The welfare for the wealthy bill is on Gov. Hobbs' desk

And I urge all Arizonans to let her know their feelings on the subject.  

I already did -

Please veto HB2704, the tax money giveaway to the already wealthy.  Like ESAs/school vouchers, not only doesn't it benefit society, it takes money away from public services.

Before final passage by the legislature, this was a topic for a post.

I was right about one thing - the House handled this bill, a giveaway of public monies to Ken Kendrick (passed on Monday) before doing a budget for the public (temper tantrum on this thrown on Tuesday).

There were a few Democrats who voted for the measure; they're all members of "The Usual Suspects" caucus.

HB2704 is here.

Legislative schedule - week starting 6/22/2025 UPDATE

I'm guessing that a special session of the state legislature is coming our way.

On Tuesday, 6/24 

-

House Appropriation meets at 10 a.m. in HHR1.  On the agenda: 13 bills, all related to the House Budget. all to be considered as part of a single motion.  No public comment need be solicited.

House Rules meets at noon in HHR4..  On the agenda: the 13 House budget bills.

The Committee of the Whole (COW) sessions 2 -8 are all pertaining to the House budget bill; COW1 has two bills on it that seem to have to be returned to the Senate, which has adjourned already.  So that COW session may (or may not) be cancelled.

No amendments to the House budget have been posted as yet, so if passed as is, the House budget will differ from the Senate budget. 

Meaning that, as of the end of the month, the State of Arizona will have no budget.

Another Biggs looks to enter the family business

From State Affairs, written by Reagan Priest -

For Andy Biggs, Arizona elections are a family affair

U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs, who is running in the Republican primary for governor, might not be the only member of the Biggs family hitting the campaign trail in Arizona next year.

Mylie Biggs, the Congressman’s daughter, filed a statement of interest to run for Senate in Legislative District 14 to fill the vacant seat left by Senate President Warren Petersen, who is term-limited and running for attorney general. 

Mylie currently works at the Arizona Free Enterprise Club.

The rest is behind a paywall.

She filed a statement of interest on 6/18 -

She formed a committee for the run on 6/20 -

If she wins election to the state legislature, we may learn the answer to one question -

Does the Arizona Free Enterprise Club issue 1099s to its pet legislators, or do they just use brown paper bags?

As of right now, she's only candidate for LD14 State Senate (no SOIs or committees), but it's early still.

The highest priority of the Arizona legislature seems to be welfare for the wealthy

While the Republicans in the Arizona State Senate and the Republicans in the Arizona State House are involved in a bit of tiff over the state's budget (crafting competing budget proposals), they agree on one thing - public monies should be used not for public benefit, but for lining the pockets of the already wealthy.

Neither budget proposal reins in the state's budget-busting school voucher/ESA program.

Also, HB2704 is still alive.  That bill originated in the House, but was amended in the Senate.  As such, it has to be returned to the House for them to approve the changes.  Since those changes make a heretofore bad bill worse (for the public, anyway), I expect them to do so, maybe even doing so before they vote on a budget.

The bill is all giving public money to billionaire Ken Kendrick.

From Fourth Estate 48 on Substack -

Amended Chase Field Deal Still Favors Team, Raises Long-Term Taxpayer Burden

Arizona lawmakers advanced a heavily amended version of HB2704 late last night, significantly reshaping the stadium financing bill but retaining many of the same concerns raised in earlier versions. While the new amendment adds clearer oversight and more guardrails, it ultimately extends and inflates public funding for Chase Field upgrades — offering the Diamondbacks flexibility while placing a larger long-term burden on Arizona taxpayers. The Senate didn’t vote until very late, but approved it with bipartisan support 19-11. The bill now awaits a House vote — which won’t happen until at least Monday, as lawmakers adjourned without taking action on the $17.6 billion budget package.

Legislative schedule - week starting 6/22/2025

Well, the Senate has adjourned for the year without the House passing a budget.  The House slated to consider one on Monday, but if they don't, or if anything they pass differs from what the Senate has passed, a special session may be necessary.

From AZ Mirror, written by Caitlin Sievers -

Political chaos erupts as Arizona Senate passes budget and ends session unilaterally

The Arizona Senate has officially ended its work for this legislative session after passing its budget bills in a marathon of amendments and votes on Thursday, just hours after a tentative agreement with Republicans in the House of Representatives fell apart and that chamber went home. 

The day was marked by long-winded speeches and fiery disagreements both between and within political parties. Just minutes after voting on the final budget bill a little before 2 a.m. Friday,  the Senate took a bipartisan vote to end the session — also known as sine die. That vote comes before the House has voted on the budget bills that just passed through the Senate, forcing the chamber to confront the June 30 deadline to pass the budget on its own. 

