Saturday, January 23, 2016
Sunday, January 17, 2016
Arizona Legislature: the coming week
While it's true that not every legislative committee is meeting this week, there is a serious ramp-up in activity this week.
Notes:
All committees meetings and agendas are subject to change without notice, and frequently do. If you plan to travel to the Capitol to observe or weigh in on the consideration of a particular measure, check with the lege ahead of time to confirm that the meeting that you are interesting in is still on schedule and your item(s) of interest is still on the agenda for that meeting.
Meeting rooms designated "HHR" are in the House of Representatives building.
Meeting rooms designated "SHR" are in the Senate building.
Some agendas are summarized as "looks harmless", but if they cover an area of interest to you, examine the agenda and the bills on it. If I missed something significant, please leave a comment letting me know.
All House committee agendas can be found here.
All Senate committee agendas can be found here.
On the House side of the Capitol:
Appropriations, Tuesday, 9 a.m., HHR1 - There will be a joint meet of both chambers' Appropriations committees to receive presentations about the governor's budget proposal.
Rural and Economic Development, Tuesday, 2:30 p.m., HHR5. Presentation only, at this point in time.
Health, Tuesday, 2:30 p.m., HHR4. A presentation and a couple of bills. "Highlight": HB2061, barring the prescription of medical marijuana to pregnant women.
Banking and Financial Services, Tuesday, 2:30 p.m., HHR3. One bill on the agenda: HB2152, repealing the prohibition on consumer lenders paying referral fees for new business and also allowing those lenders to sell certain new lines of insurance related to consumer loans.
Transportation, Tuesday, 3 p.m., SHR109 - There will be a joint meeting of both chambers' Transportation committees to receive a multitude of transportation-related presentations.
Federalism and States' Rights, Wednesday, 9.a.m., HHR5. Presentations/Propaganda session (about states taking over federally-controlled public lands) only, at this time.
Commerce, Wednesday, 9:30 a.m., HHR1. On the agenda: Two bills, HB2112 and HB2114, expanding the ability of private employers to call employees "independent contractors" and to immunize employers from responsibility for any of their abuses of employees and another one, HB2113, expanding an employer's ability to appeal a decision from the Department of Employment Security that it doesn't like.
Judiciary, Wednesday, 10 a.m., HHR3. A few bills on the agenda: HB2042, repealing the state's prohibition of nunchaku (aka - "nunchucks") seems to be the worst.
Education, Wednesday, 2 p.m., HHR4. On the agenda: HB2058, putting a charter school type on the state Board of Education. There are other tea party bills on the agenda, but this one looks to be the most obviously egregious. Another committee meeting is scheduled to immediately follow this one. On that agenda: HB2088, too long and complicated to summarize here, but it seems to be another ploy for the people who like to tell the federal gubmint to "butt out!" to micromanage the state's schools.
Military Affairs and Public Safety, Thursday, 9 a.m., HHR5. Looks harmless so far.
Government and Higher Education, Thursday, 9 a.m., HHR1. The longest agenda of the week, so far. Looks mostly harmless, but at least a couple of the proposals bear watching, as they may be less "harmless" and more "sneaky bad". One example: HB2126, relating to community college district expenditure limits.
Agriculture, Water, and Lands, Thursday, 10 a.m., HHR3. Presentations only, at this point.
On the Senate side of the Capitol:
Appropriations, Tuesday, 9 a.m., HHR1 - There will be a joint meet of both chambers' Appropriations committees to receive presentations about the governor's budget proposal.
Transportation, Tuesday, 3 p.m., SHR109 - There will be a joint meeting of both chambers' Transportation committees to receive a multitude of transportation-related presentations.
Rules, Tuesday, Upon adjournment of the floor session, Senate Caucus Room 1. Rubber stamp time.
Public Safety, Military, and Technology, Wednesday, 9 a.m., SHR1. On the agenda: SB1088, requiring gated communities (apartments, condos, etc.) to allow process servers access to their property.
Finance, Wednesday, 9 a.m., SHR3. Short agenda with three (apparently) harmless bills and one executive nomination - Jacob Hoffman, communications director of the Maricopa County GOP, to the State Board of Tax Appeals.
Financial Institutions, Wednesday, 2 p.m., SHR109. On the agenda: SCM1002, a love letter to Congress from Nancy Barto, urging it to gut the Affordable Care Act.
Health and Human Services, Wednesday 2 p.m., SHR1. On the agenda: SB1106, a "demonize the poor" special from committee chair Nancy Barto.
Government, Wednesday, 2 p.m., SHR3. On the agenda: SB1057, a sneaky bad bill from John Kavanagh. Ostensibly, it just clarifies the mental states required to be considered culpable for the violation of a statute or ordinance; However, there are clauses in it that specify that while the required mental state for being considered culpable for a violation is "intentional" except for drug offenses, where the standard would be "knowingly". There are also two executive nominations.
Education, Thursday, 9 a.m., SHR1. Presentations and executive nominations only, at this point.
Judiciary, Thursday, 9:30 a.m., SHR109. One bill on the agenda: SB1047 from John Kavanagh, allowing county attorneys to do work for other counties (apparently, Bill Montgomery isn't busy enough in Maricopa County and is looking for a moonlighting gig).
Floor Calendars:
There is a House Caucus calendar for Monday, but, as of this writing, it is a "housekeeping only" calendar with no legislation listed.
There will be floor calendars later in the week, but those are generally posted the day before, or even the day of, consideration.
The lege's Capitol Events calendar is here.
Notes:
All committees meetings and agendas are subject to change without notice, and frequently do. If you plan to travel to the Capitol to observe or weigh in on the consideration of a particular measure, check with the lege ahead of time to confirm that the meeting that you are interesting in is still on schedule and your item(s) of interest is still on the agenda for that meeting.
Meeting rooms designated "HHR" are in the House of Representatives building.
Meeting rooms designated "SHR" are in the Senate building.
