are invalid and void in this state.” SB 1294 also forbids the use of state personnel or resources to enforce those rules.

House Ways and Means Committee advances unconstitutional 'empowerment scholarship accounts'

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Snap quiz class. Tell me what is wrong with this headline from the Arizona Daily Star's creative headline writer: Expanding state aid to private and parochial schools on track. Congratulations class! You are all way smarter than the Star's creative headline writer.

This is a clear violation of the Arizona Constitution which prohibits state funding to private and parochial schools:

Article 2, Section 12: "No public money or property shall be appropriated for or applied to any religious worship, exercise, or instruction, or to the support of any religious establishment."

Article 11, Section 7: "No sectarian instruction shall be imparted in any school or state educational institution that may be established under this Constitution, and no religious or political test or qualification shall ever be required as a condition of admission into any public educational institution of the state, as teacher, student, or pupil;"

Several years ago, the Goldwater institute convinced the Arizona Supreme Court to accept a sort of "straw man exchange" argument common in real estate transactions to uphold tax credits that supported private and parochial schools. The argument was that the money went to the parents, not directly from the state to the schools, and thus did not violate the constitutional provisions above. The legal fiction created by the Court was in error, but established a legal precedent that the Goldwater Institute has been trying to exploit ever since.

And this is exactly what our Tea-Publican controlled legislature is hoping to accomplish with these so-called "empowerment scholarship accounts." Howard Fischer reports:

A House panel agreed Monday to allow hundreds of thousands of children to attend private and parochial schools at public expense — a vote one legislator said is part of a radical agenda to destroy public schools.

Uphill Battle: Rep. Victoria Steele Introduces Bill to Extend ERA Ratification Deadline

Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex.
– Equal Rights Amendment

by Pamela Powers Hannley

There is an ideological perfect storm brewing in the Arizona Legislature. A memorandum supporting extension of the ratification deadline for the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) has been assigned to a committee where five out of seven members have pledged to protect and fight for the rights of fetuses over the rights of women.

Not content with winning the right to vote in 1920, women’s rights advocates proposed the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) 91 years ago. The ERA was introduced during every Congressional session between 1923 and 1972 and finally passed nearly 70 years after it was originally proposed. In the 1970s, there was a ground war at the state level to get 38 state legislatures to ratify the ERA in order for it to become a Constitutional Amendment. The ERA fell 3 states short of ratification; Arizona is one of a handful of states that never ratified the ERA.

HCM2006 Sponsors

Fast forward to 2013, the ground war for women’s equality has resumed at the state level with ERA ratification proposals six states– Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, Missouri, Virginia, and now … Arizona.; Nevada and North Carolina plan to hear it in 2014. LD9 Rep. Victoria Steele has introduced HCM2006, a memorandum from the State of Arizona asking the federal government to extend the deadline for ratification of the ERA, and HCR2016, a fill to ratify the ERA.

In addition to Steele, the ERA memorandum has 18 co-sponsors– including two Republican women, Kelly Townsend (LD14) and Karen Fann (LD1). Below is the complete list. Although Southern Arizona is well-represented on this list with Steele, Wheeler, Gabaldon, Saldate, and Pencrazi, where are the rest of the Democrats and the “moderate” Repulbican? (Should I name names, or can you figure out who’s missing here? If you live in LD9, LD10, LD2, or LD3, you might want to ask your representatives and senators why their names are missing from this list.)

Espresso Pundit's concern is duly noted

Crossposted from DemocraticDiva.com

Commenter “Robert” alerted me to an “in-depth analysis” of Friday’s court decision dismissing the anti-Medicaid expansion lawsuit by Arizona’s Own Espresso Pundit. EP warns liberals like myself not to be too sanguine about the judge’s ruling that the plaintiffs didn’t have standing.

First Vice Chair of AZ GOP is raising money . . . to defeat Republicans

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Just how dysfunctional is the Arizona Republican Party? This dysfunctional: the First Vice Chair of the Arizona Republican Party is raising money . . . to defeat Republicans. The Arizona Capitol Times (subscription required) reports, SB1070 author Russell Pearce raising money to defeat Republicans:

[Recalled] former Senate President Russell Pearce is helping raise money that will be used to target former Republican legislative colleagues who backed Gov. Jan Brewer’s expansion of the state’s Medicaid program last year.

Pearce is headlining a Feb. 13 fundraiser for the Arizona Taxpayers Action Committee at the Paradise Valley home of former Republican legislator Colette Rosati.

Leaders of the conservative independent expenditure committee opposed Brewer’s proposal to restore funding that was cut from AHCCCS during the recession and expand enrollment to comply with the Affordable Care Act and capture additional federal health care funding.  The committee leaders have publicly targeted Republican legislators who voted for the plan.

Catholic Poll: The flock is not following their shepherds

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Remember this from back in November: Pope Francis Orders Survey Of Catholics On Hot-Button Social Issues:

U.S. bishops are among those the pope is asking to find out from their parishioners how they feel about abortion, same-sex marriage, divorce and birth control.

* * *

The decision is dividing some parishioners, some of whom fear the poll could be the first step in the church changing its stance on hot-button issues.

