Showing posts with label Hobbs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hobbs. Show all posts

Tuesday, June 24, 2025

The welfare for the wealthy bill is on Gov. Hobbs' desk

And I urge all Arizonans to let her know their feelings on the subject.  

I already did -

Please veto HB2704, the tax money giveaway to the already wealthy.  Like ESAs/school vouchers, not only doesn't it benefit society, it takes money away from public services.


Before final passage by the legislature, this was a topic for a post.

I was right about one thing - the House handled this bill, a giveaway of public monies to Ken Kendrick (passed on Monday) before doing a budget for the public (temper tantrum on this thrown on Tuesday).

There were a few Democrats who voted for the measure; they're all members of "The Usual Suspects" caucus.





















HB2704 is here.


Sunday, June 01, 2025

A top of the ballot race may not be the best place for a candidate w/o elected office experience to start their electoral career

This doesn't apply to Presidential elections, only to U.S. Senate seats from AZ and the Arizona governorship, which are usually the highest level Arizona-based offices on a ballot in AZ.

It's also not a partisan thing as both Ds and Rs fall on both sides of this.

Lastly, when I say "no experience in lower-level offices", I'm not talking about school board or city/town council seats (with one exception) - I didn't look that far into the background of any candidate.


It's not absolutely true - people with experience in lower-level elected offices have lost races for higher office*, and at least one person with no experience in elected office has won a top-of-the ballot race.

* = usually they ran against incumbents or other people with experience in lower-level elected offices.

In the following list, an asterisk (*) next to a candidate's name means that candidate won the race.

"Nada" means that neither office was on the ballot.  I believe that the next time that will happen is 2032..

The races (I started in 1994 because I moved here in 1993) -




















Twice, Kari Lake has run for office (2024 [Senate] and 2022 [Governor]), and twice she has lost.

She's not running for governor again, but the two main candidates in the R primary for that office in 2026 exhibit some of the same weaknesses as her.

Andy Biggs, former legislator and current Congressman, is disliked by most people who meet him.  As is Lake.

Karrin Taylor Robson is a rich/famous person looking to buy an elected office.  As was Lake.

Cheeto has famously endorsed both, which may help them in a Republican primary.

However, given his monetization of public service for himself (and his allies) and his cratering of it for everyone else (ya know,  the public), that endorsement may not help in a general election (I'm presuming that one of them will win the primary).

In 2022, D Mark Kelly defeated R Blake Masters for US Senate.  Masters was widely seen as a carpetbagger serving as a rich guy's tool/proxy and had never been in elected office.

In 2020, D Mark Kelly defeated R Martha McSally for a US Senate seat.  While Kelly had no experience in public office and McSally was a member of Congress, he was retired from the military and could pick the brain of his wife, former member of Congress and state legislator, Gabby Giffords.  Those things seem to have helped him.

In 2014 and 2018, R Doug Ducey defeated both Ds David Garcia and Fred Duval in their runs for governor.  In 2018, Ducey was an incumbent; in 2014,he may not have been an incumbent, but had one term as state treasurer under his belt.  While Garcia and Duval had stretches in public life, neither had been in elected office.

In 2012, R Jeff Flake defeated D Richard Carmona for US Senate.  Carmona had public service behind him, but Flake was a member of Congress.

In 2010, R Jan Brewer defeated D Terry Goddard for governor.  While he had been in elected office before and she was an unelected incumbent as Governor.  However, she had been Secretary of State and in the state legislature.

In 2010, R John McCain defeated D Rodney Glassman.  While Glassman had previously been part of the Tucson City Council, McCain was an incumbent.

Glassman changed his party registration (many years ago) and, in 2026, will be running for state Attorney General as a Republican.

Glassman may be able to run as a uniter - the one thing that activists in both major parties can agree on is that most of them dislike him.

In 2006, R Jon Kyl defeated D Jim Pederson for US Senate.  Kyl was an incumbent; Pederson had never been in office.

In 2006, D Janet Napolitano defeated R Len Munsil.  She was an incumbent; he had never been in office.

