Legislative schedule - week starting 4/14/2024

Nada,  As in no committee or floor activity is yet scheduled...though they will reconvene midweek and pass something to overturn the pre-statehood anti-abortion law that was recently upheld by the AZ Supreme Court...passing something with so many poison pills that it will never be supported by any free-thinking person.

Or else they'll do nothing and adjourn.  Again.

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. 

Legislative schedule - week starting 4/7/2024

Nada.  As in there are no bills slated to be considered by a committee, though there may be some floor activity when our legislators get back from the vacation, on Wednesday.

Nearly three years ago, I wrote a post about holding an AZ Constitutional Convention to rein in the state legislature.  There were many suggestions that I made then, but recent events have made a couple more seem advisable.

1. The legislature would get one week after the budget is finished in order to finish dealing with any loose ends; after the week, the legislature would be out of session and all payments of public funds, other than their base salary, to legislators would cease unless called into a special session by the governor (and those would be limited to twice a year, and for a week at a time).  Certain legislators find "per diems" (and other payments) to be rather lucrative.

2. All laws crafted by the legislature would have a clause that people who violate them would receive the same punishments regardless of their wealth (or lack of it), well-connected status, or marginalized status.  We can call this the "Charles Ryan" clause.  Any police officer, prosecutor, or judge involved in contravening this clause would receive a year and a day in prison PLUS the harsher of the sentences in question.  And the harsher of the two sentences imposed (that started all of this) would be reduced to the lesser of the two sentences.

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 Wednesday, 4/10 

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Senate Health and Human Services meets at 2 p.m. in SHR1.  No bills on the agenda; just some executive nominations.

Legislative schedule - week starting 3/31/2024

This week: Nada is on the schedule. No committees will meet to consider bills, not even the respective chambers' Appropriations committees.  The Rules committees of the respective chambers will meet, but since they only care about whether a bill is Constitutional (though a court may disagree) and don't take testimony on a bill, I don't regard that as "consideration."

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 Tuesday, 4/2 

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Senate Health and Human Services meets at 2 p.m. in SHR1.  On the agenda: no bills, just three executive nominations, if those are assigned to the committee.

Legislative schedule - week starting 3/24/2024

Many bills that died during the legislative session are coming back as strikers this week, and I presume, going forward until the lege adjourns sine die.

There's also a lot a sneakiness on committee agendas this week.  I expect that to continue until sine die, too.

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, 3/25 

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House Appropriations meets at 1:30 p.m.in HHR1.  On the agenda: 12 bills, eight with proposed strikers.  Most are attempts to resurrect bills that didn't make it through the legislative process.  Lots of propaganda and bad government here, both in the basic bills and the proposed strikers.  However, the one looks to be the most interesting is Rep. David Livingston's proposed striker to SCR1010.  If passed, coming to a ballot this fall would be his plan to give legislators a pay raise by tying their salaries to the rate of inflation.  While this seems sneaky and underhanded and I oppose it for that reason, I am in favor of increasing legislative compensation.  I am a firm believer in "you get what you pay for"...and Arizona pays its legislators garbage.

Which explains some of the stinky nuggets that the AZ state legislature produces.

On Tuesday, 3/26 

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Senate Appropriations meets at 2 p.m. in SHR109.  On the agenda: 10 bills, with two proposed strikers.  Some propaganda here but the paean to "sneaky" is Sen, John Kavanagh's proposed striker to HB2270.  It has the innocuous-sounding working title of "homeless; fund; audit."  But it's much more than that.

Among (many) other things, Kavanagh's proposed amendment would create a crime for someone to "intentionally be present in a drug-free homeless service zone to sell or transfer dangerous drugs or narcotic drugs."  A person convicted of such would be ineligible for suspension of sentence, pardon, probation or any early release except under some specified circumstances, and parole doesn't seem to be one of them.

It would also require that all facilities that serve homeless individuals or victims of domestic violence to post sign designating them as "drug-free zones" (guessing that this measure will be supported by Republicans who rail against gun-free zones) and would also require hotels that serve both homeless persons and the general public to post signs that say "THIS BUSINESS IS BEING USED TO HOUSE HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS ALONGSIDE THE GENERAL PUBLIC. IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT ALL GUESTS KEEP HOTEL DOORS LOCKED, SAFELY STORE THEIR BELONGINGS AND REPORT ANY HEALTH OR SAFETY CONCERNS TO LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT."