Some agendas are summarized as "looks harmless", but if they cover an area of interest to you, examine the agenda and the bills on it. If I missed something significant, please leave a comment letting me know.
All House committee agendas can be found here.
All Senate committee agendas can be found here.
On the House side of the Capitol:
Appropriations, Tuesday, 9 a.m., HHR1 - There will be a joint meet of both chambers' Appropriations committees to receive presentations about the governor's budget proposal.
Rural and Economic Development, Tuesday, 2:30 p.m., HHR5. Presentation only, at this point in time.
Health, Tuesday, 2:30 p.m., HHR4. A presentation and a couple of bills. "Highlight": HB2061, barring the prescription of medical marijuana to pregnant women.
Banking and Financial Services, Tuesday, 2:30 p.m., HHR3. One bill on the agenda: HB2152, repealing the prohibition on consumer lenders paying referral fees for new business and also allowing those lenders to sell certain new lines of insurance related to consumer loans.
Transportation, Tuesday, 3 p.m., SHR109 - There will be a joint meeting of both chambers' Transportation committees to receive a multitude of transportation-related presentations.
Federalism and States' Rights, Wednesday, 9.a.m., HHR5. Presentations/Propaganda session (about states taking over federally-controlled public lands) only, at this time.
Commerce, Wednesday, 9:30 a.m., HHR1. On the agenda: Two bills, HB2112 and HB2114, expanding the ability of private employers to call employees "independent contractors" and to immunize employers from responsibility for any of their abuses of employees and another one, HB2113, expanding an employer's ability to appeal a decision from the Department of Employment Security that it doesn't like.
Judiciary, Wednesday, 10 a.m., HHR3. A few bills on the agenda: HB2042, repealing the state's prohibition of nunchaku (aka - "nunchucks") seems to be the worst.
Education, Wednesday, 2 p.m., HHR4. On the agenda: HB2058, putting a charter school type on the state Board of Education. There are other tea party bills on the agenda, but this one looks to be the most obviously egregious. Another committee meeting is scheduled to immediately follow this one. On that agenda: HB2088, too long and complicated to summarize here, but it seems to be another ploy for the people who like to tell the federal gubmint to "butt out!" to micromanage the state's schools.
Military Affairs and Public Safety, Thursday, 9 a.m., HHR5. Looks harmless so far.
Government and Higher Education, Thursday, 9 a.m., HHR1. The longest agenda of the week, so far. Looks mostly harmless, but at least a couple of the proposals bear watching, as they may be less "harmless" and more "sneaky bad". One example: HB2126, relating to community college district expenditure limits.
Agriculture, Water, and Lands, Thursday, 10 a.m., HHR3. Presentations only, at this point.
On the Senate side of the Capitol:
Appropriations, Tuesday, 9 a.m., HHR1 - There will be a joint meet of both chambers' Appropriations committees to receive presentations about the governor's budget proposal.
Transportation, Tuesday, 3 p.m., SHR109 - There will be a joint meeting of both chambers' Transportation committees to receive a multitude of transportation-related presentations.
Rules, Tuesday, Upon adjournment of the floor session, Senate Caucus Room 1. Rubber stamp time.
Public Safety, Military, and Technology, Wednesday, 9 a.m., SHR1. On the agenda: SB1088, requiring gated communities (apartments, condos, etc.) to allow process servers access to their property.
Finance, Wednesday, 9 a.m., SHR3. Short agenda with three (apparently) harmless bills and one executive nomination - Jacob Hoffman, communications director of the Maricopa County GOP, to the State Board of Tax Appeals.
Financial Institutions, Wednesday, 2 p.m., SHR109. On the agenda: SCM1002, a love letter to Congress from Nancy Barto, urging it to gut the Affordable Care Act.
Health and Human Services, Wednesday 2 p.m., SHR1. On the agenda: SB1106, a "demonize the poor" special from committee chair Nancy Barto.
Government, Wednesday, 2 p.m., SHR3. On the agenda: SB1057, a sneaky bad bill from John Kavanagh. Ostensibly, it just clarifies the mental states required to be considered culpable for the violation of a statute or ordinance; However, there are clauses in it that specify that while the required mental state for being considered culpable for a violation is "intentional" except for drug offenses, where the standard would be "knowingly". There are also two executive nominations.
Education, Thursday, 9 a.m., SHR1. Presentations and executive nominations only, at this point.
Judiciary, Thursday, 9:30 a.m., SHR109. One bill on the agenda: SB1047 from John Kavanagh, allowing county attorneys to do work for other counties (apparently, Bill Montgomery isn't busy enough in Maricopa County and is looking for a moonlighting gig).
Floor Calendars:
There is a House Caucus calendar for Monday, but, as of this writing, it is a "housekeeping only" calendar with no legislation listed.
There will be floor calendars later in the week, but those are generally posted the day before, or even the day of, consideration.
The lege's Capitol Events calendar is here.
Saturday, January 16, 2016
Arizona Legislature going back to the future: now they want to bring back the company store
...If they (the state's Republicans) want to go with a "carrot-and-stick" approach to lowering the state's minimum wage, they should at least offer a real carrot, and not a mirage...
In the past, one of the methods that large employers used to keep their employees destitute (and easily pliable) was the practice of paying the employees in "scrip" that could only be used in a company-owned store or otherwise returned to the company as payment for needs like housing.
The desperation and spiritual weariness this practice imposed upon its victims was best expressed lyrically in the late 1940s and early 1950s in the song "Sixteen Tons" (the best-known version was performed by Tennessee Ernie Ford, but his version was neither the first nor the last).
Fast forward to 2016.
State Rep. Karen Fann (R-Prescott) has proposed HB2148.
As written, it would allow employers to count the cost of "board, lodging, or other facilities" that are provided to employees as part of their employment toward the calculation of wages paid to employees.
It would primarily impact workers in low-wage industries like hotels, resorts, and apartment management (and others) where employees are required to live at or close to their workplaces.