In 2004, R John McCain defeated D Stuart Starky for US Senate.  McCain was an incumbent, and, to the best of my knowledge, Starky has never been in office.

2004 was before I became politically active, so my knowledge is spotty.

In 2002, D Janet Napolitano defeated R Matt Salmon.  At that point, he was a member of Congress but she had run statewide and been Attorney General.

In 1998, R John McCain defeated D Ed Ranger for US Senate.  McCain was an incumbent, and, to the best of my knowledge, Ranger has never been in office.

In 1998, R Jane Hull defeated D Paul Johnson.  While he had been mayor of Phoenix, she was an unelected incumbent who had been Secretary of State and in the state legislature.

In 1994, R Jon Kyl defeated D Sam Coppersmith for US Senate.  Kyl was an incumbent; Coppersmith had never been in office (so far as I know).

In 1994, R Fife Symington defeated D Eddie Basha for governor. Symington was an incumbent; Basha was a grocery magnate.


In short, the vast majority of races hold true to the title of this post, with a couple of noted exceptions.


Sunday, May 25, 2025

What's old is new again. New/Old political term: Logrolling

From Merriam-Webster, emphasis added by me -










The planned giveaway of public funds to Derrick Hall, owner of the Diamondbacks, is still alive.

From Civic Engagement Beyond Voting's weekly newsletter -

[snip]

The bad: stadium giveaway in the budget. Lawmakers’ pay-to-play billionaire stadium giveaway, currently stalled amid an outpouring of fierce public opposition, may get stuffed into the budget. This practice of lumping together various potentially unrelated provisions, known as “logrolling,” is intended to effectively force lawmakers to support measures they would otherwise oppose.

Of course, the likelihood of the giveaway being approved by the legislature and governor hasn't stopped apologists for the wealthy from doing some fearmongering.

From Arizona Sports -

Arizona Chamber of Commerce president doesn’t want D-backs to become ‘Utah Pika’

The Arizona Diamondbacks’ proposed tax recapture bill, according to multiple accounts, is in the final stages of approval in the Senate. But until it passes a vote of approval, there will be concern lurking for the D-backs and the small businesses in downtown Phoenix that Chase Field supports.

Arizona Chamber of Commerce president and CEO Danny Seiden on KTAR News 92.3’s The Mike Broomhead Show presented the urgency he sees with the still-tenuous situation.

Seiden likes to proclaim that he's "pro-Arizona" (in fact, he did so during this interview), but he's more pro-profit than pro-Arizona.

All of this inspired me to send a message to Governor Hobbs on the topic via her website.  My message was short and sweet.

The content of that message -

Governor Hobbs -


Please don't allow the rolling of a giveaway of public money/a stadium deal into the budget.


Taking public money away from public purposes and using it to line private pockets doesn't benefit society in any way, shape, or form.


I have very little influence with Governor Hobbs and the folks around her (OK -none:) ), so two things won't surprise me (not a prediction of events, but these developments wouldn't be shocking, either):

1. The giveaway of public money to pay for renovations for a billionaire's plaything while public services are cut may happen.

Regardless of public opposition to the scheme.

2. It's early, so a 'big name" may yet jump into the race and mount a primary challenge to Governor Hobbs.)


I *do* recommend that all readers send a message to Governor Hobbs.  The legislature and its members can be counted on to ignore the will of the people; Hobbs may not do so.

Tuesday, May 06, 2025

Hey! I occasionally disagree with professional journalists

Admittedly, it's not a huge disagreement; more of a quibble over some details.


Last week, I published a post on the coming Lieutenant Governor sweepstake in AZ.

Now the actual pros (ya know, *real* journalists) are getting into the act.

From the Arizona Agenda, written by Hank Stephenson and Nicole Ludden -

The VP of AZ

Political prognosticators are already labeling Arizona’s 2026 governor’s race a “toss-up” and debating the strengths and weaknesses of Gov. Katie Hobbs and her two potential challengers, Republicans Karrin Taylor Robson and Andy Biggs.