The results are trickling in and as they would say on the Family Feud, "survey says": Global Poll Finds Most Catholics Actually Support Birth Control And Abortion Rights:

A new global poll surveying the world’s Catholics finds that most of them don’t agree with the Church’s strict positions on issues of reproductive health. Specifically, most Catholics around the world actually support birth control and abortion rights — two “family values” issues that the Catholic hierarchy opposes.

(Update) Arizona needs a 'Moral Mondays' movement

Posted by AzblueMeanie:

The "meth lab of democracy," the far-right Tea-Publican controlled Arizona legislature, feels free to engage in their batshit crazy legislation because: (1) the Arizona political media does not shine a bright light on the crazy shit they are doing and call them out for it, and (2) there is no organized public opposition to publicly shame them for doing it.

The citizens of Arizona have been beaten down for so long by the far-right that many citizens are apothetic and have abandoned hope. Which is exactly what the forces of evil want. As Edmund Burke warned, "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."

So where are the religious and civic leaders of Arizona willing to stand up to the intellectually bankrupt and morally depraved "meth lab of democracy" far-right Tea-Publican controlled Arizona legislature? I have explained why Arizona needs a 'Moral Mondays' movement. This requires the moral suasion of religious leaders and civic leaders. Why do you continue to sit on the sidelines in comfortable complacency and surrender to your apathy? Stand up and fight for justice and what is morally right!

Democrat Randall Friese Kicks-off Campaign for LD9 Representative (video)

by Pamela Powers Hannley

Grassroots volunteers mingled with local and statewide Democratic Party glitterati at the official campaign kick-off event for Dr. Randall Friese, who is running for a seat in Arizona House of Representatives.

Friese recently announced his candidacy for one of LD9's two seats in the Arizona House. Currently, LD9, which stretches from Speedway in midtown north into the Foothills, is a competitive district being served by Republican Ethan Orr and Democrat Victoria Steele in the House and Democrat Steve Farley in the Arizona Senate.

Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and her astronaut husband Mark Kelly hosted an estimated 130 stalwarts of the Pima County Democratic Party, including current County Chair Don Jorgenson, past Chair Jeff Rogers, and several current and former elected Democrats: LD9 Rep. Victoria Steele, LD10 Reps. Stephanie Mach and Bruce Wheeler, LD10 Senator Dave Bradley, Tucson City Councilwoman Karin Uhlich, former Surgeon General Dr. Richard Carmona, former Attorney General and current Secretary of State candidate Terry Goddard, and former Rep. Nancy Young-Wright. (Farley was conspicuously absent, following a social media dust-up on Friday over this article in the Arizona Daily Star.)

Former Giffords' staffer Pam Simon and Kelly gave impassioned speeches about Friese, who was one of the University Medical Center trauma surgeons who cared for Giffords and others who were shot on January 8, 2011. During Giffords' long stay in UMC's intensive care unit (ICU), Kelly and Friese became friends and had many late-night ICU discussions on multiple topics-- including politics. According to Kelly, Friese and Giffords are similar in that they are dedicated to finding solutions, not playing politics. [Friese vs Orr on the issues, after the jump.]

Arizona Legislature: The Coming Week

By Craig McDermott, cross-posted from Random Musings

 

The full moon isn't going to happen until Friday night, but the "bay at the moon" crowd will be in full throat by early Monday afternoon...  

 

Notes:

All committees meetings and agendas are subject to change without notice, and frequently do.  If you plan to travel to the Capitol to observe or weigh in on the consideration of a particular measure, check with the lege ahead of time to confirm that the meeting that you are interesting in is still on schedule and your item(s) of interest is still on the agenda for that meeting.

Meeting rooms designated "HHR" are in the House of Representatives building.

Meeting rooms designated "SHR" are in the Senate building.

Some agendas are summarized as "looks harmless", but if they cover an area of interest to you, examine the agenda and the bills on it.  If I missed something significant, please leave a comment letting me know.

The agendas that seem to be the "worst of the worst" are bolded.

 

All House committee agendas can be found here.

All Senate committee agendas can be found here.

 

On the Senate side of the Capitol -

The Teabaggers want a Constitutional Convention

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Your presence is requested. For those of you who have signed up for a legislative account to submit testimony online, now's your chance.

There's more GOP batshit crazy on Tuesday when the Teabaggers meet in the ironically named House Federalism, and Fiscal Responsibility Committee, Agenda (.pdf), in Room HHR 1 at 2:00 p.m.

Yowsa! The Teabaggers want a Constitutional Convention so they can discard the U.S. Constitution and start all over, because that is what happened the last time we did this in 1787 to rewrite the Articles of Confederation. I always find it amusing that the very people who like to call themselves "constitutional conservatives" are so hellbent on wanting to rewrite the U.S. Constitution (many of them much prefer the Articles of Confederation -- states rights!)

HCR 2017 (.pdf) is an "application for an Article V Convention to propose amendments to the United States (U.S.) Constitution." And what is it that the Teabaggers want?

