Legislative schedule - week starting 2/16/2025

There's some sneakiness and some unintended irony in this week's bills; there's also lots of ugly veto-bait this week (to be fair, it IS the Arizona State Legislature, so ugly bills are the norm for them).

Note: HHR refers to a hearing room in the House building; SHR refers to one in the Senate building.

Note2: Generally, I'll only specify bills that look to spread propaganda.  Other bills may be more conventionally bad (think: corrupt or other misuses of public monies and/or authority).  My recommendation is that if an agenda covers an area of interest to you, read the entire agenda.

Note3: Each chamber's respective Rules Committee meets on Monday, the House's in HHR4, generally at 1 p.m. and the Senate's in Senate Caucus Room 1, generally also at 1 p.m.  Both committees serve as rubber stamps for bills leadership wants to be advanced and gatekeepers for measures that leadership wants stopped.

Note4: Meeting start times may be listed, but are flexible.  Before journeying to the Capitol or viewing the meeting online, verify the start time.

Note5: Watch for strikers, or strike everything amendments.  Those involve inserting language that replaces the entirety of a bill.  Those can be introduced at any time and can make a previously harmless bill become a very bad one. 

On Monday, 2/17   

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House and Senate Rules meet at 1 p.m. in their respective rooms.  On the agendas: many bills.

Senate Federalism meets at 1:30 p.m. in SHR2.  On the agenda: five bills, all bad.  SB1150 would allow the transfer of state trust lands to private hands; a Mark Finchem-proposed striker to SB1278 a Department of Natural Resources paid for by the state's General Fund; SB1498, also from Finchem, would mandate that federal law enforcement personnel obtain the written permission of the relevant county sheriff before making an arrest or conducting a search or seizure in the state.  An exception is carved out for immigration agents (of course); SCR1006, asking the voters to allow SB1150 and to take the voters' expression of approval for any trust land transfer out of the mix and insert the governor's approval; and SCR1018, a love letter to Congress about supporting the transfer of federally-controlled land into state hands.

Senate Finance meets at 1:30 p.m. in SHR1.  On the agenda: 20 bills.  Lots of bad here.  Personal fave: SB1298, John Kavanagh's proposal to expand the property tax exemption given to religious institutions and organizations that profess to be religious in nature.  This one has Center for Arizona Policy written all over it.  

Senate Military Affairs and Border Security meets at 1:30 p.m. in SHR109.  On the agenda: seven bills.  Lots of bad here.  Personal fave: SB1495, a scheme from Wendy Rogers (and cosponsored by a rogues' gallery) to remove the AZ National Guard from the national chain of command.

House Health & Human Services meets at 2 p.m. in HHR4.  On the agenda: 11 bills.  Includes HB2165, restricting what SNAP recipients can buy.  The bill failed, on a 6-6 vote, in committee the first time it was considered.  An amendment has been proposed by the committee chair.  That may be enough to secure an additional R vote, but the bill will still be about committee members demonstrating their hatred for poor people.

House Land, Agriculture & Rural Affairs meets at 2 p.m. in HHR3.  On the agenda: six bills.  Includes HB2800. a hyper-specific bill disallow cancellation or non-renewal of a fire insurance policy within a certain proximity of a governor-declared natural disaster or wildfire.

House Public Safety & Law Enforcement meets at 2 p.m. in HHR1.  On the agenda: nine bills, mostly bad. 

On Tuesday, 2/18 

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House Education meets at 1:30 p.m. in  HHR1.  On the agenda: one bill.  HB2058 will be subject to a striker.  The original bill failed in committee on a 0-11vote.  The striker is about exempting students from vaccinations requirements in higher ed.

Senate Appropriations meets at 1:30 p.m. in SHR109.  On the agenda: 24 bills, some bad, some less so.  Includes a Mark Finchem-proposed striker to SB1583.  The striker looks to do an end-run around a lawsuit pertaining to giving money to the rodeo grounds in Prescott.

Senate Natural Resources meets at 1:30 p.m. in SHR1.  On the agenda: 21 bills, most looking as if they were written by industry lobbyists.  Also, there are many strikers.

House Commerce meets at 1:30 p.m.in HHR5.  On the agenda: 18 bills, lots of strikers.

House Education meets (again) at 2 p.m.in HHR1.  On the agenda: 14 proposals.  Lots of strikers.  Personal fave: a striker to HB2725 that would both mandate that public school students take and pass a certain amount of civics courses in order to promoted past eighth grade AND exempt certain homeschooled and private school transfers from that requirement.  Of course, there is part that would better applied to state legislators, Cheeto, Musk, and ALL Trumpkins -

House Natural Resources, Energy & Water meets at 2 p.m. in HHR3.  On the agenda: 13 bills.  Four have proposed strikers.  Most bills and striker read as if they were written by industry lobbyists.  Personal fave: HB2059 though, reads like a combination of the wet dreams of industry lobbyists and pure R ideologues.  It would bar all public employees in Arizona from aiding the feds in any way, if the matter relates to natural resources.