The "carrot" that Fann put in her proposal is a repeal of the provision in state law that prohibits municipalities and counties from raising the minimum wage requirement is their areas.
The problem with that?
That section of law already doesn't apply to "charter" cities.
Cities become eligible to become charter cities when they reach a population of 3500 and create and enact a voter-approved charter. Not all eligible cities in the state have become charter cites but the cities that are most likely to raise the local minimum wage (Flagstaff, Tucson, Phoenix, Tempe, Douglas) are already charter cities.
Now, even if this measure goes forward, it doesn't seem likely to pass (as minimum wage law in AZ is "voter protected", it would take a 3/4 vote of the lege to do anything to change the law and that would mean that some Democrats would have to vote for it) nor does it seem likely to survive a court challenge if it does pass (per the Voter Protection Act, any legislative changes to law directly approved by the voters have to further the intent of the act...and Fann's proposal most assuredly does NOT).
Still, it's a not-very-subtle shot across the bow of labor in AZ, warning labor that attacks on living wages in AZ will continue unabated.
In the past, one of the methods that large employers used to keep their employees destitute (and easily pliable) was the practice of paying the employees in "scrip" that could only be used in a company-owned store or otherwise returned to the company as payment for needs like housing.
The desperation and spiritual weariness this practice imposed upon its victims was best expressed lyrically in the late 1940s and early 1950s in the song "Sixteen Tons" (the best-known version was performed by Tennessee Ernie Ford, but his version was neither the first nor the last).
Fast forward to 2016.
State Rep. Karen Fann (R-Prescott) has proposed HB2148.
As written, it would allow employers to count the cost of "board, lodging, or other facilities" that are provided to employees as part of their employment toward the calculation of wages paid to employees.
It would primarily impact workers in low-wage industries like hotels, resorts, and apartment management (and others) where employees are required to live at or close to their workplaces.
The "carrot" that Fann put in her proposal is a repeal of the provision in state law that prohibits municipalities and counties from raising the minimum wage requirement is their areas.
The problem with that?
That section of law already doesn't apply to "charter" cities.
Cities become eligible to become charter cities when they reach a population of 3500 and create and enact a voter-approved charter. Not all eligible cities in the state have become charter cites but the cities that are most likely to raise the local minimum wage (Flagstaff, Tucson, Phoenix, Tempe, Douglas) are already charter cities.
Now, even if this measure goes forward, it doesn't seem likely to pass (as minimum wage law in AZ is "voter protected", it would take a 3/4 vote of the lege to do anything to change the law and that would mean that some Democrats would have to vote for it) nor does it seem likely to survive a court challenge if it does pass (per the Voter Protection Act, any legislative changes to law directly approved by the voters have to further the intent of the act...and Fann's proposal most assuredly does NOT).
Still, it's a not-very-subtle shot across the bow of labor in AZ, warning labor that attacks on living wages in AZ will continue unabated.
Saturday, January 09, 2016
Arizona Legislature: The coming week
This should be a relatively quiet week at the Capitol - Monday will see the opening of the new session of the legislature and the governor's State of the State speech, but the rest of the week will see less "official" activity (lots of posturing, lots of activities, but little in the way of official work).
Having said that, because of the lack of "official" activity, this will be one of the shortest legislative schedule posts of the year.
Notes:
All committees meetings and agendas are subject to change without notice, and frequently do. If you plan to travel to the Capitol to observe or weigh in on the consideration of a particular measure, check with the lege ahead of time to confirm that the meeting that you are interesting in is still on schedule and your item(s) of interest is still on the agenda for that meeting.
Meeting rooms designated "HHR" are in the House of Representatives building.
Meeting rooms designated "SHR" are in the Senate building.
Some agendas are summarized as "looks harmless", but if they cover an area of interest to you, examine the agenda and the bills on it. If I missed something significant, please leave a comment letting me know.
All House committee agendas can be found here.
All Senate committee agendas can be found here.
On the House side of the Capitol:
...Health, Tuesday, HHR4, 2 p.m. Introductions and a couple of presentations. No consideration of legislation is scheduled at this time.
...Judiciary, Wednesday, HHR3, 10 a.m. Introductions only, at this time.
...Agriculture, Water, and Lands, Thursday, HHR3, 10 a.m. Introductions and a presentation. No consideration of legislation is scheduled at this time.
On the Senate side of the Capitol:
...Government, Wednesday, SHR3, 2 p.m. Proof that it is goooood to be a committee chair. Among other things, committee chairs get to set the agendas for their committees. Sen. John Kavanagh is the chair of this committee...and at its first meeting, the committee will be considering a slew of bills introduced by...wait for it...Sen. John Kavanagh. Among those up for consideration: SB1010, ending the requirement that state agencies report on the availability, and their use, of recycled paper and other materials; SB1017, a nativist measure that mandates to municipalities what any local ID card they may or may not issue may or may not be valid for; SB1044, another nativist measure that would mandate that any locally-requested census only count citizens and legal immigrants (apparently, Kavanagh believes that non-citizens/legal immigrants aren't actual human beings, and wants to turn his personal belief into public policy).
...Financial Institutions, Wednesday, SHR109, 2 p.m. Another one that proves that it is good to be a committee chair. The committee is chaired by Sen. David Farnsworth and it is considering some of his bills. Highlight: SB1005, adding to the conditions under which an investment fund adviser does not have be licensed.
...Education, Thursday, SHR1, 9 a.m. Introductions and presentation only, at this time.
Neither chamber has any floor calendars posted at this time. That will change later in the week so bills can be officially First Read (aka - "introduced" and assigned to one or more committees) in the appropriate chamber.
The lege's Capitol Events calendar is here.
Having said that, because of the lack of "official" activity, this will be one of the shortest legislative schedule posts of the year.