But the 2026 gubernatorial election will be played by a whole different set of rules than Arizona politicos are used to.

That’s because, for the first time in Arizona’s history, when voters weigh their options for their next governor, they’ll also be hiring a lieutenant governor.

It's a good story, and I recommend reading the entire thing, but I *do* disagree with it one thing.

The article goes on to discuss various possibilities/candidates in a "pro/con" format, and the "con" for a Democratic possible may not be much of a bad thing, IMO. (emphasis added by me)

  • Lt. Gov. Anna Tovar

    Pros: Tovar is a former lawmaker, corporation commissioner and mayor of Tolleson who knows her way around government. Like Romero, she’s a Latina (former) mayor. And she’s also an old Hobbs ally who the governor appointed to the State Board of Education (although that tenure was cut short when the Senate refused to confirm her).

    Cons: She comes with some political baggage, including an ethics censure during her time on the Corporation Commission and an episode in 2013 when she led a coup against Senate Democratic Leader Leah Landrum Taylor, who is black, and Landrum Taylor accused her of racism.


Ummm...in 2014, Taylor endorsed Michele Reagan, the R candidate for AZ Secretary of State.

I don't know if Tovar is a bigot (if she is, that's an automatic disqualifier for any position, except maybe for one in the Cheeto administration), but a personality conflict with a known quisling?

Most assuredly, *not* a disqualifier.

And that "censure" from the Corporation Commission?

Partisan hackery at ugliest.

From the Arizona Capitol Times, written by Reagan Priest, dated 12/17/2024 -

Corp Comm Republicans censure outgoing Democrat 

for alleged statutory, ethics violations

Republicans on the Arizona Corporation Commission voted Tuesday to censure outgoing Democratic Commissioner Anna Tovar and refer a complaint to the Maricopa County Attorney’s office, saying she violated open meeting laws and the commission’s code of ethics.

At an open staff meeting, three Republicans on the commission said an investigation into Tovar’s office found a letter sent by Tovar on Nov. 6 disclosed information discussed in executive session and constituted harassment of a commission staff member. The commissioners also voted to refer violations of Arizona open meeting law to the Maricopa County Attorney’s office.

I don't know if Tovar (or anyone else) is interested in the Lieutenant Governor (LG) gig, and I don't who Hobbs (or any other candidate) is looking at, but I truly expect the speculation to continue until the LG candidates are named.


Wednesday, April 30, 2025

Idle speculation time: Lieutenant Governor

In honor of Republican candidate for governor Karrin Taylor Robson already running TV spots...well more than a year before her primary.

In 2022, Arizona voters approved Proposition 131, which created a Lieutenant Governor (Lt. Governor) position in Arizona politics.

The language is now part of Article 5, Section 1, Paragraph C of the Arizona State Constitution.  The candidates for lt. governor will be named by the candidates for governor before the general election.

It's time for some speculation about who they might name. :)

Note: this is NOT a prediction; my prognostication abilities when it comes to internal R politics are less than optimal

My thinking is that the primary candidate for the will be current state treasurer Kimberly Yee.  She's termed out of the treasurer's slot, and while she may run for governor (again!), my guess is that the only way she gets through a primary with Robson and Andy Biggs is if they split the MAGA vote and she gets the rest.

Probably not gonna happen.

I *do* think that she'd help Biggs more in the general - if nothing else, she's seen as less crazy than him.

On the other hand, if/when he feels it necessary to boost his nutjob bonafides, Kari Lake is available.


On the Democratic side, I have no clue (not even for idle speculation).  Though, I bet that whoever is interested in the gig is busily jockeying both for position and for Governor Katie Hobbs' attention.


Friday, April 18, 2025

Legislative schedule - week starting 4/20/2025

"Hurry up and wait time" continues at the Capitol while rank-and-file Rs and all Ds wait for the leadership in the lege and Governor Hobbs to work out a state budget.

Which may not happen until it hits 100 every day in Phoenix and the lege wants to get out of town before it hits 110 every day.

Schedules can, and frequently do, change at any moment when the legislature is in session.  So pay attention.