• Impose fiscal restraints on the federal government;
• Limit the power and jurisdiction of the federal government, and
• Limit the terms of office for officials of the federal government.

HCR 2017 (.pdf) calls for a balanced budget amendment, one of the most ignorant proposals of all time. It would mean (a) eliminating almost all government programs, even curtailing national defense and (b) everyone paying higher taxes. God forbid we have a national emergency like a major natural disaster or a war.

Senate Elections Committee hearing on Tuesday

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

In addition to attempting to repeal HB 2305 to deny the voters of Arizona their constitutional right to vote on a bill that the voters referred to the ballot as a referendum, there are several other election/campaign finance bills coming up in the Arizona legislature this week.

One of the principal architects of the GOP Voter Suppression Act, HB 2305, Sen. Michele Reagan, who has fantasies of becoming our next Secretary of State to make it easier for her to suppress your vote, has several bills scheduled in her Elections Committee on Tuesday Agenda (.pdf), Room SHR 1 at 2:00 p.m.

Remember how Rep. "Fast Eddie" Farnsworth swore last week that he was not aware of any legislator attempting to revive elements of HB 2305? Yeah, that was bullshit, and everyone knew it.

SB 1232 (.pdf) would "require circulators who are not residents of this state (non-residents) and paid petition circulators to register with the Secretary of State (SOS) prior to circulating petitions and prescribes circulator registration information." The bill also "permits any person to challenge the lawful registration of circulators in the superior court of the county in which the circulator is registered."

The bill "Conditions the enactment of the following provisions on the approval or rejection of Laws 2013, chapter 209, the subject of referendum petition R-03-2014, at the next general election, or the failure of Laws 2013, chapter 209 to be referred to the ballot at the next general election:

a) eliminates the requirement that non-resident circulators register with the SOS prior to circulating petitions and eliminates the requirement that the SOS provide for a method of receiving service of process for registered non-resident circulators.

b) directs the SOS to remove all petition sheets collected by a circulator who fails to register as required.

Action Alert: Manic Monday for the GOP batshit crazy base in the AZ Lege

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Your presence is requested. For those of you who have signed up for a legislative account to submit testimony online, now's your chance.

It's Manic Monday for the GOP batshit crazy base in the Arizona legislature. Below are just a few of the highlights (hardly a complete list).

MONDAY

Senate

Judiciary Committee Agenda (.pdf), Room SHR1, at 2:00 p.m. includes: SB 1270 (.pdf), the Senate version of Rep. "Fast Eddie" Farnsworth's (R-Gilbert) bill to repeal the GOP Voter Suppression Act, HB 2305 subject to a citizens referendum ("citizens veto"), HB 2196 (.pdf).

SB 1469 (.pdf) "Allows a person having an interest that is or may be adversely affected by a constitutional provision or a statute that was enacted by voter approved initiative or referendum to file a civil action in superior court on that person’s own behalf or to join an action as a matter of right alleging a violation of any portion of that measure, or defend an action in superior court on that person’s own behalf or to join in the defense of an action as a matter of right in defense of any portion of that measure." Senate Majority Whip Adam Driggs is the principal sponsor.

This is a "teabaggers want to reverse your citizen-approved initiatives and referendums" vexatious litigation free-for-all. Those health care and education citizens initiatives that Arizona voters passed over the years -- they are in the teabaggers' cross-hairs.

Maricopa County Judge tells anti-Medicaid expansion litigants to pound sand

Crossposted from DemocraticDiva.com

No standing. That’s the verdict of Maricopa County Superior Court to the whiny cast of idiots suing the state to block the Medicaid expansion. Judge Katherine Cooper handily dispatched with all their baseless arguments.

Tea-Publicans love their vexatious litigation

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Earlier this year I posted about Rep. John Kavanagh's bill to designate a person a “vexatious litigant’’ and to make it difficult for them to file lawsuits if they initiated at least five unmerited litigations, other than in small claims court, over a period of seven years. HB 2021 (.pdf) (Passed unanimously in the Judiciary Committee with amendment). As I said at the time:

I'm curious -- does this apply to the Arizona Legislature and the Goldwater Institute, which routinely file "vexatious" litigation only to have the court declare that the legislature's actions were unconstitutional and unlawful? Because they clearly qualify as a "vexatious litigant" given the number of lawsuits they have lost over the years (again today). These ideological extremists have been racking up millions of dollars in attorneys fees and court costs at taxpayer expense in pursuit of their ideological agenda. Shouldn't this be stopped?

Tea-Publicans believe that Kavanagh's notion of vexatious litigation "applies to thee, not to me."

The Arizona Daily Star today reports today that the gun worshipers and fetishists want a cause of action to sue any local government official (read the City of Tucson) which enacts "illegal" regulations of firearms in violation of their absolutist view of the Second Amendment.

Get in line, assholes! You get to sue for damages when the government violates the law or the Constitution when I get to sue our lawless legislature and governor for damages for pissing away taxpayer money on lawsuits defending their unconstitutional and unlawful extremist agenda in court. Proposed law wants to make elected officials to pay for adopting illegal gun laws:

A proposed state law would let gun owners sue city council members or county supervisors personally if those governments pass or try to enforce gun laws that are stricter than state law.