House Regulatory Oversight meets at 2 p.m. in HHR4.  On the agenda: four bills.  Includes HB2031, a proposal to abolish a large number of boards, commissions and professional licenses; and HCR2024, asking the voters to get rid the use of lethal injection for capital punishment, and instead use a firing squad.

On Wednesday, 2/19 

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House Government meets at 8 a.m. in HHR5.  On the agenda: 15 bills, many ugly.  Includes: HB2547, which would bar public funds from going to any person who even talks about abortions (they use the word "promotes"); and HCR2049, demanding that the federal government stop being the federal government.

House Judiciary meets at 8:30 a.m. in HHR4.  On the agenda: 15 bills.  Many bad.  Includes HB2340, elevating the penalty for the murder of a law enforcement to death or natural life in prison; HB2786, allowing for the use of a motor vehicle speed inhibiting device in lieu of a driver's license suspension for one or more speed related infractions (this should be required of ALL sitting legislators); and HB2681, essentially banning the use of abortion inducing drugs here.  This bill is subject to an amendment that may or may not be a striker (the amendment is not labeled as such of the agenda but on the bill documents page, it is so labeled.)

Senate Regulatory Affairs and Government Efficiency meets at 8:30 a.m. in SHR109.  Lots of ugly here.  On the agenda: 22 bills, five of which have proposed strikers where the language isn't yet available.  Personal fave: SB1627, a proposal from Shawnna Bolick to mandate that all executive branch agency heads send federal agency directives and interpretations of federal agency rules to four legislators, named by position.  The agenda also includes SB1584, a move to end affirmative action in public hiring in Arizona; SB1586, making a healthcare provider who provides gender transition services to a minor personally liable for all detransition costs incurred within 25 years; and SB1296, increasing requirements on those receiving unemployment insurance(UI) benefits and making it easier to disqualify them from receiving UI.

House International Trade meets at 9 a.m. in HHR1.  On the agenda: no bills and three presentations.  I expect that two of those may get interesting - one is from the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and one is from the Canada Arizona Business Council.  And we are in the Age of Cheeto.

Senate Government meets at 9 a.m. in SHR1.  On the agenda: 14 bills, four of which have proposed strikers where the language isn't yet available.  Most are identified on the agenda with the word "government", so I expect that when the actual language is revealed they'll turn out to be be things that pass on party line votes.  Personal fave: SB1593, expanding who can sue a municipality or county over something passed with an emergency clause.

Senate Health and Human Services meets at 9 a.m. in SHR2.  On the agenda: 22 bills.  Personal fave: SB1302, Mark Finchem's attempt at sneakiness.  Among other things that seem good in an "awww, shucks" sort of way, it appropriates more than $130 million in each fiscal year thru 2030 for the care of people with developmental and intellectual disabilities. On the other hand, his proposal includes a clause that allows a legislatively-controlled entity to take away that funding -

House Ways & Means meets at 10 a.m. in HHR3.  On the agenda: 10 bills, most about reducing revenue.

Senate Education meets at 1:30 p.m. in SHR1.  On the agenda: 23 bills.  Personal fave: SCR1028, Shawnna Bolick's ploy to do away with majority rule on school bond votes by requiring that such votes require 60% support to pass.  Also includes SB1694, withholding state funding for institutions of higher education that offer DEI courses; and SB1227, a ploy to put school cell phone bans and placing police officer in schools into the same bill.

Senate Judiciary and Elections meets at 1:30 p.m. in SHR2.  On the agenda: 29 bills.  Lots of VERY ugly bills here.  Personal fave: SCR1020 ploy to have the voters do away with the merit selection of county judges in large counties.

Senate Public Safety meets at 1:30 p.m.in SHR109.  On the agenda: 17 bills.  There's some bad here, but has one bill that falls into the "we have too much time on our hands" category - SB1270, Wendy Rogers' bid to bar operating a motor vehicle while an animal is on the driver's/operator's lap.

House Science & Technology meets at 2 p.m. in HHR5.  On the agenda: seven bills.  Curiously, many look to have been assigned to another committee; in this case, House Public Safety & Law Enforcement (this phenomenon has occurred with other bills on other agendas, but not to the extent that it occurs here) -

House Transportation & Infrastructure meets at 2 p.m. in HHR3.  On the agenda: 10 bills.

On Thursday, 2/20  -

Senate Government meets at 10:30 a.m. in SHR1.  On the agenda: 14 bills, four of which have proposed strikers where the language isn't yet available.  The agenda looks to be the same as for the previous meeting.

Senate Judiciary and Elections meets at 1 p.m.in SHR2.  On the agenda: 29 bills.  

House Public Safety and Law Enforcement meets at upon the adjournment of the floor session. in HHR1.  On the agenda: 11 bills.

Legislative schedule - week starting 2/9/2025

Some (very) bad bills this week, some anti-choice bills, some anti-LGBTQ+ bills, some political indoctrination bills, and an attempt at humor.

Note: HHR refers to a hearing room in the House building; SHR refers to one in the Senate building.

Note2: Generally, I'll only specify bills that look to spread propaganda.  Other bills may be more conventionally bad (think: corrupt or other misuses of public monies and/or authority).  My recommendation is that if an agenda covers an area of interest to you, read the entire agenda.