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 4/21 - No committees scheduled to meet, at this point.

On Tuesday, 4/22 


-














Arizona Off Highway Vehicle Study Committee meets at 2 p.m. in SHR109.  On the agenda: no bills, four presentations.


On Wednesday 4/23 


-














Joint Committee on Capital Review (JCCR) meets at 9 a.m. in SHR109.  On the agenda: no bills; three items slated to he voted on en masse as part of the consent agenda.

Senate Regulatory Affairs and Government Efficiency meets at 9 a.m. in SHR109.  On the agenda: three executive nominations for the Arizona Racing Commission.

Normally, I'd see two meetings scheduled for the same place and time and speculate that one would have to be moved, but I expect the JCCR meeting will be *very* short.  The meetings may be piggy-backed.


On Thursday, 4/24 - nada.


Wednesday, April 02, 2025

Legislative schedule - week starting 3/30/2025 UPDATE

There's been an addition to this week's schedule of committee meetings at the state legislature.

On Thursday, 4/3 


-














One committee meeting has been added.

Senate Director Nominations meets at 8 a.m. in SHR109.  On the agenda: no bills; two agency director nominations.  Scheduled to be on the receiving end of Jake Hoffman's bile the committee's official questions - Paul E. Brierley for the AZ Department of Agriculture and Gaetano Testini, Industrial Commission of AZ

Of course,  the real target of Hoffman's bile will be AZ governor Katie Hobbs

From the governor's website -

Hobbs























Of course2, Hoffman may reserve some of his bile output for Adrian Fontes, AZ Secretary of State.  Hoffman spent some of is time this week introducing Alexander Kolodin, a far right candidate to replace Fontes.

From the AZSOS' website -

Fontes


























Thursday, January 23, 2025

Biggs is in (sort of) in the race for AZ Governor

Pointed at this by a fundraising text from Team Hobbs.

I say Congressman Andy Biggs is only "sort of" in because, at this point, he's only filed a statement of interest (SOI), not formed a committee yet.  However, it's early yet.  One of his presumed opponents in the primary, Karrin Taylor Robson, hasn't done either, though she's already secured Cheeto's endorsement.

From the list of statements of interest filed with the AZ SOS -






My guess: Biggs won't be last "big name" to express an interest in the race for Arizona governor.
Whoever gets through the R primary for the chance to face off against Governor Katie Hobbs will be a supporter of Cheeto.

That person will also make voting for Hobbs easy, because it will be a vote for competence over extremism.

What will be more interesting, in a "get out your popcorn" sort of way, will be the Republican primary contest to replace Biggs in Congress.  

His CD5 district is a safe one for Rs, meaning that the R primary winner will almost certainly win in the general election.










One person, former legislator Travis Grantham, has already filed a statement of interest in the race for CD5.

But he won't be the last to do so.

All of the Rs in that race will have a platform of "I'm Trumpier than thou".

No one, not even Grantham, has yet formed a committee with the FEC as of the writing of this post.


Interesting side note: Grantham filed his SOI 2.5 hours after Biggs did so.  I'm guessing that he got a phone call. 

Sunday, January 19, 2025

"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).


Wednesday, September 04, 2024

72 people burned to death in England; a large corporation contributed to that; they also contributed to the Republican Governors Association (RGA)

Wonder if the RGA will ever return its blood money.

Not gonna hold my breath while waiting for that to happen. :)

From CBSNews (emphasis added by me) -

Grenfell Tower fire inquiry says U.S. company Arconic "deliberately concealed" dangers of building materials

The public inquiry into the deadly 2017 fire that engulfed Grenfell Tower, a high-rise public housing apartment building in central London, published its final report Wednesday on the disaster that killed 72 people. The blaze — London's deadliest since World War II — was blamed on a litany of failures, from shoddy construction and materials to poor local management and inadequate fire safety standards.

Retired judge Martin Moore-Bick, who headed the inquiry, said all the deaths were avoidable, and that while no single cause could be blamed for the disaster, a number of factors and entities "contributed to it in one way or another, in most cases through incompetence, but in some cases through dishonesty and greed."

