Update: 2012 Campaign Committees+

Not just campaign committees this time around, possible ballot questions too!

...Ginger Rough of the Arizona Republic has coverage of the filing of paperwork for eight possible initiative questions by a heretofore undheard-of organization called Fox Petitions.

The initiative proposals include -

I-05-2012, Smart Prison Population Act, mandating the expansion of the practice of home detention for non-violent prisoners

I-06-2012, Supporting Adoptable Cats and Dogs Act, prohibiting the euthanization of healthy and adoptable cats and dogs in Arizona

I-07-2012, Workers' Rights Act, barring employers from firing employees for behavior outside of the employment relationship, except under specific conditions

I-08-2012, Honest Officials Act, it's too difficult to sum up in one sentence, but I call it the "public officials can't lie to the public" act

I-09-2012, No Criminal Exemptions Act, barring the enforcement of a criminal law against any person if that law exempts a person or class of persons.  The explanation says it specifically targets laws that exempt elected officials and government employees, but it is crafted very broadly

I-10-2012, Victimless Crime Act, barring the prosecution or incarceration of a person for behavior that doesn't harm another person, another person's property, or an animal

I-11-2012, Fair Crime Act, mandating that in the event that one criminal act that may violate multiple sections of law can only be prosecuted under one of those sections, the one with the least severe punishment

I-12-2012. Wrongful Conviction Compensation Act, compensating the victims of wrongful convictions and incarceration at $1000 per day of wrongful incarceration

Some of the proposals are intriguing, and I may sign one or more of the petitions if the opportunity presents itself (I especially like the one that would force public officials to stop lying to the public).

One other initiative was recently submitted.

I-04-2012, Go Solar In Arizona Economic Development Act, creating a $2.25 per watt personal solar tax credit.  I support the sentiment, but this proposal is problematical.  I don't like tax credits in general, and I don't like the idea of a specific number being protected by the Voter Protection Act (if this makes it to the ballot and actually passes, we're stuck with it, even if it turns out to bust the state's budget).  This one reeks of an attempt to create by ballot initiative another Alt-Fuels scam.

In Maricopa County news, restaurant industry lobbyist Steve Chucri has opened a candidate committee for a run at Don Stapley's seat on the county board of supervisors.  Chucri is challenging Stapley in the R primary in Stapley's heavily Republican district.  Congressman David Schweikert, whose district overlaps Stapley's in Scottsdale, is honorary chair of Chucri's campaign.

In Scottsdale news, Guy Phillips, a 2010 candidate for City Council, is now listed as a 2012 candidate.  However, the link for his 2012 committee statement of organization opens up a copy of the same form for his 2010 campaign.  Scottsdale's election information page is here.  In 2010, he ran as a tea party type with no answers for Scottsdale's problems other than stock tea party dogma.  He lost.  If he actually is running, it will be interesting to see if learned anything from the experience.

In Tempe news, Linda Spears has announced that she is running for mayor, though no campaign paperwork is yet posted on the City of Tempe's website (when I wrote the last one of these posts, she had taken out a candidate packet, but hadn't yet announced what office she had her sights on)