The coming week...

As usual, except where noted, all info gathered from the websites of the relevant political bodies/agencies, and subject to change without notice.


...The U.S. House will be back in session on Monday. The agenda includes:

- An as-yet-unnumbered resolution from Arizona's Raul Grijalva (D-CD7)"Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that a National Hispanic-Serving Institutions Week should be established."

- H.R. 3146, 21st Century FHA Housing Act of 2009

- H.R. 3527, FHA Multifamily Loan Limit Adjustment Act of 2009. CRS summary here.

- H.R. 3179, SIG TARP Small Business Awareness Act of 2009. "SIG TARP" is an abbreviation for "Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program."

The above four bills will be heard under suspension of the rules of the House, whichs means that a 2/3 majority vote will be required for their passage. Inclusion on the agenda this way means that leadership expects them to pass with wide, if not unanimous, support. No guarantees on that, though.

Other measures up for consideration (subject to Rules Committee consideration this week) :

- H.R. 3246, Advanced Vehicle Technology Act of 2009. CRS summary here. From the summary: "Authorizes appropriations to the Secretary of Energy for research, development, demonstration, and commercial application of vehicles and related technologies for FY2010-FY2014."

- H.R. 3221, Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2009. CRS summary here. Not a major initiative, but if passed into law, it would serve to increase higher education opportunities for the less affluent in society.

In other words, the Republicans will hate it.

...Over in the U.S. Senate, floor time will be taken up with consideration of budget matters this week (USDOT/HUD appropriations in particular). They also have a full slate of committee hearings. One hearing that should involve discussion of the status quo in AZ is the Judiciary Committee's hearing on "Human Rights at Home: Mental Illness in U.S. Prisons and Jails."

The hearing *should* involve a discussion of Joe Arpaio's failure to provide proper health care (mental and physical) to prisoners in Maricopa County's jails, the Edgar Vega case (where a retarded 16-year old was sent to an adult prison to die for a crime he couldn't understand, much less commit) and the other failures of the jail and prison systems in Arizona.

It won't, though.

Also of possible AZ interest this week could be the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs' hearing on "...the federal tax treatment of health care benefits provided by tribal governments to their citizens."

...The Arizona Legislature is still way out of session and the state's budget is still way out of balance.

...The Arizona Corporation Commission has a special open meeting on Tuesday in Tucson. More info on the subject matter here. Its full hearing schedule is here.

...The Citizens Clean Election Commission has a meeting scheduled for Thursday, but the only agenda posted so far is for the CCEC's meeting of July 30.

...The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors has an informal meeting scheduled for Monday. The agenda includes yet another executive session. It also has a formal meeting scheduled for Wednesday, but the agenda hasn't been posted online as yet.

...The Tempe City Council is scheduled to meet on Thursday. The agenda hasn't been posted yet.

...The Scottsdale City Council has a special executive session meeting planned for Tuesday to consider candidates for the position of Interim City Treasurer. The Council also has a work/study meeting planned for Tuesday.

The City's Charter Review Task Force is scheduled to meet Monday. No ORANGE Coalition, Goldwater Institute, or other corporate shills are listed on the agenda, but this may be worth keeping an eye on.

Not scheduled to meet this week: Arizona Board of Regents, Governing Board of the Maricopa County Community College District, the Boards of Directors of the Maricopa Integrated Health System and the Central Arizona Project.