[snip]

In a statement to CBS News on Wednesday, Arconic said it rejected "any claim that AAP [Arconic's subsidiary, Arconic Architectural Products SAS] sold an unsafe product," and insisted it had "regularly conducted tests of its materials using third-party testing bodies."

From the website of the Federal Election Commission (FEC) -








I went looking through FEC records for a direct tie/donation from their PAC to an AZ candidate and didn't find one though there was one tie between AZ and the RGA when Arconic donated to the RGA.

Arconic gave money to the RGA in 2022.

Know who was co-chair of the RGA in 2022?

Former AZ governor Doug Ducey.

In 2022, the RGA spent a LOT of money in efforts to defeat Katie Hobbs.

It didn't work, but it seems some the money spent qualifies as "Ill Gotten Gains."


Friday, June 21, 2024

Legislative schedule - week starting 6/23/2024

The AZ Legislature has passed a balanced budget* and adjourned sine die, and Gov. Hobbs signed the budget package into law.


* = Sort of.  They used some earmarked funds, monies that were earmarked for one purpose but taken by the legislature and used for a different purpose.  As some folks objected and sued over that, the "balanced" part will depend on the outcome of that court case.

The creative reuse of those funds has been blocked, pending that case.

From AZ Mirror, written by Jim Small -

Judge blocks use of opioid settlement money to balance Arizona’s budget deficit


A judge on Thursday blocked the transfer of $115 million from the state’s share of the national opioid settlement that legislators approved less than a week ago as a key component of balancing a nearly $1.4 billion budget deficit.

The court stepped in after Attorney General Kris Mayes, who was sharply critical of the proposed transfer when it emerged late last week and said it would violate the terms of the settlement, filed a lawsuit earlier in the day and asked for a judge to take emergency action.

[snip]

Late Thursday, Maricopa County Superior Court Commissioner Mary Cronin agreed that Mayes was likely to win her lawsuit and issued a temporary restraining order, blocking the transfer. The restraining order will stay in place until July 5. On June 27, Mayes and the Hobbs administration will have a hearing in front of Judge Scott Minder to discuss the underlying lawsuit.


The case in question is CV2024-016033

In short, depending on the ruling in the case, the legislature may have to return to the Capitol to balance the budget .

But without stealing money.

One thing I expect that they won't do:  rein in the budget busting school voucher grift.

Right now, there isn't much on tap at the Capitol.




Monday, 6/24 thru Thursday, 6/27 - Nada

Friday, 6/28 


-

















Joint Legislative Ad Hoc Study Committee on Water Security meets at 1 p.m. in HHR1.  On the agenda: a raft of industry presentations saying basically the same thing - any water conservation measures will reduce their short term profits.


Sunday, May 05, 2024

AZ finally repeals total abortion ban. But thanks to the AZ Supreme Court, it will go into effect anyway.

Unless they update their ruling.

From AZ Mirror, written by Gloria Rebecca Gomez -

The 1864 abortion law is officially repealed, but when it takes effect remains uncertain












With a stroke of a pen on Thursday, Gov. Katie Hobbs struck down a 160-year-old near-total abortion ban. 

Just a day earlier, Democrats in the state Senate succeeded in peeling away enough Republican votes to repeal an abortion ban first passed in 1864, while Arizona was still a territory. The push to repeal it came after the state Supreme Court ruled it was once again enforceable, and Hobbs’ signature ended weeks of turmoil as the Republican-majority legislature grappled with the political fallout. 

[snip]

But while Hobbs’ approval removes that threat from state law, she noted that access to abortion   is still not guaranteed. With the repeal of the 1864 law, a 2022 law banning abortions after 15 weeks takes precedence. 

[snip]

And while the repeal of the 1864 law is now finalized, it won’t be effective until months after the state Supreme Court ruled it can be enforced on June 27. That’s because bills signed by the governor don’t go into effect until 90 days after the end of the legislative session, and with the state budget still being negotiated, that likely won’t happen for several more weeks yet, pushing the repeal’s effectiveness date into the fall at the earliest. 