Kavanagh *really* hates the homeless.

Actually, his hotel sign may have some merit, if it has a few words changed and goes up in places in addition to certain hotels.

"THIS BUSINESS CATERS TO LEGISLATORS  ALONGSIDE THE GENERAL PUBLIC. IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT ALL MEMBERS OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC KEEP DOORS LOCKED, SAFELY STORE THEIR BELONGINGS AND REPORT ANY HEALTH OR SAFETY CONCERNS TO LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT."

On Thursday, 3/28 

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Senate Judiciary meets at 9 a.m.in SHR1.  On the agenda:  no bills, just one executive nomination to consider.

Legislative schedule - week starting 3/17/2024

Friday is the last day that bills can be heard in committee, though there are ways around that restriction (bills can still be considered in the respective chambers' Appropriations committees.  Other committees can meet to consider bills, but they'll need the permission of the respective chamber's Rules committees/head.

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, 3/18 

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House Health & Human Services meets at 2 p.m. in HHR4.  On the agenda: 15 bills.

House Land, Agriculture, & Rural Affairs meets at 2 p.m. in HHR3.  On the agenda: seven bills, including a proposed striker for SB1410, relating to the interstate transfer of marijuana and its products.  Requires a 3/4 vote to pass.

House Land, Agriculture, & Rural Affairs meets upon the adjournment of the first LARA meeting in HHR3.  On the agenda: one bill, SB1403, which, with certain exemptions, would bar a "foreign principal" from a designated country from owning land in AZ.  The report containing the list of countries is here.

House Military Affairs & Public Safety meets at 2 p.m. in HHR1.  On the agenda: 11 bills, including a proposed striker for SB1196.  There two, related but different, strikers listed; I think that I've linked to the one that will be considered, but the other one is here.  Includes SCM1040, a love letter to Congress urging the creation of a Space National Guard.

House Military Affairs & Public Safety meets at upon the adjournment of the first MAPS meeting. in HHR1.   On the agenda: one bill.

Senate Elections meets at 2 p.m. in SHR1.  On the agenda: 11 bills, including a proposed striker for HB2497.  The agenda looks to be mostly propaganda.

Senate Finance and Commerce meets at 2 p.m. in SHR109.  On the agenda:15 bills, including HB2504, allowing insurers to not pay for genetic sequencing, organ transplants, etc., if a "foreign adversary" is involved and HB2661, mandating that all tablets and smartphones manufactured after 1/1/2026 that filter out "obscene" material for minors. I initially thought that this bill was pure propaganda...but as I was writing this a TV ad came on for a company that provides devices that do just this.  To many members of the lege this is just political propaganda; to others, it may be corruption.  To me, it's evidence that many legislators are capable of multi-tasking.

Senate Transportation, Technology and Missing Children meets at 2 p.m. in SHR2.  On the agenda: nine bills, including a proposed striker to HCR2049.  It, like much of this agenda, is pure propaganda.  On the plus side, this agenda includes a bill about missing children, which is kind of rare for this committee.  HB2479 seems to be about requiring DCS to do what it does in response to reports of abducted, missing, or runaway children...only quicker. There is a clause at the end of the bill that looks to be about enabling corruption -

Legislators get to decide if someone is following the laws crafted by the legislators themselves, and will siphon public funds into private pockets in response.

Hmmm...

On Tuesday, 3/19 

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House Commerce meets at 2 p.m. in HHR3.  On the agenda: five bills, three of which have proposed strikers.  While one seems bad, the really bad one is a proposed striker to SCR1040, a scheme fronted by Rep. Justin Wilmeth to allow employers to pay tipped employees 25% less than the mandated minimum wage.

House Education meets at 2 p.m. in HHR4.  On the agenda: two bills; both are propaganda.

House Natural Resources, Energy & Water meets at 2 p.m. in HHR1.  On the agenda: six bills, including two with proposed strikers.  Both seem bad, but the one for SB1242 would siphon public money into private pockets.  Both these and the other bills on the agenda read as if they were written by industry lobbyists.

Senate Appropriations meets at 2 p.m. in SHR109.  On the agenda: 11 bills, including HB2506, mandating that people acting as agents of a "country of concern" register with the state's AG.

Senate Health and Human Services meets at 2 p.m. in SHR1.  On the agenda: 12 bills.