Under the bill, HB 2517 (.pdf), courts could hit individual elected officials with civil penalties of up to $5,000 for passing an ordinance out of compliance with state law.

Anyone who enforces an illegal ordinance would be subject to penalties as well.

AZ Star Perpetuates ‘Ethan Orr Is a Moderate’ Myth

by Pamela Powers Hannley

In today's Arizona Daily Star, columnist Tim Steller chides the Pima County Democratic Party for trying to take down "moderate" Republican LD9 Legislator Ethan Orr. 

First of all, a quick look at Orr's voting record and political endorsements reveal that the "Ethan Orr is a moderate" meme is a myth. For example:

Orr voted FOR voter suppression on multiple occasions. Most recently, Orr cast the deciding vote in committee and sided Republicans who want to do an "end run" around voters by repealing last year's Omnibus Voter Suppression Bill (HB2305), in order to pass several other voter suppression bills this session. The bill to repeal HB2305-- if passed by the Legislature-- will eliminate the citizens' right to vote for or against voter suppression in the 2014 election. Orr voted for voter suppression last week,  and he was part of the Republican block that originally passed HB2305 in the dead of night in the waning hours of the 2013 Legislative session.

Orr signed an anti-abortion pledge to defend the rights of the unborn. Orr-- along with Governor Jan Brewer, Republican legislators, and three weak-kneed Democrats-- signed the Christian conservative Center for Arizona Policy's pledge to fight for the rights of unborn fetuses, while ignoring the legal rights of adult women to make choices about their bodies, their children, and their lives. Steller soft-sells Orr's pro-fetus stance by saying that Orr "tends toward a pro-life viewpoint on abortion." Orr signed a pledge to fight for fetal personhood; this is an extreme viewpoint that confers rights upon fetuses-- while taking away the rights of American women. This goes far beyond tending "toward pro-life". [Pledge text and more after the jump.]

'Crazy' Carl Seel wants to return to the dark days of Russell Pearce

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Back in the dark days when disgraced and recalled former Senate President Russell Pearce was at the zenith of his anti-immigrant reign of terror, he and his good buddy Kris Kobach from the Immigration Law Reform Institute and Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) were proposing bills to deny undocumented immigrants access to health care, public education, rental properties, public services. etc. Many of these anti-immigrant measures were first beta-tested by Kris Kobach in the City of Hazleton, Pennsylvania.

Russell Pearce, who is now the First Vice Chair of the Arizona Republican Party, still has his loyal acolytes willing to carry out his anti-immigrant hysteria in the Arizona legislature.

"Crazy" Carl Seel -- you remember him, one of the sponsors of the "Birther" bills in 2011 and 2012 Arizona's Penis-Free "Birther" Bill Is Back in Action -- has filed HB 2192 (.pdf), a bill that would declare it "an unlawful use of public resources if the person uses any public resource while present in this state in violation of any [law] that has determined that the person is not lawfully present in this state..."

Rep. Seel is the only sponsor of this bill, and his bill has not yet been assigned to a committee. Arizona's business community has made it abundently clear in recent years that it does not want to revisit the dark days of Russell Pearce's reign of terror. So will the business community punish Seel for his sin?

ENDA bill filed by Democrats in the Arizona Legislature

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

In analyzing the Religious Bigotry bills approved in the House Government Committee earlier this week, I pointed out that:

The Arizona legislature has regularly refused to amend the state civil rights act to extend employment non-discrimination and non-discrimination in public accommodations and public housing to gays and lesbians since 1996. Since there is no cause of action under either the state or federal civil rights acts for gays as a protected class, this bill is a proactive right to discrimination.

A bill to amend the Arizona Civil Rights Act to add non-discrimination against gays and lesbians (and also transgenders) has been filed every year since 1996, to the best of my recollection, and this year is no exception.

Democrats have once again filed the state version of the Employment Nondiscrimination Act (ENDA), SB 1443 (.pdf), which would amend the Arizona Civil Rights Act to prohibit discrimination on the basis of "gender, gender identity or expression, and sexual orientation."

The Arizona Republic: Sen. Gail Griffin is targeting Mexican gray wolves

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

When Tea-Publicans aren't targeting actual Mexicans with anti-immigrant legislation, they are targeting Mexican gray wolves for extinction. The Arizona Republic in a editorial opinion writes today, Stop targeting wolves, senator:

Pause for a moment and savor this: The population of endangered Mexican gray wolves in Arizona and New Mexico grew from 75 to 83 last year. That’s nearly double the 2009 count.

It’s a victory for our shared national values, which are expressed in the Endangered Species Act.

OK. Enough savoring. Now, back to a reality.

Lobos remain perilously close to extinction’s cliff, and Arizona’s Legislature is poised to give them a shove over the edge.

The Senate Government and Environment Committee approved three measures this week aimed at wolf reintroduction like a bullet to the brain.

SB 1211 would allow the Arizona Department of Agriculture or ranchers to kill wolves suspected of eating beef without fear of federal prosecution — an amnesty from federal law that Arizona lacks the authority to grant.