[snip]

In response to the conflicting timelines, Democrats and abortion advocacy groups have sought to use legal maneuvers to delay the reimplementation of the 1864 law until the repeal can go into effect. Earlier this week, one day before the repeal was successful, Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes filed a motion with the state Supreme Court requesting a 90-day reprieve while her office explored the possibility of appealing the ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court. 

The repeal passed the legislature with the votes of all Democratic members and five Republicans voting for it.

My basic cynicism may show with this, but I truly believe that the Rs who voted for the repeal drew the short straws and engaged in the political equivalent of "taking one for the team."

The original ruling by the AZ Supes that started this drama is here.

Sunday, June 25, 2023

Gov. Hobbs keeps a campaign promise, Rabid anti-choicers do the expected and wig out.

Well, "expected" if you've ever observed anti-choicers,  and I have.























From KTAR, written by Danny Shapiro -

Arizona Gov. Hobbs signs executive order stripping county attorneys from prosecuting abortions

Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs on Friday announced she signed an executive order that strips the state’s 15 county attorneys from prosecuting abortion cases.

The order, dated Thursday, gives the prosecutorial authority on the issue solely to the attorney general, who is currently Democrat General Kris Mayes.

[snip]

“I made a promise to Arizonans that I would do everything in my power to protect reproductive freedom and this executive order reflects that promise,” Hobbs said in a statement.

“I will not allow extreme and out of touch politicians to get in the way of the fundamental right Arizonans have to make decisions about their own bodies and futures.”

Most of the reaction from anti-choicers was characterized by the stamping of feet while whining "but she can't do that!"

From Twitter -







To anti-choicers, facts are bothersome things, to be ignored when they don't comport with anti-choice ideology.


Also from Twitter -




















Herrod is the leader of Center for Arizona Policy and the leading anti-choicer in Arizona. And she's so influential with the R caucus of the legislature, she should be considered to be a de facto, but unelected, member of the the lege.


While their opposition to Hobbs' executive order is vehement, it isn't surprising.  On the other hand, I do have a question about something that comes next, from Rep. Alexander Kolodin.


















Not this one, though the retweet of a call for impeachment over this is, well, *interesting.*

Nope, another one by Kolodin raises a question, for me anyway.













Even before he was a member of the state legislator, Kolodin was an attorney, and represented state Sen. Kern (not a senator then) in a lawsuit in Yuma County Superior Court over his involvement in the attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 election that happened on January 6, 2021.  The lawsuit didn't end well for Kolodin and Kern.


I know that privileged communication exists between attorneys and their clients, but I have to ask:


Does Kolodin offering a legal opinion ("unconstitutional") and giving some advice to his client ("you all in the Senate better keep up") obviate that privilege (I really don't know)?



Wednesday, May 24, 2023

Does Kari Lake drive a car or a whaaaaambulance?

She loses in elections and in court...and then whines about both.

From Howard Fischer of Capitol Media Services, published by the Arizona Capitol Times -

Lake says she will appeal judge’s ruling confirming she lost election

Kari Lake said Tuesday she will appeal Monday’s ruling confirming the election of Katie Hobbs as governor, brushing aside the fact that the judge said her key evidence in seeking to overturn the result was legally irrelevant.

In a press conference outside her Phoenix headquarters, Lake said she has been denied the ability to put on a case showing she actually won the race. She said that is because of the rulings about state elections laws from Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Peter Thompson all the way up through the Arizona Supreme Court about what she needed to prove.

All of them went against her.


Monday, May 22, 2023

State Sen. Sonny Borrelli declares his intent to be AZ's dictator

From K,JZZ written by Ben Giles -

Borrelli ordered AZ counties to stop using voting machines. Here's why he can't

Citing authority he does not actually have, a state senator has ordered all Arizona counties to conduct future federal elections without the use of electronic voting equipment.