On Wednesday, 3/20  -

House Judiciary meets at 8:30 a.m. in HHR4.  On the agenda: Lots of ugly. 13 bills, including SB1687, expanding the definition of drive by shooting.

House Government meets at 9 a.m. in HHR3.  On the agenda: seven bills.  Lots of usurping of municipal authority here.

House Ways & Means meets at 10 a.m. is HHR1.  On the agenda: eight bills. mostly running the gamut from pure propaganda, thru conduits for corruption, to simply bad government.

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

House Municipal Oversight & Elections meets at 2 p.m. in HHR4.  On the agenda: nine bills, mostly propaganda.  My personal favorite (that's sarcasm, folks) - SCR1044, removing term limits from judges subject to specific term lengths or retention elections, with specified exceptions.

House Regulatory Affairs meets at 2 p.m. in HHR5.  On the agenda: five bills.

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

Senate Education meets at 2 p.m. in SHR1.  On the agenda: four bills, including HB2095, expanding eligibility for STO scholarships (school vouchers).

Senate Military Affair, Public Safety and Border Security meets at 2 p.m. in SHR2.  On the agenda: eight bills, including two with proposed strikers (text not available as of this writing.)  The one that raises the most red flags has a working title of  "military; public safety".  This agenda has lots of propaganda on it, including two bills to make undocumented immigration a state crime, HB2748 and HB2821.

On Thursday, 3/21 

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Senate Judiciary meets at 9 a.m. in SHR1.  On the agenda: eight bills. including two with proposed strikers.  The texts aren't available as of this writing, but one has a working title that raises red flags - "elected officials."  Lots of propaganda on this agenda.

Senate Natural Resources, Energy and Water meets at 9 a.m. in SHR2.  On the agenda: two executive branch nominations and 17 bills, three with proposed strikers  (texts not available as yet).  All bills read as if they were written by industry lobbyists.

Senate Government meets at 1 p.m. or upon adjournment of the other committees in SHR1.  On the agenda: 21 bills. Includes HB2591, barring public entities and public power entities from entering into or renewing contracts with persons or companies that utilize forced labor or "oppressive child labor."  I don't disagree with the sentiment but have to ask -

Would this impact companies controlled by Cheeto or Vanky?

Legislative schedule - week starting 3/10/2024

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, 3/11 

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House Health & Human Services meets at 2 p.m. in HHR4.  On the agenda: 11 bills, including a couple of pure propaganda bills - SB1407, expanding the religious exemption for employer required vaccines and SB1511, an anti trans bill.

House Land, Agriculture & Rural Affairs meets at 2 p.m. in HHR3.  On the agenda: five bills, including SB1146, an anti animal vax propaganda bill.

House Military Affairs & Public Safety meets at 2 p.m. in HHR1.  On the agenda: 10 bills, including a proposed striker to SB1196, allowing the use of first responder flashing lights under specified conditions.  Also includes SCR1042, a love letter from Arizona's legislative Republicans to Texas Governor Greg Abbott expressing support for his craven (and homicidal) anti-Mexican acts.

Senate Elections meets at 2 p.m. in SHR1.  On the agenda: four bills, almost all propaganda.

Senate Finance and Commerce meets at 2 p.m. in SHR109.  On the agenda: one presentation and 14 bills, including a proposed striker to HB2199.  Most of the propaganda will be in the presentation - a lobbyist for cryptocurrency will be giving it.

Senate Transportation, Technology and Missing Children meets at 2 p.m. in SHR2.  On the agenda: eight bills, including HB2545 and HB2546, exempting vehicles built after 2018 from emissions testing and HB2586, making commercial entities liable for damages for providing "material harmful to minors" without also performing a "reasonable", but unspecified age verification process.

On Tuesday, 3/12  -

House Commerce meets at 2 p.m. in HHR3.  On the agenda: five bills. 

House Education meets at 2 p.m.in HHR4.  On the agenda: four bills, all bad.

House Natural Resources, Energy and Water meets at 2 p.m. in HHR1.  On the agenda: two bills that read as if they were written by an industry lobbyist.

Senate Health and Human Services meets at 2 p.m. in SHR1.  On the agenda: 12 bills, including HB2502, requiring SNAP recipients participate in, with certain exceptions, a work training program.  One of the exceptions?  Working already.  Also includes HB2503, barring DES from granting waivers to that requirement and HB2621, stipulating that states are responsible for securing their borders with another country.

