Short Attention Span Musing: odds and ends edition

...One prediction: Congressman Paul Gosar (R-CD9) not only doesn't run for reelection in 2028, my guess is that he won't make it to 2028 as a member of Congress.

He spoke at a Turning Point USA fundraiser in Phoenix this past week, and he looked distinctly unwell.

This picture is from a video posted to Bluesky. I think the video may be on the website of Fox10 Phoenix, but I won't link to Faux News or any of its affiliates, so I advise readers who wish to view it to look it up themselves.

Assuming readers locate the video, they should ignore the words and focus on the physical and verbal tics (ignoring the words is easy - he's a nutjob.  He opened his speech by equating Cheeto to a god.)

Some folks online speculated that he has Parkinson's and others speculated that he might have been intoxicated.  I don't think he was intoxicated.  As for Parkinson's, I'm not a doctor (and wouldn't trust one who diagnosed someone based only on a video) and won't speculate.

If my prediction proves to be accurate and he doesn't run for reelection in 2028, once he's no longer a member of Congress or even a candidate, his title of "biggest bigot in Arizona politics" will go to someone else.  I'm leaning toward Congressman Eli Crane, but there other contenders for that title (this being AZ, there are *many* other contenders for that particular title.)

The district will almost certainly go to another Republican - the district is overwhelmingly Republican.

Voter registration numbers from the Arizona Secretary of State -

...In the fall elections, at least one Biggs will probably win (no, not Andy Biggs in his quest to defeat incumbent Governor Katie Hobbs).  Mylie Biggs, Andy Biggs' daughter, is running for the State Senate seat in LD14.  As she's unopposed in the primary and while she faces a Democratic opponent in the general, that district is also overwhelmingly R, so she'll almost certainly win the seat.

...Tyler Farmsworth, who may or may not be related current state senator David Farnsworth or former legislator Eddie Farnsworth (I couldn't find any definitive links indicating a close relationship...and "Farnsworth" is a common last name if that part of Maricopa County) is running for a State Representative seat in that same LD14.

While there's a contest in the primary (three candidates for two seats), the district is still overwhelmingly R, and the R primary winners there will almost certainly win in the general.

...In the "RFK Jr. must be so happy" department: Measles hasn't gone away.

From Arizona Department of Health Services -

Actually, the information on the state page is somewhat out of date.  It was last updated on 4/14/2026 and shows Maricopa County as having five cases.  On 4/17, the Arizona Medical Association broke news of a sixth case here.

Get vaccinated.

Like sands through the hourglass, the Arizona State Legislature will return. It's inevitable.

Something else is inevitable, too - They won't do their job, starting on 1/12/2026.

Thus far, they've introduced 182 measures (bills or memorials/resolutions).  Most of those won't be approved by both chambers and of those that do, many won't make it past the governor's veto.

Some fall into the "Culture War" category (aka - "the GOP's War on America") -

Some fall into The "Fear the Other" subcategory (Rep. John Gillette's [R-Shameless Bigot] HCM2001)

Some into the "Anti Early Voting" subcategory (Rep Alexander Kolodin's [R-Running for AZ Secretary of State in order to upend elections] HCR2001)

Some into the "Anti LGBTQ+" subcategory (Rep Selina Bliss' [R- I thought she was less insane than the others. I was wrong) HCR2003)

Some into the "Anti-Vaxxer" subcategory (Rep Nick Kupper's [R-Don't Know Much About Him, But I'll Have to Start Paying More Attention) HB2005)

Some into the "Anti Choice" subcategory (Bliss' HB2043)

Some into the "Anti Public Education" subcategory (Rep. David Livingston's [R-Heavily Armed] HB2075)

Some into the "Anti Poor People" subcategory (Sen. John Kavanagh's [Center for AZ Policy's Water Carrier] SB1002)

Some into the "Anti Fluoride" subcategory (Sen. Janae Shamp's [R-Just Plain Nuts] SB1019]

Some into the "Anti Science" subcategory (Sen. David Farnworth's [R-Foisting His Fundie Religious Dogma of the Rest of Society] SB1025)

Some into the "Trump Worship" subcategory (Shamp's SB1070)

...You get the idea.  Republican legislators will do a LOT of Culture War preening in 2026.  It's an election year, and they want to win any primaries.

GOP state legislators aren't ALL about Culture War issues, though.

Rep. Gail Griffin (R-W2 or 1099?) has already introduced her usual spate of bills to protect and even enhance industry profits, not to help the people of AZ.

Sen. John Kavanagh is a multitasker - he hates pretty much EVERYTHING.  Including public disclosure of misdeeds by scofflaw legislators.  In addition to his various Culture War measures, he's introduced SB1022, intended to stop disclosure of images from "photo enforcement systems."

He *really* doesn't like it when legislators are shown to be hypocrites who believe that laws don't apply to them.

He's also introduced a "protect the wealthy" measure.  His SB1033 seeks to exempt the sales of vacation homes from municipal sales tax.

Of course, some of the proposals seem to be mildly contradictory.  Kupper's HB2059 seeks to remove speed limits, under certain circumstances, while Kavanagh's SB1073 seeks to impose them, under certain circumstances.

To be fair, the bills may not be totally contradictory - their "circumstances" aren't the same.

Lastly, legislators are specifically barred from creating legislation that is targeted at a specific municipality.  One of the ways they get around this requirement is by being hyper-specific, crafting language in a bill that doesn't mention a municipality by name but can only apply to one city.  Bliss' HB2080 seems to be a very example of this.  The language from her bill:  "In a city or town with a population of more than two thousand five hundred persons but less than ten thousand persons, whose population growth rate did not exceed an average of two percent per year for the ten-year period before the most recent United States decennial census and whose current general plan was approved by the voters..."

Hmmm...