In identical letters to all 15 counties, Republican Sen. Sonny Borrelli claims that the continued use of voting systems — “which are made with components from countries considered adversaries to the U.S.,” he wrote — has left Arizona, and the rest of the nation, “in an extremely vulnerable and dangerous position.”

Guess that Gov. Katie Hobbs has her first 2026 challenger.

Of course, Borrelli could be mounting a dark horse campaign to be Cheeto's VP selection.


Sunday, January 08, 2023

Arizona Legislature 2023: Guessing that Governor Hobbs will need multiple veto pens

On tap at the legislature: More helping corporations, more ignoring the will of the voters, and more efforts to undermine democracy...and trying to distract from those things with culture war fights.


The "helping corporations" part?  

Rep. Livingston has introduced HB2003, a proposal to reduce the corporate income tax rate by almost 50%..  This measure is already scheduled for consideration by two committees this week.


The 'ignoring the will of the voters" part?

Livingston has also introduced HB2014, a proposal to expand tax credits for school vouchers, and also expand vouchers themselves.  In 2018, the voters soundly rejected Proposition 305, a attempt by the legislature to expand vouchers.


The "undermine democracy" part?

Sen. Kern has introduced SCR1002, a proposed amendment to the state constitution to require that any changes to it would require the votes of 60% of voters in an election to pass.


The "culture war fights" part?

The ever-reliable Sen. John Kavanagh (R-Demonize) has introduced SB1026, while Kern (who seems obsessed) has introduced SB1028 and SB1030; all of which would redefine, regulate, or otherwise restrict drag shows.


Others of note:

Kern has introduced SB1031, seeking to bar the state or other political subdivisions from firing employees based on their vaccination status.

Kavanagh has been busy - he's introduced SB1024, which would criminalize homelessness; SB1022, which would criminalize begging, asking for donations, and/or selling goods from inside a traffic median; SB1023, which would criminalize picketing or demonstrating outside a private residence; and SB1021, requiring the state's AG to defend all laws passed by the legislature and signed by the governor unless each chamber's judiciary committee grants relief from that requirement by a 2/3 vote (not gonna happen).

The way this is worded it covers measures passed by previous iterations of the lege and signed by previous governors.  And Governors Ducey and Brewer signed a LOT of bad bills.


Governor Hobbs doesn't needed unsolicited advice from a rank amateur like me, but I'm going to offer some anyway (of course :) ).

Her default position on any measures proposed by a legislative R should be "Veto It!"

Not every such measure will be bad, but her first question when considering any measure her desk should be "does this help Arizona?"

For most of the output of this legislature, the answer will be No!"


Monday, January 02, 2023

Hobbs takes the reins as AZ governor. That works.

From AP via Yahoo! -

Democrat Katie Hobbs takes office as Arizona governor

Katie Hobbs took the oath of office Monday to become Arizona’s 24th governor and the first Democrat to hold the office since 2009.

Hobbs was sworn in during a private ceremony at the state Capitol as she formally took over from Republican Doug Ducey. A public inauguration for the governor and others taking statewide offices is scheduled for Thursday.


From KTAR












Saturday, December 24, 2022

AZ political predictions

 This is completely tongue-in-cheek (except for the parts that come true).  And mostly lege-oriented. :)


January -

Governor Katie Hobbs takes her oath of office with a speech filled with words and phrases like "cooperation" and "best interests of Arizona".



















The Rs in the AZ legislature, led by House Speaker Ben Toma and Senate President Warren Petersen, respond with only "wanna bet?"

In one of her first acts as governor, Hobbs calls the legislature into a special session to address the aggregate expenditure limit looming over public ed.

The measure fails on a party line vote as the Rs in the legislature are upset it doesn't give more money to vouchers.

Kari Lake sues to overturn the 2022 election results.  She is represented by a reasonably reputable attorney.

Her lawsuit fails.

Kelli Ward is deposed as chair of the AZGOP.  Guess losing an election or two bothers R PCs more than being a party to treason.


February -

There's a riot in a bingo hall in Oro Valley when a caller refuses to award a Bingo designation to someone who doesn't have one.  Mark Finchem says he wasn't there, but photographic evidence says otherwise.