Notes:
All committees meetings and agendas are subject to change without notice, and frequently do. If you plan to travel to the Capitol to observe or weigh in on the consideration of a particular measure, check with the lege ahead of time to confirm that the meeting that you are interesting in is still on schedule and your item(s) of interest is still on the agenda for that meeting.
Meeting rooms designated "HHR" are in the House of Representatives building.
Meeting rooms designated "SHR" are in the Senate building.
Some agendas are summarized as "looks harmless", but if they cover an area of interest to you, examine the agenda and the bills on it. If I missed something significant, please leave a comment letting me know.
All House committee agendas can be found here.
All Senate committee agendas can be found here.
On the House side of the Capitol:
...Health, Tuesday, HHR4, 2 p.m. Introductions and a couple of presentations. No consideration of legislation is scheduled at this time.
...Judiciary, Wednesday, HHR3, 10 a.m. Introductions only, at this time.
...Agriculture, Water, and Lands, Thursday, HHR3, 10 a.m. Introductions and a presentation. No consideration of legislation is scheduled at this time.
On the Senate side of the Capitol:
...Government, Wednesday, SHR3, 2 p.m. Proof that it is goooood to be a committee chair. Among other things, committee chairs get to set the agendas for their committees. Sen. John Kavanagh is the chair of this committee...and at its first meeting, the committee will be considering a slew of bills introduced by...wait for it...Sen. John Kavanagh. Among those up for consideration: SB1010, ending the requirement that state agencies report on the availability, and their use, of recycled paper and other materials; SB1017, a nativist measure that mandates to municipalities what any local ID card they may or may not issue may or may not be valid for; SB1044, another nativist measure that would mandate that any locally-requested census only count citizens and legal immigrants (apparently, Kavanagh believes that non-citizens/legal immigrants aren't actual human beings, and wants to turn his personal belief into public policy).
...Financial Institutions, Wednesday, SHR109, 2 p.m. Another one that proves that it is good to be a committee chair. The committee is chaired by Sen. David Farnsworth and it is considering some of his bills. Highlight: SB1005, adding to the conditions under which an investment fund adviser does not have be licensed.
...Education, Thursday, SHR1, 9 a.m. Introductions and presentation only, at this time.
Neither chamber has any floor calendars posted at this time. That will change later in the week so bills can be officially First Read (aka - "introduced" and assigned to one or more committees) in the appropriate chamber.
The lege's Capitol Events calendar is here.
Thursday, January 07, 2016
2016 Legislative Preview: The More Things Change, The More That They Don't...
On Monday (January 11), the 2016 session of the Arizona State Legislature will gavel into session, and I expect it to look a lot like other recent sessions.
...There will be attacks on immigrants. To whit: State Sen. John Kavanagh (R-Russell Pearce with a NY/NJ accent) has already proposed SB1044, mandating that any "special census" requested by a county or municipality in Arizona not count actual residents but only citizens and legal immigrants.
...There will be attacks on education. To whit: State Sen. Sylvia "6000 Years" Allen has been appointed to chair the Senate's Education Committee. With the selection of Allen to replace Kelli "Chemtrails" Ward (who resigned from the state senate in order to focus on a run for US Senate), Senate President Andy Biggs may have found the one member of the AZ senate who is less intellectually qualified to be the committee chair.
...There will be attacks on women (and doctors and medical marijuana). To whit: State Rep. Kelly Townsend (R-Gun Nut) has already introduced HB2061, seeking to intervene between pregnant women and their physicians by barring any physician from prescribing medical marijuana to pregnant women, regardless of their medical condition.
...There will be attacks on the state's judiciary. To whit: State Rep. Mark Finchem (R-LD11) has already introduced HB2039, seeking to change the terms of justices on the AZ Supreme Court to four years (currently: six years), subject them to direct elections (currently: justices are appointed and subject to retention elections), and lower their salaries to that of state legislators (currently: justices receive $150K+ annually; legislators receive $24K).
...There will be attacks on the authority of the federal government. To whit: Finchem (and other neo-secessionists) has already introduced HB2051, giving municipalities and counties the authority to classify something on federal land as a "catastrophic public nuisance" and then to "abate" said nuisance.
...There will be attacks on public safety. To whit: Kavanagh has already introduced SB1054, imposing restrictions on the public's right to record the activities of police officers; Finchem has already introduced HB2042, repealing the state's prohibition of nunchaku.
...There will be attacks on the environment. To whit: Kavanagh has already introduced SB1056, repealing the requirement that state agencies report to the governor and lege on their use of recycled paper.
...There will be attacks on municipal self-direction. To whit: Rep. Darin Mitchell (R-LD13) has introduced HB2026, a proposal to repeal existing municipal sales taxes on residential rentals and to bar the creation of any new such taxes.
...I could go on, but you get the point. Every example cited above is just the beginning, and in a couple of cases, may turn out to be mild examples of the corporate/legislative agenda.
Some more general predictions:
- Being an even-numbered year (meaning it's an election year), the session will be relatively short, probably finishing in April.
- Expect work on prison "reforms" and tax cuts. Arizona's Governor Doug Ducey has already hinted or stated that those things are part of his agenda. Don't be surprised however if "reform" turns out to be synonymous with "privatization" and that any tax cuts will be delayed long enough that they don't impact the voters' consideration of his Proposition 123, a scheme for tapping into the state's land trust to find money to increase funding for education (slightly) without raising taxes. Cutting corporate taxes (again!) while asking the state's voters for permission to use the state's "seed corn" to provide short-term relief for a long-term problem.
- Expect posturing on issues that is intended to "rouse the [Republican] base" such as attempts to defund Planned Parenthood.
Or to sum up: this session of the Arizona legislature will resemble recent sessions. Some of the fears mongered will change, but the antipathy toward public service, and the public itself, felt by the majority of the members of the legislative majority will not.
...There will be attacks on immigrants. To whit: State Sen. John Kavanagh (R-Russell Pearce with a NY/NJ accent) has already proposed SB1044, mandating that any "special census" requested by a county or municipality in Arizona not count actual residents but only citizens and legal immigrants.