Note3: Each chamber's respective Rules Committee meets on Monday, the House's in HHR4, generally at 1 p.m. and the Senate's in Senate Caucus Room 1, generally also at 1 p.m.  Both committees serve as rubber stamps for bills leadership wants to be advanced and gatekeepers for measures that leadership wants stopped.

Note4: Meeting start times may be listed, but are flexible.  Before journeying to the Capitol or viewing the meeting online, verify the start time.

Note5: Watch for strikers, or strike everything amendments.  Those involve inserting language that replaces the entirety of a bill.  Those can be introduced at any time and can make a previously harmless bill become a very bad one. 

On Monday, 2/10 

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House and Senate Rules meet in their respective rooms.  On the agendas: many bills.

House Health & Human Services meets at 2 p.m. in HHR4.  On the agenda: 10 bills, including HB2126, a proposal to mandate that a health care provider grant parents access to any online portal used by their child.  My hesitation with this one is rooted in the fact that most of bill's cosponsors are utterly vile human beings.

House Land, Agriculture & Rural Affairs meets at 2 p.m. is HHR3.  On the agenda: six bills, most of which read as if the were written by an industry lobbyist.  Includes Gail Griffin's HB2083, a ploy to ensure that industry is represented on Arizona's Game and Fish Commission; HB2552, Lupe Diaz' proposal to expand wildlife hunting to allow dogs to be used to kill animals; and HB2588, Griffin's proposal to require the Game and Fish Department to expand the issuance of landowner hunting permits.  Interestingly, there's no requirement actually *own* the land they're hunting on, only that it be privately owned.

House Public Safety & Law Enforcement meets at 2 p.m. in HHR1. On the agenda: eight bills.  Includes HB2606, further busting the state's budget by another $50 million by using it fund local police agencies' border enforcement actions and the indoctrination training of their officers to "fear the other,." and HB2664, giving the sheriff on Gila County $3 million from the state's General Fund. The sheriff of Gila County looks to be someone who's opposed to Covid mitigation measures.

Senate Federalism meets at 2 p.m. in SHR2.  On the agenda: two bill, but one of them is from Mark Finchem, and it's a doozy. His SCR1012 is subject to a striker proposed by Finchem to turn a technical correction measure into a love letter to Congress, asking them to propose an amendment to the US Constitution declaring that the states have absolute authority over campaign spending.

Senate Finance meets at 2 p.m. in SHR1.  On the agenda: 11 measures. includes SB1496, JD Mesnard's proposal to make sure that provisions that are work-related are added to what a "qualifying charitable organization" has to engage in for donations to that organization to qualify for a tax credit.

Most of the proposals are about reducing state revenue.

Senate Military Affairs and Border Security meets at 2 p.m. in SHR109.  On the agenda: five bills.  Includes SB1294, John Kavanagh's ploy to force the Arizona Department of Administration to lease the state prison in Marana for a dollar per year to the feds (read: Trump/Musk and their acolytes) to house immigrants.

On Tuesday, 2/11 

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House Commerce meets at 2 p.m. in HHR5.  On the agenda: 12 bills. Personal fave: HB2411, a "we need more booze at golf courses" bill.

There was a legislative attempt at humor with this one -

House Education meets at 2 p.m. in HHR1.  On the agenda:  nine bills.  Personal fave: HB2724, allowing leaders of the Hitler Youth "patriotic youth groups" 10 minutes access to school kids to indoctrinate them.

House Natural Resources, Energy & Water meets at 2 p.m. in HHR3.  On the agenda: 14 bills, many of which read as if the were written by an industry lobbyist.  Personal fave: HCR2046, blaming forest mismanagement and salt cedars for the decrease in water in the Colorado River and not usage.  I'm not making this up.  I wish I was.

House Regulatory Oversight meets at 2 p.m. in HHR4.  On the agenda: four bills, two of which are very bad.  Personal fave: HB2630, deeming that any person whose nomination for a director position at an agency whose nomination is rejected the state senate (read: Jake Hoffman) is not allowed to work in any position in that agency.

Senate Appropriations meets at 2 p.m. in SHR109.  On the agenda: 11 bills.  Includes SB1374, Mark Finchem's scheme to take $10 million from the state's General Fund in order to conduct a special census authorized by the bill itself.

Senate Natural Resources meets at 2 p.m. in SHR1.  On the agenda:10 bills, most of which read as if they were written by an industry lobbyist.  Personal fave: SB1212, making the application of fertilizer, biosolids, and/or soil amendments to lands leased from the state are presumed to be "reasonable."

There's a high "ick" factor here - basically, the bill says that poisoning state land is "reasonable."

On Wednesday, 2/12 

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House Judiciary meets at 8:30 a.m. in HHR4.  On the agenda: 13 bills, including HCR2037, asking the voters to legalize bombs, rockets, grenades, silencers, machine guns, sawed-off shotguns and rifles, and IEDs (and more!).  All are currently considered to be "prohibited weapons" under AZ law.

