Looking ahead at the coming week...

Note: all info culled from the appropriate body's website, and subject to change without notice...

...In the U.S. House, the highlight looks to be H.R. 1388, the Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education Act (GIVE Act). House Education and Labor Committee report here. The intent of the bill is to encourage volunteer service. AZ Congressman Raul Grijalva (D-CD7) is a cosponsor. John McCain is a cosponsor of S. 277, the Serve America Act, the Senate bill most analogous to H.R. 1388. S. 277 faces a committee hearing this week.


...In the AZ lege, most House committees will not be meeting this week (House committee schedule here). However, on Monday afternoon, House Rules will be meeting with 28 items currently on the agenda. Across the way at the Senate (Senate committee schedule here), the committees that do meet aren't scheduled to do more than listen to presentations. The highlight here (for partisan wiseasses like me, anyway :) ) will be the Senate Judiciary's meeting concerning domestic violence and domestic violence services and laws in AZ (Monday, March 16 at 1:30 p.m. in SHR 1).

State Sen. Russell Pearce (R-National Alliance) sits on that committee. The same Russell Pearce with a "colorful" history regarding domestic violence.

At 2 p.m. on Tuesday, the Joint Appropriations Committees from both chambers will be meeting in HHR 1 for budget hearings on the state's Judiciary, Department of Corrections, and Department of Health Services.

Note: House and Senate floor calendars haven't been posted yet, and all committee agendas are subject (and likely!) to change.

...The Arizona Corporation Commission will hold a number of hearings this week, but the only "formal" meeting will be a securities meeting. The majority of hearings will be utility-related, and most of them concern rate increases requested by Arizona American Water.

...The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors will be busy this week.

At Monday's "informal" meeting, they'll be considering a number of budget-balancing moves as well as the creation of a General Litigation Department, institutionalizing the removal of civil duties from the County Attorney.

Oh, and they want to fund the new department by taking away some of the CA's funding for outside legal services.

There's an executive session planned as part of this agenda, but even with the doors closed, expect to hear the screaming loud and clear. :))

At Wednesday's "formal" meeting, they have a 33-page agenda to go through.

Then on Thursday, the supes will be holding a "special" meeting. Not sure what the topic of that meeting will be as yet.

...The Board of Directors of the Central Arizona Project will be all over the place this week, visiting the University Club, the offices of the Arizona Power Authority, attending the WRRC Annual Conference at U of A in Tucson, as well as doing some work at their HQ in north Phoenix.

...The Tempe City Council doesn't have any Council meetings on this week's schedule, though some subcommittees will meet.

...As with Tempe's city council, the Scottsdale City Council doesn't have any formal meetings this week, though a number of the City's boards and commissions will be meeting.

...On Thursday, ValleyMetro's Board of Directors will have a fare hike on its agenda.