...There will be attacks on education. To whit: State Sen. Sylvia "6000 Years" Allen has been appointed to chair the Senate's Education Committee. With the selection of Allen to replace Kelli "Chemtrails" Ward (who resigned from the state senate in order to focus on a run for US Senate), Senate President Andy Biggs may have found the one member of the AZ senate who is less intellectually qualified to be the committee chair.
...There will be attacks on women (and doctors and medical marijuana). To whit: State Rep. Kelly Townsend (R-Gun Nut) has already introduced HB2061, seeking to intervene between pregnant women and their physicians by barring any physician from prescribing medical marijuana to pregnant women, regardless of their medical condition.
 |
| A picture tweeted by Townsend during her visit to the armed encampment of Cliven Bundy in 2014 |
...There will be attacks on the state's judiciary. To whit: State Rep. Mark Finchem (R-LD11) has already introduced HB2039, seeking to change the terms of justices on the AZ Supreme Court to four years (currently: six years), subject them to direct elections (currently: justices are appointed and subject to retention elections), and lower their salaries to that of state legislators (currently: justices receive $150K+ annually; legislators receive $24K).
...There will be attacks on the authority of the federal government. To whit: Finchem (and other neo-secessionists) has already introduced HB2051, giving municipalities and counties the authority to classify something on federal land as a "catastrophic public nuisance" and then to "abate" said nuisance.
...There will be attacks on public safety. To whit: Kavanagh has already introduced SB1054, imposing restrictions on the public's right to record the activities of police officers; Finchem has already introduced HB2042, repealing the state's prohibition of nunchaku.
 |
| Example of Nunchaku, picture courtesy Wikipedia |
...There will be attacks on municipal self-direction. To whit: Rep. Darin Mitchell (R-LD13) has introduced HB2026, a proposal to repeal existing municipal sales taxes on residential rentals and to bar the creation of any new such taxes.
...I could go on, but you get the point. Every example cited above is just the beginning, and in a couple of cases, may turn out to be mild examples of the corporate/legislative agenda.
Some more general predictions:
- Being an even-numbered year (meaning it's an election year), the session will be relatively short, probably finishing in April.
- Expect work on prison "reforms" and tax cuts. Arizona's Governor Doug Ducey has already hinted or stated that those things are part of his agenda. Don't be surprised however if "reform" turns out to be synonymous with "privatization" and that any tax cuts will be delayed long enough that they don't impact the voters' consideration of his Proposition 123, a scheme for tapping into the state's land trust to find money to increase funding for education (slightly) without raising taxes. Cutting corporate taxes (again!) while asking the state's voters for permission to use the state's "seed corn" to provide short-term relief for a long-term problem.
- Expect posturing on issues that is intended to "rouse the [Republican] base" such as attempts to defund Planned Parenthood.
Or to sum up: this session of the Arizona legislature will resemble recent sessions. Some of the fears mongered will change, but the antipathy toward public service, and the public itself, felt by the majority of the members of the legislative majority will not.
Wednesday, December 30, 2015
Is Doug Ducey the governor of Arizona, or Andy Tobin's "goombah"?
...Either that or we should change the name of the office of the governor to that of the protector of Andy Tobin's Employment Security...
From KNXV-TV (Phoenix channel 15) (emphasis added) -
Mitch M. at Arizona' Politics observes that Tobin will take a significant cut in pay when he takes the job on the ACC.
However, I will observe, that given the behavior of the ACC and its members, that we need not worry about Tobin.
Only his *official* pay will be cut.
From KNXV-TV (Phoenix channel 15) (emphasis added) -
Former Arizona House Speaker Andy Tobin has been appointed to the Arizona Corporation Commission to fill the seat vacated by Susan Bitter Smith.
The appointment by Gov. Doug Ducey was announced Wednesday.
{snip}
Tobin is currently the director of the Arizona Department of Insurance and the interim director of the Arizona Department of Financial Institutions. He will leave both positions when he joins the Commission, said Ducey.
Before that, he was the director of the Arizona Department of Weights and Measures.
Mitch M. at Arizona' Politics observes that Tobin will take a significant cut in pay when he takes the job on the ACC.
However, I will observe, that given the behavior of the ACC and its members, that we need not worry about Tobin.
Only his *official* pay will be cut.
Thursday, December 17, 2015
The calendar may be about to turn to 2016, but State Sen. John Kavanagh has his hate on for Phoenix like it is still 2013
In 2013, Phoenix passed a non-discrimination ordinance that protects LGBTQ people.
This so ruffled the tender sensibilities of many of the Rs at the lege (and their puppeteers at the Center for ArizonaTheocracy Policy) that State Senator John Kavanagh (R-Fountain Hills) proposed a change to Arizona law that would have made it illegal for someone to use a public restroom that's intended to be used by people of the gender that is different than the gender listed on the person's birth certificate. He clearly targeted the state's transgender population with his proposal, and he and his proposal were widely denounced.
Kavanagh's proposal to criminalize the state's transgender population ultimately failed, but not before bringing yet another wave of ridicule down upon Arizona.
And while that measure has gone away, Kavanagh has not.
Fast forward to 2015 (almost 2016) and Phoenix is still rousing the ire of Kavanagh, this time in his nativist wheelhouse.
From the Arizona Republic, written by Dustin Gardiner, and dated on the evening of December 16, 2015 -
Interestingly, Kavanagh submitted SB1017, a measure to override anything that the city of Phoenix does with municipal IDs by imposing certain conditions upon them (essentially rendering them useless).
And when did he file the measure?
In other words, he knew this was coming and was trying to get ahead of the curve, a little anyway.
2016 will be an even-numbered year. An election year.
The Rs in the legislature, in addition to their usual mischief-making, will be pushing measures to try to rouse their base.
Basically, we should all expect more measures to counter anything that even resembles simple human decency.