SB 1212 appropriates $250,000 from the general fund “for litigation expenses.” That’ll come in handy.

A resolution, SCR 1006, calls for shifting management of this endangered species from federal to state control and focusing reintroduction efforts on the mountains of Mexico. Because, of course, Arizona can dictate to the governments of two nations.

These measures are championed by Republican Sen. Gail Griffin. All passed the committee on party-line votes.

Sen. Gail Griffin wants a piece of Pima County for Rosemont Mine

Posted by AzblueMeanie:

On Tuesday, the Pima County Board of Supervisors voted to oppose the Rosemont Mine in Pima County. Supervisors OK formal objection to Rosemont Mine. "The Pima County Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 Tuesday to send the Forest Service a formal objection to the agency’s tentative approval of the mine and its final environmental impact statement. The letter is expected to compel the federal agency to respond to Pima County’s long list of concerns over the planned copper mine in the Santa Rita Mountains."

So Rosemont Mine and its supporters have proposed a novel idea: they will seize part of Pima County and give it to to Santa Cruz County, where they apparently believe people are more amenable to being bought off with Canadian "loonie" to approve their mine. This is some in-your-face corruption.

The Green Valley News reports, Griffin introduces bill to move Santa Cruz County line north:

State Sen. Gail Griffin on Tuesday breathed life into a bid to bring Green Valley, Sahuarita and the mines into Santa Cruz County, though the idea hasn't proven popular locally.

* * *

Griffin said she introduced the bill at the request of constituents, doesn't expect to have trouble getting it through the Legislature, and wants to hear “about any possible unintended consequences” it may bring about.

Griffin, a Republican whose District 14 skirts the eastern edge of Green Valley, introduced SB 1357, which would put a boundary change to a vote in Santa Cruz County and to those affected in southern Pima County.

That "constituent" is Emmit McGloughlin, " a former Tucson City Council member who now lives in Sonoita, and formed the Santa Cruz County Committee for Quality Jobs more than a year ago to explore moving the county line from Amado to Pima Mine Road, which is where Griffin's bill would put it."

The Arizona Republic: One step forward, two steps back on religious bigotry

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

The Arizona Republic's E.J. Montini addresses a point today that I have made many times over the years about the FAUXification of the news with their "fair and balanced" bullshit. O'Reilly unfair? Yes. But it shouldn't matter.

Fairness is a fallacy.

In politics, there is no such thing as fair.

* * *

Unfair questions can still get at the truth.

Fairness isn’t our problem.

Our problem, on a much larger scale, is willful ignorance.

Humans come with a built-in ability to disregard or disbelieve facts because they’ve been presented by people with whom we disagree philosophically, as if anything that contradicts our preconceived notions of a person or situation or issue cannot be true.

The media used to fight such notions. Now, some of us encourage it.

If there is a danger in the media these days it is not that we are unfair, it’s that rather than challenge a reader’s or viewer’s willful ignorance we embolden it. We treat the news, which changes daily, like a religion, which is based on longstanding consistent unshakeable beliefs.

* * *

Our problem isn’t fairness.

Our problem is that too many people in the media are allowing, even urging, audiences to turn a blind eye to unpleasant facts.

And, worse, doing so ourselves.

Too bad the editorial page editors of the Republic ignored Mr. Montini.

Religious Bigotry Bills Advance in House

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

The Arizona Daily Star's creative headline writer strikes again today. The headline in the Star reads Bill enhancing religious defense advances in Arizona Legislature. That's some spin there. These bills are about giving religious bigots a "get out of jail free" card to discriminate against anyone with whom they disagree supposedly based upon their "sincerely held religious beliefs" -- the new code word for "haters gotta hate."

I do believe that Howard Fischer intended the factually correct headline which appears in the East Valley Tribune. Bill to allow businesses to bar service based on 'sincerely held' religious belief moves forward in House. It's time for the Daily Star to reprimand or to fire the biased copy editor responsible for these politically biased creative headlines. Howard Fischer reports:

[A] House panel voted 5-2 Tuesday to give individuals and the businesses they own more rights to refuse to provide services based on their religious beliefs.

The vote by the Government Committee came despite comments from several individuals that the measure would allow anyone to claim a “sincerely held” religious belief as an defense in discrimination lawsuits.

“This bill allows anyone who should normally comply with state or local laws that are neutral to claim that those laws burden their religious beliefs,” said Rep. Martin Quezada, D-Phoenix.

But Rep. Eddie Farnsworth, R-Gilbert, sponsor of HB 2153, said it protects business owners from being forced to do anything that would violate their faith, and Farnsworth lashed out at foes of the legislation for being intolerant of the religious views of others.

“This is pretty remarkable and ironic the screaming and yelling about tolerance apparently flows only one way,” he said. “They want the (religious) tolerance simply to be I'm going to tolerate their opinion and my opinion counts for nothing.”

Yes, people should tolerate "Fast Eddie's" religious bigotry, because "haters gotta hate."