On Wednesday, 3/13 

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House Judiciary meets at 9 a.m.in HHR4.  On the agenda: six bills.

Senate Government meets at 9 a.m. in SHR1.  On the agenda: 14 bills; at least half of the agenda is propaganda of the anti-Maricopa County, ant-UN, anti-affirmative action, anti-federal government variety...actually, anti any level of government other than the state legislature and pro-hatred.

House Government meets at 10 a.m. in HHR3.  On the agenda: seven bills.  Two or which are pure propaganda and five of which (including the two) are simply bad government.

House Ways & Means meets at 10 a.m.in HHR1.  On the agenda: three bills.

House Appropriations meets at 2 p.m. in HHR1.  On the agenda: three bills, including SCR1020, an example of the legislature trying to get around the governor by abdicating their budgetary duties.

House Municipal Oversight & Elections meets at 2 p.m. in HHR4.  On the agenda:10 bills, mostly propaganda.

House Regulatory Affairs meets at 2 p.m. in HHR5.  On the agenda: 11 bills, at least five of which fall under the "bad for society/buttress corporate profits" heading

House Transportation & Infrastructure meets at 2 p.m. in HHR3.  On the agenda: six bills, including SB1299, increasing the requirements that municipalities (and others) must meet in order to designate a traffic light-controlled intersection as a "no right turn on red" one.

Senate Education meets at 2 p.m. in SHR1.  On the agenda: four bills and two presentations.  Tom Horne is slated to give one of them, so it should be a colorful one.

Senate Military Affairs, Public Safety and Border Security meets at 2 p.m. in SHR2.  17 bills, including HB 2506, barring people from acting as foreign agents for "countries of concern," unless they're registered with the Attorney General. As Russia is listed as one such country, certain members of the lege may have to register.

On Thursday, 3/14 

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Senate Judiciary meets at 9 a.m. in SHR1.  On the agenda: 13 bills, including HB2843, expanding the definition of "premises" for the purposes of self-defense.

Senate Natural Resources, Energy and Water meets at 9 a.m. in SHR2.  On the agenda: 21 bills, including HB2628, working title "department of environmental quality; omnibus".  Omnibus bills always worry me, and this one seems sneaky bad.  There are a few clauses that appear to be worrisome, like the one that repeals section 49-257 of AZ law, which concerns the applicability of federal definitions regarding the underground injection control program in the safe water drinking act.

On Friday, 3/15 

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Novel Coronavirus Southwestern Intergovernmental Committee meets at 10 a.m. in SHR1.  On the agenda: no bills, but there will be much propaganda spewed here.  The committee membership includes Congresscritters Eli Crane and Paul Gosar, AZ state legislators Sens. Janae Shamp, TJ Shope, and Rep. Steve Montenegro, and Peter McCullough, a cardiologist who's a noted trafficker in Covid lies.  And if that rogues' gallery isn't convincing of the propagandistic purpose of this misuse of public facilities and funds, the chosen acronym for this committee (NCSWIC) is a QAnon invention.

Legislative schedule - week starting 3/3/2024

 

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, 3/4 

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House Municipal Oversight & Elections meets at 1 p.m. in HHR4.  On the agenda: one bill, and in a change of pace for this committee, it seems to be relatively non-controversial and not election denier propaganda.

Senate Elections meets at 2 p.m. in SHR1.  On the agenda:  11 bills.  Remember what I wrote about the House MOE agenda?  Not true here.  Includes HB2719, a proposal to limit when municipal (and other political subdivision) bond elections can be held and requiring a minimum voter turnout then for that election to be valid.

Senate Finance and Commerce meets at 2 p.m. in SHR109.  On the agenda: a presentation and 20 bills, including HB2477, designating Pluto as the official state planet.  Pluto still isn't a planet.  The agenda also includes HB2042, this year's version of last year's infamous "tamale bill."

Senate Transportation, Technology and Missing Children meets at 2 p.m. in SHR2.  On the agenda: three bills.

House Health & Human Services meets at 2 p.m. in HHR4.  On the agenda: a presentation and four bills.