This so ruffled the tender sensibilities of many of the Rs at the lege (and their puppeteers at the Center for Arizona
Kavanagh's proposal to criminalize the state's transgender population ultimately failed, but not before bringing yet another wave of ridicule down upon Arizona.
And while that measure has gone away, Kavanagh has not.
Fast forward to 2015 (almost 2016) and Phoenix is still rousing the ire of Kavanagh, this time in his nativist wheelhouse.
From the Arizona Republic, written by Dustin Gardiner, and dated on the evening of December 16, 2015 -
Phoenix will continue exploring a proposal to create a city photo-identification and service card, which could provide IDs to undocumented immigrants and other residents who struggle to get valid government ID.
The City Council voted 5-4 Wednesday night to issue a "request for information," inviting private-sector companies interested in managing the program to come forward with their ideas.
Interestingly, Kavanagh submitted SB1017, a measure to override anything that the city of Phoenix does with municipal IDs by imposing certain conditions upon them (essentially rendering them useless).
And when did he file the measure?
In other words, he knew this was coming and was trying to get ahead of the curve, a little anyway.
2016 will be an even-numbered year. An election year.
The Rs in the legislature, in addition to their usual mischief-making, will be pushing measures to try to rouse their base.
Basically, we should all expect more measures to counter anything that even resembles simple human decency.
Tuesday, December 08, 2015
And the first "WTF?" bill of the 2016 session of the Arizona Legislature is...
... HB2003.
A couple of weeks ago, the Yellow Sheet Report, a publication of the Arizona Capitol Times, reported on the first bill proposal for the upcoming session of the Arizona Legislature (HB2001, from Rep. J.D. Mesnard). That one is a (relatively) mundane correction to Arizona's "revenge porn" law, a law that has been blocked due to a court challenge.
Less mundane is HB2003. It is sponsored by Rep. Mark Finchem (R-LD11) and numbers among its primary and cosponsors a rogues' gallery of members of the tin foil hat brigade of the R caucus.
From the measure -
Ummm...really?
OK. We're in Arizona - legislative hatred of teachers here is well-documented, so the part about not requiring county school superintendents to be able to teach in a public school classroom isn't much of a surprise.
It's unconscionable, but, with this bunch, it is something that should be expected.
But mandating that possessing an associate's degree in business, etc., means that one is as qualified to run a county school department as someone with a bachelor's degree in education (or anything else)?
That seems rather crazy...unless you see this proposal as so specific as to likely be a favor to someone in particular.
Looking into it, but anyone with insight into this is welcome to reach out to me, via email or a comment...
A couple of weeks ago, the Yellow Sheet Report, a publication of the Arizona Capitol Times, reported on the first bill proposal for the upcoming session of the Arizona Legislature (HB2001, from Rep. J.D. Mesnard). That one is a (relatively) mundane correction to Arizona's "revenge porn" law, a law that has been blocked due to a court challenge.
Less mundane is HB2003. It is sponsored by Rep. Mark Finchem (R-LD11) and numbers among its primary and cosponsors a rogues' gallery of members of the tin foil hat brigade of the R caucus.
From the measure -
A. A person is eligible for election as county school superintendent if the person holds abasic or standard certificate to teach in the schools of this statebaccalaureate degree in any subject or an associate degree in business, finance or accounting.
Ummm...really?
OK. We're in Arizona - legislative hatred of teachers here is well-documented, so the part about not requiring county school superintendents to be able to teach in a public school classroom isn't much of a surprise.
It's unconscionable, but, with this bunch, it is something that should be expected.
But mandating that possessing an associate's degree in business, etc., means that one is as qualified to run a county school department as someone with a bachelor's degree in education (or anything else)?
That seems rather crazy...unless you see this proposal as so specific as to likely be a favor to someone in particular.
Looking into it, but anyone with insight into this is welcome to reach out to me, via email or a comment...
Saturday, November 28, 2015
Running for president in AZ: if it got to be any more insider baseball, you would need a scorecard to tell the players apart
Of course, there are so many Republican candidates, you might need one for them anyway...
One of the overlooked parts of running for president is the rather mundane task of candidates making their way onto the ballot in all 50 states.
In Arizona, candidate can make it on to the primary ballot for a recognized party by submitting nomination paperwork and either certificates of ballot status for the candidate in two other primary states or 500 valid nomination petition signatures from voters in their primary's party (Democratic or Republican) or from 500 registered voters (Green or Libertarian).
Independent candidates have a slightly different procedure to follow, and if a candidate chooses to go that route, they will have to submit ~34,000 valid signatures. But at least they will go directly to the general election ballot.
While independent candidates have until September to submit their required nominating paperwork (the general election is in November), partisan candidate have until December 14 to do so (the primary is in March).
It's far too early for any independent candidates to have already submitted their paperwork, but a few partisan candidates have already done so.
And there is a lot of "insider baseball" going on.
On the Democratic side, so far:
Hillary Clinton - submitted certificates of her ballot status from the states of Michigan and New Hampshire.
Her campaign's local contact: Fred Duval, the 2014 Democratic nominee for governor of Arizona, a staffer in the White House during the presidential administration of Bill Clinton, and a friend of Arizona's current governor, Doug Ducey.
In other words, an insider's insider.
On the Republican side, so far:
Jeb Bush - submitted certificates of ballot status from Vermont and Idaho.
His campaign's local contact: Lisa James, a career PR flack and a bigwig in Arizona Republican circles (an insider).
Ted Cruz - submitted certificates of ballot status from South Carolina, Alabama, and Arkansas.
His campaign's local contact is Constantin Querard, a Republican campaign consultant (another insider).
Ben Carson - submitted certificates of ballot status from South Carolina, Alabama, and Arkansas.
Local contact: Diane Ortiz-Parsons, a former vice-chair of the Maricopa County Republican Party (another insider).
Marco Rubio - submitted certificates of ballot status from South Carolina, Alabama, and Arkansas.
Local contact: Mark Brnovich, Arizona's Attorney General (yet another insider).