Schedules can, and frequently do, change at any moment when the legislature is in session.  So pay attention.

Note: HHR refers to a hearing room in the House building; SHR refers to one in the Senate building.

Note2: Generally, I'll only specify bills that look to spread propaganda.  Other bills may be more conventionally bad (think: corrupt or other misuses of public monies and/or authority).  My recommendation is that if an agenda covers an area of interest to you, read the entire agenda.

Note3: Each chamber's respective Rules Committee meets on Monday, the House's in HHR4, generally at 1 p.m. and the Senate's in Senate Caucus Room 1, generally also at 1 p.m.  Both committees serve as rubber stamps for bills leadership wants to be advanced and gatekeepers for measures that leadership wants stopped.

Note4: Meeting start times may be listed, but are flexible.  Before journeying to the Capitol or viewing the meeting online, verify the start time.

Note5: Watch for strikers, or strike everything amendments.  Those involve inserting language that replaces the entirety of a bill.  Those can be introduced at any time and can make a previously harmless bill become a very bad one. 

On Monday, 6/23 

-

Senate Director Nominations meets at 1:15 p.m. in SHR109.  On the agenda: no bills; one director nomination, Karen Peters, AZ Department of Environmental Quality.

It's on the schedule for now, but given that Senate has bugged out, this one may be cancelled.

Legislative schedule - week starting 6/15/2025 UPDATE

Like an infestation of athlete's foot fungus, THEY'RE BAAACK.

The lege isn't on hiatus any longer and the people of Arizona are back in jeopardy.

Well, as predicted, the committee schedule has changed.

On Tuesday, 6/17  

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Senate Appropriations meets at 9:30 a.m. in SHR109.  On the agenda: 18 bills, including 16 budget bills.  There are two SCR bills on the agenda; SCR1041 would lift the aggregate expenditure limit for public schools in FY2026 and SCR1042 would do the same for FY2027.  Both have clauses requiring a 2/3 vote for passage.

House Rules meets at 1 p.m. in HHR4.  On the agenda: two bills, neither budget-related.

House Appropriations meets at 2 p.m. in HHR1.  On the agenda: five bills, four with strikers. The striker to HCR2031 would change it to a proposal to submit to voters a pay raise for teachers, including those employed by charter schools; the one for HCR2058 would, conditioned on voter approval of the first measure and this measure, do many things, including increasing reporting requirements related to teacher salaries on schools; the one for SB1082 would bar a "foreign principal from a designated country" from owning or acquiring real property in AZ (without identifying the country); and the one for SB1470 would freeze enrollment in and reduce funding for AHCCCS.

On Wednesday, 6/18 

-

Senate Director Nomination meets at 10 a.m. in SHR109.  On the agenda: no bills, one director nomination - Karen Peters for the Department of Environmental Quality.

Former legislator Eric Descheenie forms a committee to challenge Eli Crane for a seat in Congress

Guessing that he may run on a "not a bigot" platform.

Crane can't.

On 5/30, Descheenie filed with the FEC for a Democratic run at the AZ2 Congressional seat that's current held by Eli Crane (R-Stone Bigot)

Crane may be a Trumpkin, but Descheenie has dealt with Trumpkins before.

Arizona: Far more pro-choice than anti-choice

From Pew Research Center -

Americans’ views on abortion differ by state

Nearly three years have passed since a 2022 Supreme Court decision overturned the constitutional right to an abortion. The ruling gave states new discretion to restrict or ban abortion.

Today, public opinion on whether abortion should be legal or illegal varies considerably from state to state, according to a recent Pew Research Center survey. That survey, the 2023-24 Religious Landscape Study, was large enough to break out results in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, although the margins of error for the state-level estimates are much larger than for the survey’s national estimates.

Arizona was covered later in Pew's article.

.

.

.

I'd say Pew's research/polling on this topic is pretty accurate - they have pro-choice views in AZ leading by 28% over anti-choice views and in 2024, Proposition 139 (regarding constitutionally guaranteeing access to abortion services) passed by, wait for it... just over 28%.

From the AZ SOS -

Glad we don't live in Arkansas.

[Edited on 6/15 to add] -

The proposition passed by a little less than 24%.  Still a resounding victory, but when I make an error, I'll correct it and own it.

[ /End edit]

Gotta love it when extremist Rs eat other Rs

Maybe the new GOP symbol should be from Medium (note: I don't agree with the author's "both sides" premise. but I like the pic)- 

From Arizona Capitol Times, written by Reagan Priest, dated 6/10 -

Freedom Caucus announces primary challengers for 

Arizona Corporation Commission

Two Republican state representatives announced their plans to challenge two incumbent Corporation Commissioners in 2026, saying the two commissioners have not done enough to support President Donald Trump’s energy agenda and protect ratepayers. 