Action Alert: Religious Bigotry bill on the agenda on Tuesday

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

One of life's imponderable questions:

Why do the very people who believe an individual, association, partnership, corporation, trust, foundation or other legal entity (because "corporations are people my friend") possess a religious liberty to not comply with state and federal anti-discrimination laws simply by invoking the "magic words" that it is "my sincerely held religious belief" to discriminate against gays -- or women, or other religious faiths, or people of color, or other nationalities, etc.

. . . are the very same people who do not believe in the religious liberty or moral conscience choice of a woman to make medical decisions in consultation with her doctor regarding her own body for contraception and abortion? Shouldn't a woman be allowed to invoke her "sincerely held religious belief" in exercising her constitutional rights to contraception and abortion by logical extension of this argument?

Maybe someone should try to get an answer to this moral dilemna from Cathi Herrod and her Christian Taliban at the Center for Arizona Policy (CAP) on Tuesday when she is expected to testify in favor of Rep. "Fast Eddie" Farnsworth's House version of the Religious Bigotry bill, HB 2153 (.pdf), in the Committee on Government, at 2:00 p.m. in House Hearing Room 4.

This bill is a "get out of jail free card" for compliance with the public accommodations provisions of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, and the Arizona Civil Rights Act, as amended. Since religion is defined under his bill as an individual's "sincerely held religious beliefs" rather than that of a religious institution -- and the government cannot discriminate among religious beliefs under the First Amendment -- an individual's "sincerely held religious beliefs" that he or she may discriminate against persons of other religious faiths, or another race, ethnic origin, or sex would be permissible. Such a "get out of jail free card" for compliance with laws based upon the mere assertion of "sincerely held religious beliefs" leads to anarchy.

Arizona Legislature: The Coming Week

By Craig McDermott, cross-posted from Random Musings

Committee work at the Arizona lege has definitely ramped up;  There are a couple of contenders for the "worst of the week", but it looks as if the meeting of Senate Government and Environment on Monday will be this week's worst of the worst...

Notes:

All committees meetings and agendas are subject to change without notice, and frequently do.  If you plan to travel to the Capitol to observe or weigh in on the consideration of a particular measure, check with the lege ahead of time to confirm that the meeting that you are interesting in is still on schedule and your item(s) of interest is still on the agenda for that meeting.

Meeting rooms designated "HHR" are in the House of Representatives building.

Meeting rooms designated "SHR" are in the Senate building.

Some agendas are summarized as "looks harmless", but if they cover an area of interest to you, examine the agenda and the bills on it.  If I missed something significant, please leave a comment letting me know.

All House committee agendas can be found here.

All Senate committee agendas can be found here.

 

On the House side of the Capitol this week -

Labor's Legislative Meetings

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Announcement from the Arizona AFL-CIO:

LD 2 Democrats nominate 3 for vacant House seat in special election

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

The Arizona Daily Star reports, Pima County Dems nominate 3 for empty state House seat:

Pima County Democrats have backed three candidates to fill a seat vacated by Rep. Andrea Dalessandro, who resigned two weeks ago to take an appointment in the Senate.

Dalessandro was appointed to the Senate by the Pima County Board of Supervisors to fill a seat vacated by former State Senator Lina Lopez, who resigned in January.

The three nominees are:

- Demion Clinco, president of the Tucson Historic Preservation Foundation

- Annabelle Nuñez, an associate librarian at the Arizona Health Sciences Library at the University of Arizona.

- Miguel Cuevas, a former TUSD school boardmember

The Pima County Board of Supervisors will pick from among the three finalists during its next meeting on Tuesday morning. The board’s choice will finish the remainder of Dalessandro’s term. The two-year term expires at the end of the year.

If you have any input about these candidates and their qualifications to serve in the AZ State House, contact the five members of the Pima County Board of Supervisors before Tuesday:

District 1 Ally Miller
District 2 Ramon Valadez
District 3 Sharon Bronson, Chair
District 4 Ray Carroll
District 5 Richard Elias, Vice Chair

The Board of Supervisors will make their choice at the next regular meeting on Tuesday, February 4.

Stop pissing away taxpayer money on lawsuits: Repeal the remnants of SB 1070

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Arizona's lawless legislature does not hesitate to piss away taxpayer money on lawsuits defending their unconstitutional and unlawful extremist agenda in court. It does this all the time, and frequently loses in court. The real losers in the end are Arizona's taxpayers who have to pay the attorneys fees and court costs for these ideological extremists.

Our lawless legislature -- the Tea-Publican leadership -- currently has three lawsuits in court challenging the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission (AIRC), the citizens initiative that created it, and the 2012 redistricting maps. This is a purely partisan endeavor that the Arizona GOP should be paying for out of its own deep pockets, not the taxpayers of Arizona.

The most recent example of our lawless legislature pissing away taxpayer money on lawsuits defending their unconstitutional and unlawful extremist agenda in court is the continuing litigation over the remnants of SB 1070, most of which was struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court, which came with a warning from the Court that it would strike down the remainder of the law when a proper case and controversy under the remaining provisions of SB 1070 reached the Court. The writing is on the wall.

