Live blogging the Arizona Senate, March 10, 2011

3:11 p.m. - Measure passes 21 - 9, but mixed opposition and support.  Going into COW, and I will be going home.

3:08 p.m. - Reconsidering SB1279, which failed once.  Looks like it may pass this time around. 

3:04 p.m. - Internet connection lost for a few minutes there.  SCR1032, requiring a 60% vote of the voters to pass a new tax or increase an existing one, passed 16 - 12.

2:57 p.m. - SCR1029, banning photo radar in Arizona.  Passes 18 - 12.

2:56 p.m. - SCR1019, TABOR, passes on a party line vote.  No energy left in the room apparently.

2:52 p.m. - Pearce says that "we're no longer the free-est nation."  I'm guessing the author of the infamous blacklist is not one who appreciates irony.  Measure fails 13 - 17.

2:48 p.m. - Sen. Russell Pearce explaining his vote now.

2:47 p.m. - 30 minutes voting on this one measure.  Measure now failing again.

2:45 p.m. - Sen. Andy Biggs is speaking in opposition.

2:40 p.m. - Apparently, the four-corners offense is working - the measure is passing right now.  Sen. Rick Murphy is speaking now.

2:38 p.m. - Sen. Ron Gould up, but he's opposing the measure.  Not the *concept,* but he believes that this proposal is too broad and too open to hijacking by other interests.

2:31 p.m. - Sen. Nancy Barto, measure sponsor, is up.

2:30 p.m. - The measure is failing, so now it is Sen. Frank Antenori's turn to keep the vote open.

2:26 p.m. - Her mic quits, so she switches to Sen. Bundgaard's (he's here today, BTW), and finishes her speech.

2:24 p.m. - Allen still going on - "This is not about opening the Constitution to change.  It's about amending the Constitution."  For the record, Sen. Sylvia Allen is now my favorite conservative speaker.  :))

2:17 p.m. - SCR1016, calling for a US constitutional convention to require the approval of a majority of state legislatures before the federal debt limit can be raised.  Sen. Sylvia Allen rambling a little as she goes on about why she supports the measure.  "Oil is now at a dollar-four".  I can feel the brain cells seizing up.

2:11 p.m. - SB1499, relating to "probate proceedings, omnibus."  Passed, Gould and Biggs opposing.

2:04 p.m. - SB1430, relating to changes in towing rules, goes down 9 - 21.  Not sure why.  Most or all Ds opposed, as did a majority of Rs.  Not sure why.

1:55 p.m. - SB1365, no payroll deductions for political purposes, an anti-union bill.  Sen. Kyrsten Sinema points out that a law enforcement exemption in the bill could make it legally untenable, but it passes on a party line vote anyway.

1:52 p.m. - SB1282, exempting religious entities from having to register as political committees even if they attempt to influence elections.  Sen. Linda Lopez points out that this measure is another one sponsored by the Center for Arizona Theocracy Policy.  Passes on a party line vote, with no Rs rising to go on record with their justification of it.

1:47 p.m. - Right now, they are voting on some relatively non-controversial measures (in other words, they are passing unanimously)...