Reps. David Marshall, R-Snowflake, and Ralph Heap, R-Mesa, were recruited by Arizona Freedom Caucus Chair and state Senator Jake Hoffman to run against Republican commissioners Kevin Thompson and Nick Myers. The two commissioners were first elected in 2022 and are eligible to run for a second term next year.

Note: Ralph Heap is the father of Justin Heap (R-MAGA), the current Maricopa County Recorder.

Hoffman recruited Marshall and Heap to run in the R primary because he feels that Thompson and Myers, as bad as they are, aren't Trumpy enough.

He's also recruited Kimberly Yee, the current (and termed out) AZ state treasurer, to mount a primary challenge to Tom Horne, the incumbent AZ Superintendent of Public Instruction.

He has recruited Rep. Alexander Kolodin to challenge incumbent Democrat Adrian Fontes for AZ Secretary of State.  Kolodin may face a primary is his quest to the R nominee for SOS.

Hoffman has endorsed Andy Biggs in the R primary for governor (Dear Leader hedged his bets and endorsed the two major candidates in that race which kind of obviates that move by Hoffman),  Given Biggs' noted inability to fundraise means that he'll need Hoffman more than the basically self-funding Karrin Taylor Robson will.

In fact, the only race where Hoffman hasn't issued an endorsement (at least, not that I can find) is the race for AZ Attorney General.  Fellow state senator Warren Petersen is running in that one.  Or maybe I should say "Senate President Warren Petersen."

Hoffman isn't likely to do something to tick him off while both are members of the state legislature.

Note: as of this writing, neither Marshall nor Heap have formed committees for their runs at ACC slots; however, both have filed Statements of Interest with the SOS.

Legislative schedule - week starting 6/15/2025

There's only one committee meeting on the schedule at this point, but the budget bills have dropped.  Things could be added to the schedule at any time.  And even if they're not, there will lots of glad handing/arm twisting going on behind the scenes.

Schedules can, and frequently do, change at any moment when the legislature is in session.  So pay attention.

Note: HHR refers to a hearing room in the House building; SHR refers to one in the Senate building.

Note2: Generally, I'll only specify bills that look to spread propaganda.  Other bills may be more conventionally bad (think: corrupt or other misuses of public monies and/or authority).  My recommendation is that if an agenda covers an area of interest to you, read the entire agenda.

Note3: Each chamber's respective Rules Committee meets on Monday, the House's in HHR4, generally at 1 p.m. and the Senate's in Senate Caucus Room 1, generally also at 1 p.m.  Both committees serve as rubber stamps for bills leadership wants to be advanced and gatekeepers for measures that leadership wants stopped.

Note4: Meeting start times may be listed, but are flexible.  Before journeying to the Capitol or viewing the meeting online, verify the start time.

Note5: Watch for strikers, or strike everything amendments.  Those involve inserting language that replaces the entirety of a bill.  Those can be introduced at any time and can make a previously harmless bill become a very bad one. 

On Monday, 6/16 

-

Joint Legislative Ad Hoc Committee on Family Court Orders meets at 9 a.m. in SHR109.  On the agenda: no bills, no presentations.  Just some remarks and public testimony about orders from family court.

On Tuesday, 6/17, Wednesday, 6/18, and Thursday, 6/19 - Nada.  For now.

The House version of the budget is about a certain faction in the House membership getting their hate on for the "other."  I expect that the final budget will change,  Their hate won't.

Legislative schedule - week starting 6/8/2025 UPDATE

Well, the budget logjam seems to have been broken, though the original Senate and House versions of the budget may have some differences.

First, the Senate activity.

On Friday, 6/13 

-

Senate Rules meets at 11:45 a.m. in (Senate) Caucus Room 1.  On the agenda: no bills, one item.

The House has introduced 15 budget-related bills, starting with HB2947.

Now the fun/popcorn eating begins. :)

If MAGA ideology can't win elections, simply bypass elections

Anyway, according to MAGA types, elections that they don't win are rigged.

From Arizona Agenda, written by Nicole Ludden and Hank Stephenson -

The classroom coup

In the whirlwind of last year’s elections, you probably weren’t too focused on the Maricopa County School Superintendent race.

In case you missed it, MAGA Republican Shelli Boggs won the position, which comes with the power to appoint new school board members to vacant seats across the county's 58 school districts.

From the website of the Maricopa County School Superintendent -

Nine current school board members have been appointed to their positions, but at least a couple were appointed by Boggs' predecessor, Steve Watson.

Caveat: I live in Phoenix Union High School District's Ward 3 (PUHSD), whose representative was, in fact, appointed by Watson.. She seems to be well qualified for the gig.