House Military Affairs & Public Safety meets at 2 p.m.in HHR1.  On the agenda: four bills, including SB1025, a proposal to make it a DUI when having a BAC of greater than .04 or higher  when driving or it physical control of a vehicle for hire.  This seems redundant as police and prosecutors in AZ already have a CYA clause in AZ law to enforce.  From ARS 28-1381 (emphasis added by me) -

A. It is unlawful for a person to drive or be in actual physical control of a vehicle in this state under any of the following circumstances:

1. While under the influence of intoxicating liquor, any drug, a vapor releasing substance containing a toxic substance or any combination of liquor, drugs or vapor releasing substances if the person is impaired to the slightest degree.

2. If the person has an alcohol concentration of 0.08 or more within two hours of driving or being in actual physical control of the vehicle and the alcohol concentration results from alcohol consumed either before or while driving or being in actual physical control of the vehicle.

3. While there is any drug defined in section 13-3401 or its metabolite in the person's body.

4. If the vehicle is a commercial motor vehicle that requires a person to obtain a commercial driver license as defined in section 28-3001 and the person has an alcohol concentration of 0.04 or more.

On Tuesday, 3/5 

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House Education meets at 2 p.m. in HHR4.  On the agenda: three bills, including HB1477, a proposal to create a Grade Challenge Department in the Arizona Board of Regents if a student feels that they received a bad grade in a course due to political bias.

House Natural Resources, Energy & Water meets at 2 p.m. in HHR1.  On the agenda: four bills, at least two of which read as if they were written by industry lobbyists.

Senate Health and Human Services meets at 2 p.m. in SHR1.  On the agenda: four bills.

On Wednesday, 3/6 

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House Judiciary meets at 9 a.m. in HHR4.  On the agenda: eight bills, some bad.  Includes SB1628, a proposal that purports to be anti-discrimination that actually enshrines it and SCR1007, a proposed amendment to the state constitution that would prohibit public entities from entering into a contract worth more than $100K with a company unless it provides a written certification that it doesn't discriminate against a firearm entity or a firearm trade association.

Senate Education meets at 2 p.m. in SHR1.  On the agenda: a presentation and nine bills.  Includes a proposed striker for HB2373 (text not available as of this writing) and HB2793, requiring school boards to create rule and policies regarding student access to the internet when that access is provided by the school and to limit the use of wireless devices by students during the school day.

Senate Military Affairs, Public Safety and Border Security meets at 2 p.m. in SHR2.  On the agenda: five bills.

On Thursday, 3/7 

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Senate Judiciary meets at 9 a.m.in SHR1.  On the agenda: two bills.

Senate Natural Resources, Energy and Water meets at 9 a.m. in SHR2.  On the agenda: three presentations and six bills, including HB2097, basically deregulating the use of "gray water" by rich people or those who live in rural settings (the "residential lots of two acres" clause merits that description).

House Appropriations Subcommittee on Budgetary Funding Formulas meets at 10 a.m. in HHR3.  On the agenda: one presentation and no bills.

Committee update

This is about committees formed not placement on a ballot.  I'll do another of these posts when ballots come out.

This is not meant to be a comprehensive list; the people listed are people I have something to say about.  This is not intended as a slight toward the others, some of whom will win their races.  I just have nothing to say about them at this point.

Lesko is a former member (actually, she's a current member but isn't running for reelection this year) of Congress and the AZ state lege.

Heap is a current member of the state lege, and shockingly (OK, not really shocking news here) he has ethical issues.

Skinner was appointed as Maricopa County Sheriff and is now running for a full term.

Kamp is a former police officer and is running for a term as county sheriff.

Grove is a failed 2022 candidate for AZ AG, losing in the primary to eventual gen election loser Abe Hamadeh.

Legislative schedule - week starting 2/25/2024 Part 2

Because I was caught up in doing something else this week, this post will be done in two parts.  Part one covers Monday and Tuesday while part two (this one) covers Wednesday and Thursday. 

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 at 1 p.m. and the Senate's in Senate Caucus Room 1, 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 Wednesday, 2/28 

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House Judiciary meets at 9 a.m. in HHR4.  On the agenda: nine bills, including SB1007, making it a class 5 felony for an employee or contractor of a public school or library to refer a minor to any material considered to be sexually explicit or to facilitate access to the same.  There are some other very bad bills on this agenda, too.

Senate Government meets at 9 or 9:30 a.m.(there's some discrepancy) in SHR1.  On the agenda: six bills.

House Government meets at 10 a.m.in HHR3.  On the agenda: four bills, at least three of which are pure propaganda.