House Government meets at 9 a.m. in HHR5.  On the agenda: five bills.  All bad, but my personal fave is HCR2042, asking the voters to ban affirmative actions.

Senate Health and Human Services meets at 9 a.m. in SHR2.  On the agenda: 17 bills.

House Judiciary meets again at 10 a.m. in HHR4.  On the agenda: one bill.

House Ways & Means meets at 10 a.m.  Eight bills.  Most reduce revenue accrued by or money spent by the state, a county,  a municipality, or an agency of one of those.

Senate Government meets at 10 a.m. in SHR1,  On the agenda: five bills.  A majority of which are bad.

Senate Education meets at 1:30 p.m.in SHR1.  On the agenda: 22 bills and a presentation from Grand Canyon University.  Many bad, some sneaky bad.  Personal faves, and not sneaky, or even subtle about it: SB1694, denying state fuds to state universities that offer even a single course pertaining to DEI; and SB1321, allowing The Klan Youth Corps "Patriotic Youth Membership Organizations" to use schools as recruiting and indoctrination centers,

Senate Judiciary and Elections meets at 1:30 p.m. in SHR2.  On the agenda: 24 bills.  Many ugly.  Personal faves: SB1441, a proposal to make school board elections partisan; SB1722, creating grounds for a civilian to sue over scientific research they don't like/deem to be "fraudulent".

Senate Public Safety meets at 1:30 p.m. in SHR109.  On the agenda: 16 bills.  Approximately 1/2 are ugly.  Personal fave: SCM1001, Wendy Rogers' ploy to rename Arizona route 260 after Cheeto.

House Appropriations meets at 2 p.m.in HHR1.  On the agenda: three bills.  Most seem harmless, but HB2420, passed House Education on a party line vote.

House Federalism, Military Affairs & Elections meets at 2 p.m. in HHR4.  On the agenda:  11 bills, most anti-democracy.  HB2038 will be subject to a striker requiring a registering voter to present "satisfactory" proof on U.S. citizenship in order for that registration to be valid; and HCM2004, Gail Griffin's love letter to Congress asking them to exempt military bases. etc. from the Endangered Species Act.

House Science & Technology meets at 2 p.m. is HHR5.  On the agenda: two bills.

House Transportation & Infrastructure meets at 2 p.m. in HHR3,  On the agenda: three bills.

On Thursday, 2/13 

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House Health & Human Services meets (again) at 1 p.m. in HHR4. 11 bills.  Includes HB2439, requiring the the websites for AHCCCS and all other state agencies refer pregnant women to organizations that don't provide abortions.

Senate Regulatory Affairs and Government Efficiency meets at 1 p.m. in SHR109.  On the agenda: nine bills.  Includes SB1556, relating to adult hemp beverages. The .pdf of the bill and the section of law it's amending is 124 pages long and there are many change clauses proposed in the bill.  The length of the bill makes me uncomfortable.

The original quote is from W.C. Fields and goes “If you can't dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with bullshit.”

My update for the Age of Cheeto: "If you can't dazzle 'em with facts, bury 'em in bullshit."

Legislative schedule - week starting 2/2/2025

We're entered the part of the legislative session where committee agendas will get very long for the next few weeks so bills can be heard in their originating chamber, then get quiet for a couple of weeks as bills that are still moving switch chambers, then get long again for a couple of weeks as one chamber's bills are heard in committee.

With this week's bills, while a couple look to be good ones, the bad ones vastly outnumber them and range from merely bad to pure R propaganda.

Note: HHR refers to a hearing room in the House building; SHR refers to one in the Senate building.

Note2: Generally, I'll only specify bills that look to spread propaganda.  Other bills may be more conventionally bad (think: corrupt or other misuses of public monies and/or authority).  My recommendation is that if an agenda covers an area of interest to you, read the entire agenda.

Note3: Each chamber's respective Rules Committee meets on Monday, the House's in HHR4, generally at 1 p.m. and the Senate's in Senate Caucus Room 1, generally also at 1 p.m.  Both committees serve as rubber stamps for bills leadership wants to be advanced and gatekeepers for measures that leadership wants stopped.

Note4: Meeting start times may be listed, but are flexible.  Before journeying to the Capitol or viewing the meeting online, verify the start time.

Note5: Watch for strikers, or strike everything amendments.  Those involve inserting language that replaces the entirety of a bill.  Those can be introduced at any time and can make a previously harmless bill become a very bad one. 

On Monday, 2/3 

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House and Senate Rules meet in their respective rooms.  On the agendas: many bills.

House Health & Human Services meets at 2 p.m. in HHR4.  On the agenda: 12 bills, including HB2109, limiting insurance coverage for organ transplants that are related to China or Hong Kong; HB2693, limiting insurance coverage for genetic sequencing if it is related to a "foreign adversary"; HB2165, barring SNAP payments for candy and soft drinks.

All were proposed by Leo Biasiucci.

House Land, Agriculture & Rural Affairs meets at 2 p.m. in HHR3.  On the agenda; nine bills.  Includes HB2201, which is subject to a striker pertaining wildfire mitigation plans and electric utilities.