Rand Paul - submitted certificates of ballot status from Arkansas and Michigan.
Local contact: Shawn Dow of Fountain Hills. Politically active in far right Republican circles, but doesn't seem to be an insider.
Chris Christie - submitted certificates of ballot access from New Hampshire and Michigan.
Local contact: Wes Gullet, a Republican consultant and lobbyist, former candidate for mayor of Phoenix, and former aide to Sen. John McCain (yeah, another insider).
Significant candidates who, as of this writing, haven't filed in AZ:
Democratic Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont
Republican Egomaniac Donald Trump of New York, New Jersey, Florida, and any other place where he hasn't yet worn out his welcome
One of the overlooked parts of running for president is the rather mundane task of candidates making their way onto the ballot in all 50 states.
In Arizona, candidate can make it on to the primary ballot for a recognized party by submitting nomination paperwork and either certificates of ballot status for the candidate in two other primary states or 500 valid nomination petition signatures from voters in their primary's party (Democratic or Republican) or from 500 registered voters (Green or Libertarian).
Independent candidates have a slightly different procedure to follow, and if a candidate chooses to go that route, they will have to submit ~34,000 valid signatures. But at least they will go directly to the general election ballot.
While independent candidates have until September to submit their required nominating paperwork (the general election is in November), partisan candidate have until December 14 to do so (the primary is in March).
It's far too early for any independent candidates to have already submitted their paperwork, but a few partisan candidates have already done so.
And there is a lot of "insider baseball" going on.
On the Democratic side, so far:
Hillary Clinton - submitted certificates of her ballot status from the states of Michigan and New Hampshire.
Her campaign's local contact: Fred Duval, the 2014 Democratic nominee for governor of Arizona, a staffer in the White House during the presidential administration of Bill Clinton, and a friend of Arizona's current governor, Doug Ducey.
In other words, an insider's insider.
On the Republican side, so far:
Jeb Bush - submitted certificates of ballot status from Vermont and Idaho.
His campaign's local contact: Lisa James, a career PR flack and a bigwig in Arizona Republican circles (an insider).
Ted Cruz - submitted certificates of ballot status from South Carolina, Alabama, and Arkansas.
His campaign's local contact is Constantin Querard, a Republican campaign consultant (another insider).
Ben Carson - submitted certificates of ballot status from South Carolina, Alabama, and Arkansas.
Local contact: Diane Ortiz-Parsons, a former vice-chair of the Maricopa County Republican Party (another insider).
Marco Rubio - submitted certificates of ballot status from South Carolina, Alabama, and Arkansas.
Local contact: Mark Brnovich, Arizona's Attorney General (yet another insider).
Rand Paul - submitted certificates of ballot status from Arkansas and Michigan.
Local contact: Shawn Dow of Fountain Hills. Politically active in far right Republican circles, but doesn't seem to be an insider.
Chris Christie - submitted certificates of ballot access from New Hampshire and Michigan.
Local contact: Wes Gullet, a Republican consultant and lobbyist, former candidate for mayor of Phoenix, and former aide to Sen. John McCain (yeah, another insider).
Significant candidates who, as of this writing, haven't filed in AZ:
Democratic Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont
Republican Egomaniac Donald Trump of New York, New Jersey, Florida, and any other place where he hasn't yet worn out his welcome
Friday, November 27, 2015
And today's bad timing award goes to: Congressman Paul Gosar and his staff
By now, everyone who pays attention to current events, or even simply watched a cable news net or even checked in on Facebook, Twitter, or other social media today, are aware of the attack at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado Springs that has left three people dead (two civilians, one police officer).
More details will emerge in the coming days, but one things is already certain -
Certain people (not a naming specific end of the political spectrum, because this is something that all public figures should pay attention to) should probably think before they post.
To whit: Congressman Paul Gosar's (R-Tin Foilville AZ) posted this at the height of the drama in Colorado Springs -
Yes, while a mass shooter in CO was kicking off the holiday season by shooting innocent people and first responders with a "long gun", Gosar's staff was commemorating his birthday with...wait for it...
Long guns.
Note: on this one, his staff may just be a reflection his values and judgement.
From April 2014, from the standoff in Nevada staged by unrepentant (and treasonous?) deadbeat Cliven Bundy -
More details will emerge in the coming days, but one things is already certain -
Certain people (not a naming specific end of the political spectrum, because this is something that all public figures should pay attention to) should probably think before they post.
To whit: Congressman Paul Gosar's (R-Tin Foilville AZ) posted this at the height of the drama in Colorado Springs -
Yes, while a mass shooter in CO was kicking off the holiday season by shooting innocent people and first responders with a "long gun", Gosar's staff was commemorating his birthday with...wait for it...
Long guns.
Note: on this one, his staff may just be a reflection his values and judgement.
From April 2014, from the standoff in Nevada staged by unrepentant (and treasonous?) deadbeat Cliven Bundy -
 |
| Gosar, Bundy, and State Sen. Kelli "Chemtrails" Ward |
Sunday, November 22, 2015
Maybe it's all part of the marketing plan for the new Star Wars movie: AZ Congresswoman Kyrsten Sinema embraces the Dark Side...
...Fellow blogger Bob Lord has written on this very topic here, far more eloquently than I can. However, I hope can make up in brevity what is lacking in eloquence...
OK, I'm done. No more "holding my nose" and voting for the "less bad" option in Arizona's 9th Congressional District.
Former progressive icon (and current member of Congress) Kyrsten Sinema announced her complete renunciation of the pretense of working to serve the interests of her constituents (but damn, she's always serving her own interests), or even exhibiting the most basic humanity in her conduct in office, with her vote (along with 47 other Democrats) demonizing Syrian refugees for the terrorist attacks in Paris (and, as of this writing, no Syrians, refugee or otherwise, have been shown to have been part of the attacks).
This is not the first time she has done something like this, and to be blunt, I don't expect it to be the last time.