On the other hand, that can't be said about Jeremiah Cota,  Boggs' most recent appointee.

From the website of the PUHSD governing board -

As near as I can tell, he's never held public office or even run for one (to be fair, I only looked at general election results in Maricopa, Apache and Yavapai counties, so I could have missed something).

In other words, it seems that his only education-related qualification is profiteering from the privatization of schools.  From the AZ Corporation Commission -

He may not be an honorable public servant or even a decent human being, however.

From a 2020 Arizona Republic article, written by BrieAnna Frank, about him costing the job of an employee at a Scottsdale Bath and Body Works store -

Supporting a candidate IS NOT a bad thing, usually.  

However, given Cheeto's propensity for committing crimes while in office, that support doesn't speak well of the character of his supporters.

Edited on 6/9 to add -

As of this writing, he hasn't formed a committee for a run at an elected term.

End edit.

Legislative schedule - week starting 6/8/2025

Not much is on the lege's schedule as yet, though the budget could drop at any time.

Schedules can, and frequently do, change at any moment when the legislature is in session.  So pay attention.

Note: HHR refers to a hearing room in the House building; SHR refers to one in the Senate building.

Note2: Generally, I'll only specify bills that look to spread propaganda.  Other bills may be more conventionally bad (think: corrupt or other misuses of public monies and/or authority).  My recommendation is that if an agenda covers an area of interest to you, read the entire agenda.

Note3: Each chamber's respective Rules Committee meets on Monday, the House's in HHR4, generally at 1 p.m. and the Senate's in Senate Caucus Room 1, generally also at 1 p.m.  Both committees serve as rubber stamps for bills leadership wants to be advanced and gatekeepers for measures that leadership wants stopped.

Note4: Meeting start times may be listed, but are flexible.  Before journeying to the Capitol or viewing the meeting online, verify the start time.

Note5: Watch for strikers, or strike everything amendments.  Those involve inserting language that replaces the entirety of a bill.  Those can be introduced at any time and can make a previo

On Monday, 6/9 - Nada.

On Tuesday, 6 10 

-

Senate Education and Technology meets at 9 a.m.is SHR1.  On the agenda: no bills, two board nominations:

Dr. José Luis Cruz Rivera for the State Board of Education 

Felipe Jose Garcia for the Arizona Board of Regents

Senate Director Nominations meets (finally!) at 10:30 a.m. in SHR109.  On the agenda: no bills, one director nomination - 

Kimberly Ann O'Connor for the Arizona Department of Homeland Security

It's not yet on the schedule, but the legislature has been conducting floor activity on Wednesdays.  They did so last Wednesday and I expect that they will continue to do so, at least until a budget drops.

Then all hell will break loose.

One bill that may make a return is SB1230.  It failed last Wednesday on a roll call vote, but was approved for reconsideration by a voice vote.

The bill would mandate funding for clinical trials of marijuana, and as it would alter a voter-passed measure, it needs a 3/4 vote from each chamber of the legislature to pass into law.

It reached that threshold in the Senate (barely!) but didn't quite reach that threshold in the House.

My guess? 

Even if the supporters of the bill get the votes of every member who missed the original vote AND are are able to change the minds, and votes, of a few of the opponents, they still won't reach the needed threshold of 45 votes.

In other words, it may not actually return

Legislative schedule - week starting 6/1/2025 UPDATE

Tomorrow, 6/5, Senate Director Nominations was scheduled to meet, but that's been pulled from the schedule.  

Guess the nominee for the Arizona Department of Homeland Security doesn't have strong enough ties to neo-Nazi movement to suit the Rs on the committee.

On Friday, 6/6 -

Joint Legislative Audit Committee meets at 9 a.m. in SHR109.  On the agenda: no bills; reviews and discussions of three audits.

Definition of a political "own goal": Sleeping thru the gutting of American society

I don't know who will emerge from the Democratic primary in CD1, but incumbent R David Schweikert is already writing an ad for the challenger.

From the Arizona Agenda, written by Peter Aleshire, Nicole Ludden, and Hank Stephenson -

Budget hawks down

[snip}

Republican Rep. David Schweikert slept through the late-night vote — but said he would have supported the bill had he been awake.

Other outlets have it, too.

From KTAR, written by Kevin Stone - 

Arizona Republican admits sleeping through vote on massive bill: ‘It’s embarrassing’

Arizona U.S. Rep. David Schweikert confirmed that he missed this week’s House vote on a massive bill central to President Donald Trump’s agenda because he fell asleep.

“It’s embarrassing,” the northeast Valley Republican told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s The Mike Broomhead Show on Friday.

There ARE many things that Schweikert should be embarrassed over; sleeping through the sacrifice of the constituents in his district is just one of them.