It reads as if it was written by an industry lobbyist.

House Public Safety & Law Enforcement meets at 2 p.m. in HHR1.  On the agenda: six bills, one of which I've already discussed here.

Senate Finance meets at 2 p.m. in SHR1.  On the agenda: 12 proposals.  Many of these look bad, but this agenda covers an area I know very little about.

Senate Military Affairs and Border Security meets at 2 p.m. in SHR109.  On the agenda: five bills, the majority of which are very bad.  Includes SB1268, a move to require hospitals to inquire about a patient's immigration status when that patient is admitted for treatment.

House Federalism, Military Affairs & Elections meets at 4 p.m. in HHR5.  On the agenda: one bill.  The bill: HB2703, a ploy to limit or even eliminate early voting.

On Tuesday, 2/4 

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House Natural Resources, Energy & Water meets at 1:30 in HHR3.  On the agenda: six proposals, all bad. My personal favorite: HCM2008, a love letter to the feds asking that the EPA's Region 9 HQ move to Arizona (AZ is in Region 9) or that AZ be moved into Region 8, where the EPA HQ is in Denver.

House Commerce meets at 2 p.m. in HHR5.  On the agenda: 15 bills.  Includes HB2450, a "we hate poor people" bill that shows that by proposing to reduce Arizona's already low Unemployment Insurance benefits.

House Education meets at 2 p.m. in HHR1.  On the agenda: eight bills.  Mostly (but not entirely) ugly.  Includes HB2670, a bill that would mandate anti-choice indoctrination for students in grades 7 and 8.

House Regulatory Oversight meets at 2 p.m. in HHR4.  On the agenda: four bills.  Includes HB2684, an anti-homeless person proposal.

Senate Appropriation meets at 2 p.m. in SHR109.  On the agenda: seven bills.

Senate Natural Resources meets at 2 p.m. in SHR1.  On the agenda: five bills.  Three of which read as if they were written by an industry lobbyist.

Tim Dunn appears to be the Senate's version of the House's Gail Griffin, and that's not a compliment.

On Wednesday, 2/5

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House Judiciary meets at 8:30 a.m.in HHR4.  On the agenda: 12 bills.  Many bad; some conventionally bad, some pure propaganda.  My personal fave: HB2633, adding political and/or religious views to the list of acceptable reasons to file a legal action (the sponsor of this proposal, Alexander Kolodiin, is an attorney and put LOTS of clauses in this proposal, so I recommend reading it in its entirety.)

House Government meets at 9 a.m. in HHR5.  On the agenda: 15 bills.  Many bad, but a couple good.  Good: HB2160, renaming the Arizona Commission of African-American Affairs as the Arizona Office of African American Affairs; and HB2578, creating a memorial for Don Bolles, an AZ Republic investigative reporter who was assassinated during the 1970s. Bad (and there's a few VERY bad bills here): HB2216, creating an anti-choice grant program for "pregnancy care" centers that lie to pregnant women; and HB2599, halving the time period when it's allowable to bring a legal action related to an improvement on real property and, if related to something covered  by an owner's association, requiring a 2/3 vote of that association to initiate or proceed with that action.

There are other bad bills on the agenda, these are only two.

Senate Government meets at 9 a.m. in SHR1.  On the agenda: seven bills.  All bad.

Senate Health and Human Services meets at 9 a.m. in SHR2.  On the agenda: seven bills. Many bad, including SB1246, watering down the legal definition of "child neglect".

Senate Regulatory Affairs and Government Efficiency meets at 9 a.m. in SHR109.  On the agenda: seven bills.  Includes SB1352, making zoning decisions by a "legislative body" of a municipality etc. not subject to a referendum petition.

House Ways & Means meets at 10 a.m. in HHR3.  On the agenda: eight bills.

House Appropriations meets at 2 p.m. in HHR1.  On the agenda: three bills.  All three are from the "we hate poor people" genus of Republican ideology - two seek to impose more requirements on SNAP recipients while the other seeks to reduce AHCCCS eligibility.

House Federalism, Military Affairs & Elections meets at 2 p.m. in HHR4.  On the agenda: 10 measures, all anti democracy.  Personal fave: HB2440, seeking to bar state AG Kris Mayes from prosecuting criminally or litigating civilly against a county supervisor for failing to do his/her duty regarding elections.

House Science & Technology meets at 2 p.m. in HHR5,  On the agenda: one bill.

House Transportation & Infrastructure meets at 2 p.m. in HHR3.  On the agenda: eight bills.

Senate Education meets at 2 p.m. is SHR1.  On the agenda: six bills, including SB1269, Wendy Rogers' proposal to put "volunteer school chaplains" in schools, and impose requirements on those schools related to that.

Senate Judiciary and Elections meets at 2 p.m. in SHR2.  On the agenda: 14 bills, some bad.  Includes SB1053, Wendy Rogers' hyper specific bill regarding "wildlife; firearms discharge; structures; distance".  Actually, it is so specific it's very easy to get around.

From the bill -

It is unlawful for someone to...