Abe Hamedeh sues again to overturn the 2022 results.

The lawsuit fails.


March - 

Sen. John Kavanagh runs a bill allowing police officers to kill anyone they want for any reason they want.....so long as they don't kill rich people or white trumpkins.

It passes the legislature on a party line vote.  

Governor Hobbs vetoes it.

Cheeto appears at a rally in Cochise County.  It's well attended.  He and his hangers-on inflate the figures anyway.

Kari Lake sues to overturn the 2022 election results.  She is represented by a reasonably astute attorney who waits until the retainer check clears before going forward.

Her lawsuit fails.


April -

Sen. Wendy Rogers runs a bill changing voting eligibility so that only retired Christian Dominionists living in counties with fewer than 500,000 people in them can vote.

It passes the legislature on a party line vote.  Governor Hobbs vetoes it.

With that, Hobbs sets the record for number of measures vetoed by a governor.

Incensed by the veto, Rogers runs a proposal to change the state constitution.  If passed by the voters, it would bar governors from vetoing measures supported by Republicans.

It passes the legislature on a party line vote.

Changing things up, Kari Lake sues to overturn the 2020 election results.  She is represented by a reasonably reputable attorney.

Her lawsuit fails.


May -

The lege has entered it's silly season, aka - hurry up and wait season, aka2 - there's no budget but the lege is still in session.  And their boredom, and contempt for democracy, shows.

Rep. Leo Biasucci runs a bill barring Attorneys General from indicting or charging Republicans.

It passes the legislature on a party line vote.  Governor Hobbs vetoes it

Sen. Sonny Borrelli runs a bill barring Arizona SOS' from certifying any election results that the majority in the lege doesn't like.

It passes the legislature on a party line vote.  Governor Hobbs vetoes it.

Abe Hamedeh sues again.

And fails again.


June -

The lege, in the persons of Toma and Petersen, announces that budget deal has been reached and that it solves the aggregate expenditure limit issue.

By taking all of the state's education funding and giving it to private and charter schools.

And then they adjourn the lege sine die and get out of town before Hobbs, or anyone else, can say anything.

Governor Hobbs addresses that by using her line item veto power and calling back the lege into a special session.

When certain legislators make noises about not returning to Phoenix, Hobbs makes noise about sending DPS officers to retrieve them.

Since being in Phoenix in the summer beats being in a jail cell, the recalcitrant legislators return.


July -

And the parade begins.

One of the downsides of Arizona becoming a battleground state will be incessant trips by famous (and not-so-famous) Republicans looking for the 2024 nomination for President (and if Joe Biden gives any indication that he's not running for re-election, it'll be Democrats, too).  2024 will start in 2023 here.


August -

The Biden Administration announces the release of a vaccine for cancer that's 99% effective, one that will be named after Anthony Fauci.

Rs and other anti-vaxxers denounce the vaccine as an unscientific plot by Big Brother to control their lives and proudly refuse to take it.

Cheeto tells them to drink Laetrile-laced Kool-Aid, and it will cure the cancer,.  He'll claim that it's more effective than hydroxychloroquine.

But first, they should send him some money

Cheeto's followers die in droves, but he gets wealthier.


September -

Kari Lake sues to overturn the 2022 election results.  She is represented by an attorney who obtained a law degree from a crane game in a convenience store.

Her lawsuit fails.


October -

Kelli Ward announces her candidacy for the U.S Senate seat that will be on AZ's ballot in 2024.

She wants the support of crazies and others of Cheeto's rubes to coalesce around her.


November -

Cheeto makes another appearance, this time in Mohave County. This one is sparsely attended.

The next day, he cries "Fraud!" and ends his candidacy.


December -

The Rs in the legislature, in preparation for an election year session in 2024, sharpen their pitchforks and pour kerosene on their stakes...errr..."prepare their book bans and anti-LBGTQ legislation".

Kari Lake sues to overturn the 2022 election results.  She is represented by an attorney who obtained a law degree from Trump University.

Her lawsuit fails.