This week, the legislature approved using taxpayer money to pay the court costs of Republican politicians -- some of whom are no longer in the legislature -- in response to discovery requests in the litigation over SB 1070. Lawmakers approve funds for SB 1070 defense:

Saying they were protecting the legislative process, the House and Senate voted along party lines Thursday to hire a lawyer to help them fight subpoenas over the state’s controversial 2010 immigration law.

The legislation sets aside up to $100,000 to contest a request by the American Civil Liberties Union for the personal emails and other correspondence between some current and former lawmakers and those who might have helped them craft or line up votes for SB 1070.

Q: When is it okay for AZ Dem lawmakers to sign an anti-Roe v Wade pledge?

A: Never.

Yet two Democrats in the AZ House did just that.

Text of the proclamation:

House Judiciary Committee approves repeal of HB 2305 on a party-line vote

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

I took the time this morning to watch the House Judiciary Committee hearing on Rep. "Fast Eddie" Farnsworth's HB 2196 to repeal the GOP Voter Suppression Act, HB 2305. "Fast Eddie" was in high dudgeon, taking offense to any suggestion that he or his committee are plotting an end-run around the citizens referendum ("citizens veto") of HB 2305 by repealing it, only to reenact it in smaller bills.

"Fast Eddie" sounded like the stereotypical Southern genteel gentleman, ""I do declare! Sir, you have offended my tender Southern sensibilities by impugning my character. I challenge you to a duel at dawn!" He must need a ladder to get up on his high horse.

His first victim was a witness from the League of Women Voters, which opposes HB 2196 (damn Dude, I though everyone loves the ladies at the LWV). "Fast Eddie" stated that he hasn't introduced any bill to replace HB 2305, and insisted "I have no knowledge" of any effort to break it up into pieces and to reintroduce the bill (he obviously does not read the newspapers where legislators are quoted saying this), on the other hand . . . "that doesn't mean it won't happen." HB 2305 "was my bill" and "I've made my postion clear. We'll repeal it and see what happens."

Jennifer Laredo of the Arizona Education Association, which also opposes HB 2196, echoed the same concerns as the League of Women Voters. Laredo bluntly stated that we can't get a definitive answer regarding any end-run around the citizens refrendum. There is no commitment from the legislature.

Tucson Rep. Ethan Orr Votes FOR Voter Suppression Bill HB2196

Squeaky clean, self-proclaimed Republican moderate LD9 Rep. Ethan Orr voted for the voter suppression bill, HB2196 today, and it passed in committee. You’ll remember that the House Judiciary Committee tried to hear this bill last week, but when PEOPLE showed up in the hearing room and flooded the phone lines, the vote was postponed.

HB2196 is the Republican end-run around the voters to repeal HB2305 (the omnibus voter suppression bill that passed in the dead of night on the last day of the 2013 session, at the personal urging of US House Speaker John Boehner).

Sounds OK, right? He voted for a bill that would repeal a 2013 voter suppression bill. The catch is that last summer 140,000 Arizonans signed petitions to stop implementation of HB2305 and put it on the ballot in 2014– in a sense asking Arizona voters if they want the Legislature to suppress their right to vote and to put initiatives on the ballot (among other things, list here.)

If HB2196 survives the Legislative process, the Legislature will have taken away our right to vote on this measure– essentially using political maneuvering to suppress our vote. How convenient. Furthermore, Republican Legislators plan to pass several smaller voter suppression bills individually this year. (They tried this last year, and the tactic didn’t work.)

I guess Orr’s vote shouldn’t be too much of a surprise, since Orr voted for the original HB2305.

Don’t be fooled by the politicos who say Orr’s a moderate. He’s pro-life (with a 0% approval rating from Arizona Right to Choose). He’s backed by the NRA, the Chamber of Commerce, and the Small Business Association, and he has a 61% approval rating by the Goldwater Institute. Check out his voting record here.

The upcoming match-up for the highly competitive LD9 house seat between Orr and Dr. Randy Freise should be interesting. Stay tuned.

Action Alert: bill to repeal HB 2305 and to deprive you of your right to a 'citizens veto' is back on the agenda today

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Your presence is requested. For those of you who have signed up for a legislative account to submit testimony online, now's your chance.

Rep. "Fast Eddie" Farnsworth's (R-Gilbert) bill to repeal the GOP Voter Suppression Act, HB 2305 subject to a citizens referendum ("citizens veto"), HB 2196 (.pdf), will be heard in the House Judiciary Committee on Thursday. January 30, at 10:00 a.m. in Room HHR 4. Even the the Arizona Repuublic's Laurie Roberts is warning the Legislature plotting end run around voters on election law: a fair amount of skullduggery is afoot:

Rep. Eddie Farnsworth, R-Gilbert, is running a bill – HB 2196 — that would repeal last year’s election law changes. The bill will be heard at 10 a.m. Thursday in the House Judiciary Committee.

Sounds good, right? The Legislature is handed its first referendum in 16 years and it responds by killing the referred law, seemingly heeding the will of at least 111,000 voters.

Well, don’t get too choked up over our leaders’ reverence for the will of the people.