Under that language, shooting at small game with buckshot or a slug shell, or shooting at big game with bird or game shot, or an arrow, would be legal.

Senate Public Safety meets at 2 p.m. in SHR109.  On the agenda: 13 proposals.  Includes SB1019 and SCR1002, Rogers' ploys to ban photo radar in Arizona. An SCR measure bypasses Governor Hobbs and goes directly to the voters.

On Thursday, 2/6 

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Vulnerable Adult System Study Committee meets at 2 p.m. in SHR1.  On the agenda: no bills, just a couple of presentation.

Some say the AZ lege is sneaky. I say sneaky and shameless are two sides of the same coin.

A few weeks ago, I posted about "poison pill" clauses inserted into proposals from certain members of the AZ legislature, calling out Sen. John Kavanagh by name.

It's not just him - the latest example wasn't proposed by him.

HB2123, scheduled for committee consideration by House Public Safety & Law Enforcement on next Monday has such a clause.

It comes from that rather fetid mind was sponsored by Rep. Julie Willoughby and and cosponsored by Reps. Leo Biaisucci, Michael Carbone, and (House Speaker) Steve Montenegro.

It purports to add "religious leaders" to the list of people who are eligible to have their documents held "confidential" (not subject to public access).

(Note: the blue print is the proposed new language)

I think that's a bad idea - because I believe a private person isn't entitled to public consideration because of their private choices, and a career choice that doesn't make one a public servant (or the spouse or child of certain ones) is a private choice.

However, that's a matter for discussion.

But the bill's sponsor didn't stop there (if only) (emphasis added by me) -

That highlighted clause is (more than) a little broadly written.

Some enterprising lawyer will look at the lack of the word "religious" next to most of the words, and the commas separating the words and argue that the language applies to corporate CEOs/presidents.

Of course, if that attorney truly believes that the language only applies to heads of religious organizations, that person will argue that corporate CEOs/presidents head organizations that worship wealth.

Steve Montenegro goes on TV and tells a whopper, but never get called on it by the reporter

I was watching (OK, it was on for background noise :) ) AZFamily's Politics Unplugged, when Republican House Speaker Steve Montenegro said something that absolutely gobsmacked me with its craven falseness.

He said that the people have spoken about their support for school vouchers and that Republican legislators are just doing their will when the lege expands the budget-busting ESA program (no quotes because I can't cite his exact statement, but I can say unequivocally that he didn't use the phrase "budget busting."  Though he should have, if he was interested in being honest.)

One part of what he said WAS true - the people have spoken.

One problem, though - in 2018, the legislature was unequivocally told NOT to expand ESAs.

From the Arizona Secretary of State's final canvass of election results from that year - 

64.8% voted "no" while 35.2 voted "yes." 

That seems rather unequivocal.

Legislative schedule - week starting 1/26/2025

This week, I relearned a lesson - ignore the "fact sheets" generated by the legislature.  I haven't found any (yet!) that completely ignore a significant clause but they will minimize, even gloss over, sneaky bad language slipped into a bill.

Note: HHR refers to a hearing room in the House building; SHR refers to one in the Senate building.

Note2: Generally, I'll only specify bills that look to spread propaganda.  Other bills may be more conventionally bad (think: corrupt or other misuses of public monies and/or authority).  My recommendation is that if an agenda covers an area of interest to you, read the entire agenda.

Note3: Each chamber's respective Rules Committee meets on Monday, the House's in HHR4, generally at 1 p.m. and the Senate's in Senate Caucus Room 1, generally also at 1 p.m.  Both committees serve as rubber stamps for bills leadership wants to be advanced and gatekeepers for measures that leadership wants stopped.

Note4: Meeting start times may be listed, but are flexible.  Before journeying to the Capitol or viewing the meeting online, verify the start time.

Note5: Watch for strikers, or strike everything amendments.  Those involve inserting language that replaces the entirety of a bill.  Those can be introduced at any time and can make a previously harmless bill become a very bad one. 

On Monday, 1/27 

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House and Senate Rules meet in their respective rooms.  On the agendas: many bills.

House Health & Human Services meets at 2 p.m. in HHR4.  On the agenda: wo presentations and six bills, including HB2179, an attempt by committee chair Selena Bliss to restrict advertising for marijuana and its products.  Because of that pesky Voter Protection Act, this will need a 3/4 vote of each chamber of the legislature in order to pass.

House Land, Agriculture & Rural Affairs meets at 2 p.m. in HHR3.  On the agenda: five bills.  All proposed by Rep. Gail Griffin and most/all read as if they were written by an industry lobbyist.

House Public Safety & Law Enforcement meets at 2 p.m.in NNR1.  On the agenda: two bills.  Includes HB2102, barring the transfer of monies from the anti-racketeering slush (my word) revolving (their word) fund to the state's general fund and restricting the actions of the state's AG; HB2221, barring municipalities from reducing funding for police agencies

Senate Federalism meets at 2 p.m. in SHR2.  On the agenda: two bills.  SB1066 and SB1068, both pertaining to requiring legislative approval for acquisitions of land by foreign entities/governments (1066) or the U.S. federal government (1068).  Both bills are from the fetid mind of committee chair Mark Finchem and so will probably be passed by the committee on a party-line vote.

