Arizona should add a sixth "C" to it's civics curriculum...and maybe a seventh...

It's been sort of a tradition for Arizona's schools to teach about the "5 C's" of Arizona's history - Copper, Cotton, Citrus, Cattle, and Climate.

Recent developments in the state have led some to observe that it may be time to add a sixth "C" - 

Crazy.

A list of pieces of evidence bills, courtesy the Arizona House Democrats (I've been thinking of a post in this vein, but since they did a list before I did, they get the credit :) ) -

HB 2675, Shaming struggling Arizonans: Makes food stamp cards safety orange and include in large black print the phase “Government Food Stamp Card,” which profiles food stamp holders. (Dial)


HB 2070, State guard: Authorizes the governor to establish the Arizona State Guard for any reason the governor considers to be necessary. (Harper)

SB 1519, Health care annihilation: Terminates the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS), which would make Arizona ineligible for $4.8 billion in federal funding and leave thousands of Arizonans without health care. (Biggs)

SB 1610, Declaring an official state firearm: Would make the Colt Single Action Army revolver Arizona’s official firearm, instead of focusing on the real issues – economy, jobs and education. (Gould)

HB 2490, Happy Meal toys: Would bar cities and counties from enacting regulations that limit the ability of restaurant incentives like toys, which restricts local governments’ rights. (Gowan)

HB 2384, HB 2416, HB 2443, Absurd anti-choice bills:

· Prohibits abortions sought based on race or sex of the child, when the sex of a fetus is not known when abortions are performed. (Montenegro)

· Dictates what colleges can teach by prohibiting them from using public funds, tax monies or tuition for medical training that includes abortions. (Lesko)

· Requires a woman performing an abortion to listen to the heartbeat of the fetus before termination. (Yee)

HB 2165, Kicking Arizonans when they’re down: Changes the Unemployment benefits paid to individuals temporarily from 26 weeks to 16 weeks through Oct. 31, 2012, which leave Arizonans stranded. (Olson)

HB 2471, Waste of taxpayer dollars: Prohibits the legislature from enacting any statute that involves a monetary federal mandate, which would be overturned due to federal law. (Gowan)

HB 2191, Benefits only one person: Prohibits any person who is illegally in this state in violation of federal immigration law from being awarded punitive damages by any Arizona court, which is a bill introduced to benefit one rancher. (Weiers)

HB 2313, Waste of taxpayer dollars: Broadens the classification of property to the state’s eminent domain laws by including property possessed by the federal government, which would be overturned due to federal law. (Jones)

HB 2077, Waste of taxpayer dollars: Requires any federal agency that comes into a county to conduct authorized business to register its presence with the county sheriff, which would be overturned due to federal law. (Lesko)

SB 1433, Waste of taxpayer dollars: Asserts that the state is not required to recognize or live under any federal legislation that has been nullified by simple majority vote of the legislature, which will bring the state costly lawsuits, which would be overturned due to federal law. (Klein)

HB 2140, Stops local control: Prohibits property rental agreements from requiring a tenant to waive any fundamental gun right. (Harper)

SB 1115, Eliminates ABOR: Would eliminate the Arizona Board of Regents and scrap the existing funding formula structure for community colleges and universities. (Biggs)

HB 2581, STO alcohol contributions: Would allow a credit for contributions to an STO, which would allow the makers and distributors of alcoholic beverages to contribute to the corporate private school tuition tax credit. (Mesnard)

I might quibble with that list, but only because it barely scratches the surface of the craziness that has taken hold of the Arizona State Capitol.

However, if "crazy" is the sixth "C," then there is now a strong case for a seventh.


Exhibit A - Senate President Russell Pearce has ordered that the first row of the Senate gallery be closed off to the public, and for Senate security personnel to stand in that area while the Senate is in session.

Exhibit B - Pearce no longer walks across the courtyard between the Senate and House for fear of contact with the general public.  If for some reason he needs to visit the House, he utilizes the not-so-secret tunnel between the Senate and House buildings.

Exhibit C - Early in the session, when faced with the possibility that members of the legislature could be brought to heel over their penchant for carrying firearms within the buildings of the Capitol, in violation of state law, Pearce handed down an  edict stating the sitting legislators don't have to adhere to that law.

Exhibit D - Pearce has created a "blacklist," while simultaneously denying its existence, barring certain of his critics from the Senate building, even those who have done nothing more "dangerous" than clapping during Senate hearing in a room, away from the hearing itself, that had no senators in it.

Exhibit E - Responding to criticism of that move against his critics, Pearce has now barred the public from attending open press conferences in the Senate building.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I hereby present to you Arizona's seventh "C" =

Control Freak.


The Recall Pearce has a website here.  Consider helping them any way you can.