A Republican insider has told me that the plan is to repeal last year’s election law then pass a series of up to six new bills, enacting the same measures that 111,000 voters put on hold last year.

Community Forum on Keeping Children Safe and Healthy

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Press release from the Children's Action Alliance:

Special Election for LD 2 House Seat This Saturday

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Now that state Rep. Adrea Dalessandro (D-Sahuarita) has moved up to the Senate to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Senator Linda Lopez in Legislative District 2, there is a vacancy in the House created by Dalessandro's departure.

There will be a special election to select three nominees to forward to the Pima County Board of Supervisors to appointment a replacement to the vacant House seat.

Only elected Democratic precinct committee persons living in Pima County are entitled to vote in the special election to be held this Saturday, February 1:

What: Special Election for LD 2 House Seat

When: Saturday, February 1, 9:30 a.m. sign-in, 10:00 a.m meeting

Where: Democratic Club of the Santa Rita Area HQ, 210 W. Continental Road, Ste. 248 (upstairs meeting room), Green Valley, AZ 85614.

Details: Announced candidates so far are Demion Clinco, Annabelle Nunez, and Miguel Cuevas, all of whom were candidates for the appointment to the Senate seat.  Only elected PCs will vote in person or by proxy, but all PCs and interested Democrats are encouraged to attend.

The special election will be followed by a petition signing party in the Green Valley Democratic Party Headquarters, located on the ground floor of the Continental Mall. Candidates will be in attendance with their petitions. Refreshments will be available.

For more information, please call DCSRA HQ at (520) 838-0590

Fred DuVal proposes sweeping ethics reforms

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Democratic candidate for governor Fred DuVal has proposed sweeping ethics reforms which go beyond the weak half-measures currently being proposed by Republican legislative leaders at the capitol.

When we elect our representatives we expect them to act ethically and be good stewards of our tax dollars. Unfortunately, what we’ve seen is scandal after scandal and no one’s lifted a finger to change the culture of corruption at the State Capitol. Free tickets to sporting events, free meals from lobbyists, free flights and hotel rooms, it’s all got to stop.

That’s why I’ve published a plan to totally overhaul our ethics laws and clean up the State Capitol. My plan would require every elected official in the state and the lobbyists that attempt to influence them to abide by tough, new standards including:

•A complete ban on accepting gifts, including tickets, free travel, or hotel stays for events.

•Creating a State Ethics Commission to investigate reported ethics violations and punish rule breakers.

•Closing the loophole that allows “professional lobbyists” to influence legislators without registering as lobbyists.

•Banning any statewide elected official from serving on the board of a for-profit company while in office.

Ethics reform and good government are not partisan issues. Everyone in Arizona will benefit from cleaning up the system, which is why it’s so frustrating that we’ve seen no action in the more than two years since Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery recommended changes to our ethics laws in the wake of the Fiesta Bowl scandal.

As a taxpayer, I’m disgusted at the lack of attention ethics reform has received at the State Capitol. If our lawmakers continue to refuse to act, I will.

###

The Arizona Republic is all for denying you your constitutional rights

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

So the "editorial board" of The Arizona Republic, formerly known as The Arizona Republican, and the mouthpiece of the establishment Republican Party in Arizona, editorializes today that it is all for House Judiciary Committee Chairman "Fast Eddie" Farnsworth's (R-Gilbert) bill, HB 2196 (.pdf), to repeal the GOP Voter Suppression Act, HB 2305, and to deny you, the citizens of Arizona, your constitutional right to vote on a citizens referred referendum.

More than 100,000 Arizona citizens signed the petitions for a "citizens veto" of the GOP Voter Suppression Act, exercising their constitutional right under the Arizona Constitution to vote to veto the legislature's anti-democratic measure.

No matter to this unsigned editorial from the "editorial board" of the Republic. Repeal HB 2305 and end this mess.

This opinion clearly is not shared by everyone at the Republic. Columnist Laurie Roberts called the Republican legislature's attempt to repeal a measure referred to the ballot for a "citizens veto" as "skullduggery." Are legislators plotting end run around voters in election-law referendum?  Columnist E.J. Montini said this action shows "exactly how much the Republicans who control the Legislature resent Arizona voters." Will lawmakers vote to deny your vote?  Columnist Linda Valdez has not written an opinion on the subject recenty, but in the past has opposed the GOP Voter Suppression Act.

Action Alert: Teachers unions bill, SB 1094 today

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

As Craig McDermott posted yesterday, the Senate Government and Environment Committee has on its agenda today SB1094, attacking teachers unions by outlawing third-party payroll deductions for school district employees unless those deductions are each authorized annually.

Progress Now requests your action on this bill:

There is an important hearing on an ALEC today at the Arizona State Senate.  The Senate Government and Environment Committee will hear Senate Bill 1094 (school employees; paycheck deductions; authorization) at 2 p.m. today in Senate Hearing Room 3. This "paycheck deception" legislation, which would makes it harder for members of labor organizations to express their free speech rights, has been ALEC model legislation since 1998. You can watch the hearing online here.

For those of you with an ALIS account you can testify online.