Senate Finance meets at 2 p.m. in SHR1.  On the agenda: 12 bills, including some pro-crypto ones.

Senate Finance Committee of Reference meets at 2:05 p.m. or upon the end of the meeting of the regular committee.  On the agenda: no bills, two sunset reviews.

On Tuesday, 1/28 

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House Commerce meets at 2 p.m. in HHR5.  On the agenda: six bills, including HB2450, reducing AZ's already low unemployment benefits.

House Education meets at 2 p.m. in HHR1.  On the agenda: eight bills, including HB2063 and HB2058,  a couple of anti-vaxxer proposals.

House Natural Resources, Energy & Water meets at 2 p.m. in HHR3.  On the agenda: 10 bills, eight of which were sponsored, and the other two were co-sponsored, by the same person.  And most of the bill read as is they were written by an industry lobbyist.  Coincidence?

House Regulatory Oversight meets at 2 p.m. in HHR4.  On the agenda: three bills, all bad.

Senate Appropriations meets at 2 p.m. in SHR109.  On the agenda: four bills, including SB1021, Wendy Rogers' scheme to grant ROTC cadets status as in-state students.

Senate Natural Resources meets at 2 p.m.in SHR1.  On the agenda: six bills, including SB1128, an anti-climate change measure that seeks to shift blame for any changes to air quality in AZ on the Sun and on out-of-state causes.

On Wednesday, 1/29 

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House Government meets at 9 a.m. in HHR5.  On the agenda:  three bills.  Includes HB2099, a Republican scheme to mandate that state's governor and attorney general embrace the hate of aid and abet Cheeto's nativism.  The others look bad, but more conventionally bad, and the Arizona League of Cities of Towns will almost certainly weigh in on them.

House International Trade meets at 9 a.m. in HHR1.  On the agenda; one bill.

House Judiciary meets at 9 a.m. in HHR4.  On the agenda: nine proposals, most bad.

Senate Government meets at 9 a.m.in SHR1.  On the agenda: seven proposals.  All sponsored by committee chair Jake Hoffman, all bad, and all will probably pass committee consideration on party line votes.

Senate Health and Human Services meets at 9 a.m.in SHR2.  On the agenda: six bills 

Senate Regulatory Affairs and Government Efficiency meets at 9 a.m. in SHR109.  On the agenda: three bills.

House Ways & Means meets at 10 a.m. in HHR3.  On the agenda: three bills.

House Appropriations meets at 2 p.m. in HHR1.  On the agenda: three bills.

House Federalism, Military Affairs & Elections meets at 2 p.m. in HHR4.  On the agenda: nine bills.  Mostly bad (what a shock! :) ), but one that may be worthy of support - HB2390, adding candidates for  Justice of the Peace to the list of candidates who can collect nominating signatures online.

House Federalism, Military Affairs & Elections meets again upon adjournment of the regular meeting.  On the agenda: one bill.  HB2030, criminalizing the act of stolen valor. Not a bad idea in and of itself, though the penalties may be inappropriate.  If passed and signed by Governor Hobbs, Arizona wouldn't be the first state to criminalize stolen valor.

House Transportation & Infrastructure meets at 2 p.m. in HHR3.  On the agenda: six bills.

Senate Education meets at 2 p.m. in SHR1.  On the agenda: six bills, all bad.

Senate Judiciary and Elections meets at 2 p.m. in SHR2.  On the agenda: 15 bills.  Approximately half are very bad, including SB1014,  Wendy Rogers' scheme to legalize silencers.

Senate Public Safety meets at 2 p.m. in SHR109.  On the agenda:  15 bills, including SB1143, Rogers' scheme to bar retailers/payment servicers from creating/using categories related to firearms and government entities from creating a list of privately-owned firearms.

On Thursday, 1/30 - Nada.

"Separate but equal" may make a return in Arizona

Only this time, the Rs in the legislature want it to apply to women.

Maybe I should have titled this post "What's Old is New Again"...

Republican House member Lisa Fink has proposed/sponsored, and fellow Rs Rachel Keshel, Khyl Powell, and Michael Way have cosponsored, HB2062.

The bill itself is a bile-filled attack on trans people.

But "bile-filled" wasn't bad enough for this bunch.

They put a rather sweeping clause into the bill.

The bill will undergo consideration  by the House Government committee this week.

Last year, most of this bill's language (the anti-trans stuff, anyway) existed as SB1628.  It didn't include the separate but equal stuff.

It was vetoed by Governor Hobbs.  Her veto letter is here.

My guess, and it's only a guess:

1) This year's bill will pass both committee and floor consideration (in both chambers) on party line votes.

2) The measure will serve as a stalking horse of sorts, with Rs hoping, that when Hobbs vetoes it again, she'll miss something that is marginally less bad (but still very bad).

Legislative schedule - week starting 1/19/2025

Most bills being proposed by the Republicans in the Arizona State Legislature are filled with bile.

Sometimes they try to be subtle and sneaky about it.