House Ways & Means meets at 10 a.m. in HHR1.  On the agenda: five bills, including some that reduce revenues.

House Appropriations meets at 2 p.m. in HHR1.  On the agenda: two bills including SCR1020, a proposed amendment to the state's constitution to would continue the previous year's general appropriations bill (budget bill) if no new budget bill has been enacted by the start of the new fiscal year.  If this passes at the ballot box, we should then delete the section of the state constitution creating the legislature;  a budget is the only real reason for the lege to exist.

House Municipal Oversight & Elections meets at 2 p.m. in HHR4.  On the agenda: five bills, four of which are propaganda from the school of  "Republicans have lost the last couple of elections and boy, are we PISSED."

Senate Education meets at 2 p.m. in SHR1.  On the agenda: six bills, including HB2178, a proposal to have university students decide to bar their tuition and fees from going to support organizations of which they don't approve.

House Government is scheduled to meet again upon the adjournment of the previous House Government.  The picture says "5 p.m." but I expect the meeting to take place far earlier that.  On the agenda: one bill.

On Thursday, 2/29 

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Senate Judiciary meets at 2:30 p.m.in SHR1 (originally scheduled for 9 a.m., it's been moved a couple of times and serves as a reminder to keep an eye on meeting times.)  On the agenda: appointments to a couple of different judicial commissions and one bill.

Senate Natural Resources, Energy and Water meets at 1 p.m.in SHR2.  On the agenda:  a presentation and 13 bills.  The bills read as if they were written by an industry lobbyist.

Legislative schedule - week starting 2/25/2024 Part 1

Because I was caught up in doing something else this week, this post will be done in two parts.  Part one (this one) will cover Monday and Tuesday while part two will cover Wednesday and Thursday. 

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 at 1 p.m. and the Senate's in Senate Caucus Room 1, 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, 2/26 

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House Health & Human Services meets at 2 p.m.in HHR4.  On the agenda: three bills and a presentation,  Seem noncontroversial.

House Land, Agriculture & Rural Affairs meets at 2 p.m. in HHR3.  On the agenda: three bills, including SB1475, taking a quarter million dollars from the state's budget and giving it to folks who have lost livestock to wolves.

On Tuesday, 2/27 

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House Commerce meets at 2 p.m. in HHR3.  On the agenda: four bills, including SB1366, proclaiming that blockchain is innovative technology and not subject to regulation while it is being tested.

House Education meets at 2 p.m. in HHR4.  On the agenda: five bills.  Seems to be noncontroversial.

House Natural Resources, Energy & Water meets at 2 p.m in HHR1.  On the agenda: three bills with all reading as if they were written by an industry lobbyist.  In other words, they don't benefit society.

Senate Health and Human Services meets at 2 p.m. in SHR1.  On the agenda: a presentation and six bills, including HB2183, a proposal to grant parents access to all of their minor child's medical records, even for those procedures that don't require parental consent.

Legislative schedule - week starting 2/18/2024

This is going to be a (relatively) quiet week in terms of committee activity.  Most of the action will take place behind the scenes as bill sponsors try to persuade committee chairs in the other chamber to put the sponsors' bills on a committee agenda.  Monday and Tuesday look to be the busiest days in terms of committee activity, though that is subject to change.

 

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 at 1 p.m. and the Senate's in Senate Caucus Room 1, 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, 2/19 

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House Appropriations meets at 1:30 p.m. in HHR1. On the agenda: 23 bills, including six with proposed strikers.  The most interesting one may be Rep. Timothy Dunn's proposal regarding private organizations and professional certifications.  There's also some pure propaganda here, like HCR2060, Rep. Ben Toma's bid to win a seat in Congress to bar undocumented immigrants from receiving public financial support.

On Tuesday, 2/20 

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Senate Appropriations meets at 2 p.m.in SHR109.  On the agenda: 23 bills.  Includes SB1148, Sen. Anthony "Insurrection" Kern's wish to further bust the state's budget by giving a tax rebate of an unspecified amount to Arizona citizens who are over the age of 55.

Senate Health and Human Services meets at 2 p.m. in SHR1.  On the agenda: one presentation and five bills.  The presentation is regarding AZ DHS' pandemic response plan (I expect a lot of pushback on that from the R members of the committee) and the bills are regarding the continuation of certain state boards/departments.