Sometimes they're less subtle.

Sometimes they multitask.

The proposals being considered by committees this week run the gamut.

Note: HHR refers to a hearing room in the House building; SHR refers to one in the Senate building.

Note2: Generally, I'll only specify bills that look to spread propaganda.  Other bills may be more conventionally bad (think: corrupt or other misuses of public monies and/or authority).  My recommendation is that if an agenda covers an area of interest to you, read the entire agenda.

Note3: Each chamber's respective Rules Committee meets on Monday, the House's in HHR4, generally at 1 p.m. and the Senate's in Senate Caucus Room 1, generally also at 1 p.m.  Both committees serve as rubber stamps for bills leadership wants to be advanced and gatekeepers for measures that leadership wants stopped.

Note4: Meeting start times may be listed, but are flexible.  Before journeying to the Capitol or viewing the meeting online, verify the start time.

Note5: Watch for strikers, or strike everything amendments.  Those involve inserting language that replaces the entirety of a bill.  Those can be introduced at any time and can make a previously harmless bill into a very bad one. 

On Monday, 1/20  

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Nada.  

On Tuesday, 1/21 

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Joint Committee on Capital Review meets at 9:30 in SHR109.  On the agenda: no bills, and all items under consideration are part of a consent agenda a will be voted on as a group/one item.

House Appropriations and Senate Appropriations jointly meet at 10 a.m. in HHR1.  On the agenda: no bills.  They'll be receiving Governor Hobbs' budget proposal.

Senate Natural Resources meets at 1:30 p.m. in SHR1.  On the agenda: one bill, and one presentation.  Seems harmless.

House Commerce meets at 2 p.m. in HHR5.  On the agenda: four insurance-related measure that I don't understand well enough to comment on.

House Education meets at 2 p.m. in HHR1.  On the agenda: four bills.   They don't seem tooooo bad (but someone who knows more about this stuff should look at them), but it's still early in the session -- the anti-public schools, anti-books, and anti-teacher stuff is coming.

House Natural Resources, Energy & Water meets at 2 p.m. in HHR3.  On the agenda: three presentations and two measures.

Senate Appropriations meets at 2 p.m. in SHR109.  On the agenda: one presentation and three bills.

On Wednesday, 1/22 

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House Government meets at 9 a.m. in HHR5.  On the agenda: eight bills, including some very bad ones.  HB2051 would require the governor to appear before the legislature as a supplicant an answer questions posed by legislators; HB2062 seeks to put some anti-trans language into state law.  Not only that, there's a sneaky bad clause in the bill.

I can't make this stuff up.

2062 will be subject to a striker that is the polar opposite of bad, but it's proposed by a Democratic member (Rep, Betty Villegas) so I expect it to fail on a party line vote.  If they even consider it - it isn't even listed on the agenda.

HB2099 would direct the governor and state AG to aid and abet embrace the hate that Cheeto has for immigrants (except the ones he marries); HB2113 seeks to allow Confederate/MAGA flags to be flown on public property.

House International Trade meets at 9 a.m. in HHR1.  On the agenda: no bills, two presentations.

House Judiciary meets at 9 a.m. in HHR4,  On the agenda: four bills, HB2022, a guns in schools bill that was passed by House Education on 7-5 vote and HB2043, which seeks to narrow the definition of "harassment" by requiring that the harasser *intend* the harass the victim.  It's proposed by Rep. Alexander Kolodin, a practicing attorney, and I expect that one or more have charged with harassment.

House Ways & Means meets at 9 a.m.in HHR3.  On the agenda: one bill.

Senate Health and Human Services meets at 9 a.m. is SHR2.  On the agenda: one industry presentation and two bills.

Senate Regulatory Affairs and Government Efficiency meets at 9 a.m. in SHR109.  On the agenda: five bills, including SB1037, John Kavanagh's scheme to financially hamstring boards regulating health care and SB1071, another of Kavanagh's schemes, to impose state-level eligibility disclosure requirements on federal SNAP and TANF programs.

House Appropriation meets at 2 p.m. in HHR1,  On the agenda: two bills.

House Federalism, Military Affairs & Elections meets at 2 p.m. in HHR4.  On the agenda: eight measures, all bad, except for one.  Maybe..

House Science & Technology meets at 2 p.m. in HHR5.  On the agenda: no bills.

Senate Education meets at 2 p.m. in SHR1.  On the agenda: two bills and two presentations, one from Tom Horne and one from the ED of the State Board of Education.

Senate Public Safety Committee of Reference meets at 2 p.m. in SHR109.  On the agenda:  no bills, just an audit review of a Transportation Excise Tax in Gila County.

Senate Public Safety meets at 2:10 p.m. in SHR109.  On the agenda: five bills, including SB1060, adding a secrecy provision to administrative investigations of law enforcement officers.

On Thursday, 1/23 

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Senate Judiciary & Elections Committee of Reference meets at 10:15 a.m. in SHR2.  On the agenda: no bills, two sunset reviews.

No agenda lists any effort to address the financial boondoggle that is the ESA/school voucher scam program.