However, I can state unequivocally that the general election in 2014 will go down in history as the last time that I will ever vote for her.
The worst case scenario for her here is that she truly believes that demonizing people of a specific ethnic background is good for the US.
The best case scenario for her here is that she truly believe that demonizing people of a specific ethnic background is good for her.
Either way though, it's evil.
And is something that I cannot, and will not, support.
Now, I almost certainly won't vote for the R in whatever race she is in - the next time Arizona Republicans nominate an honorable public servant for any office will be the first time they do so since former state senator Carolyn Allen and former corporation commission member Kris Mayes won their primaries (2008, I think).
However, I can skip any race on the ballot.
And in 2016 (and going forward), that is what will happen in any race where Kyrsten Sinema is a candidate.
Prediction: While it is getting late in the cycle for a Democrat to mount a credible primary challenge to her in 2016, the only way she avoids a Democratic primary in 2018 is to join State Sen. Carlyle Begay tomorrow and just change her partisan affiliation to Republican.
OK, I'm done. No more "holding my nose" and voting for the "less bad" option in Arizona's 9th Congressional District.
Former progressive icon (and current member of Congress) Kyrsten Sinema announced her complete renunciation of the pretense of working to serve the interests of her constituents (but damn, she's always serving her own interests), or even exhibiting the most basic humanity in her conduct in office, with her vote (along with 47 other Democrats) demonizing Syrian refugees for the terrorist attacks in Paris (and, as of this writing, no Syrians, refugee or otherwise, have been shown to have been part of the attacks).
This is not the first time she has done something like this, and to be blunt, I don't expect it to be the last time.
However, I can state unequivocally that the general election in 2014 will go down in history as the last time that I will ever vote for her.
The worst case scenario for her here is that she truly believes that demonizing people of a specific ethnic background is good for the US.
The best case scenario for her here is that she truly believe that demonizing people of a specific ethnic background is good for her.
Either way though, it's evil.
And is something that I cannot, and will not, support.
Now, I almost certainly won't vote for the R in whatever race she is in - the next time Arizona Republicans nominate an honorable public servant for any office will be the first time they do so since former state senator Carolyn Allen and former corporation commission member Kris Mayes won their primaries (2008, I think).
However, I can skip any race on the ballot.
And in 2016 (and going forward), that is what will happen in any race where Kyrsten Sinema is a candidate.
Prediction: While it is getting late in the cycle for a Democrat to mount a credible primary challenge to her in 2016, the only way she avoids a Democratic primary in 2018 is to join State Sen. Carlyle Begay tomorrow and just change her partisan affiliation to Republican.
Thursday, November 12, 2015
Event this weekend in Tempe: LD26 Beer Summit & Bake Off
Please note: the festivities will come to a close well before the start of the Democratic presidential debate that night, so there will be an opportunity to do both - during the afternoon, meet some local luminaries as they vie for our votes (for best baked goods) and during the evening, watch some national luminaries vie for our votes (for the Democratic nomination for president).
If you want to attend, or just want to show your support for local Democrats, donate here.
See you Saturday!
Sunday, October 25, 2015
Maricopa County GOP chair rationalizes opposition to school bonds and overrides by insulting the voters
It's popcorn time, folks...
Normally, I'm not one to post video of Rs spouting off on TV, but this was too juicy to let pass.
Watch for the phrase "The voters just don't get it!"
Normally, I'm not one to post video of Rs spouting off on TV, but this was too juicy to let pass.
Watch for the phrase "The voters just don't get it!"
Short attention span musing
...The race isn't over yet, not by a long shot, but Hillary Clinton went a long way toward securing the 2016 Democratic nomination for the presidency, and toward securing a general election victory, when she faced down the bullies masquerading as Republican members of Congress this past week.
And I am hardly the only person who thinks that.
For what it's worth, I am a supporter Bernie Sanders and believe that Clinton is *far* too close to Wall Street and other 1%'ers (and their lackeys).
I think Sanders is far more concerned with working to enhance the lives of average Americans than any other candidate, D or R.
Supporting him is an easy choice.
Having said that, she did incredibly well, staying cool, calm, and collected in the face of a marathon session thinly-veiled partisan bloviating dressed up as questioning.
Her biggest gain from the session won't be in attracting hardcore supporters of Sanders and the other Democratic candidates, it will be in attracting the support of voters who are late arrivals to the primary season. The image of Clinton facing Trey Gowdy and his merry bunch of cutthroats and not even batting an eyelash will be the main image in their minds when those voters figure out who they think is the best candidate.
...The Republican field of candidates in CD1 is growing, as Paul Babeu, Pinal County Sheriff, and David Gowan, speaker of the Arizona House of Representatives, have announced their candidacies (Ken Bennett, former AZSOS, and Gary Kiehne, a businessman, are already in the R field).
Babeu seems to be appealing to the pro-LGBT nativist portion of the GOP electorate. Lending new meaning to the term "microtargeting"...
On the other hand, Gowan has become renowned for his "tin ear", politically speaking.
In other words, my prediction is that these two will be fighting it out for third and fourth place. Unless someone else gets into the race (which may yet happen - perennial R candidate Wendy Rogers has been establishing ties to CD1).
Then they'll be duking it out over fourth and fifth place...
...News broke Saturday that a deal has been reached in the ongoing lawsuit over the state's consistent, and unconstitutional, underfunding of the state's education system. Details are sketchy at this point (OK, they're nonexistent at this point), but it looks likely that there will be a special session of the legislature during the first two weeks of November (after that, the calendar will turn to the holiday season, a period during which no non-Maricopa legislator wants to be in Phoenix)..
That issue will be worthy of a separate post (or posts) in coming days; today, however, it highlights the failure of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors to do its job.
In LD26 (Tempe and west Mesa), there is a senate seat that was vacated at the end of September when Ed Ableser resigned to accept a job in Nevada.
Shortly after that, the Democratic PCs of LD26 sent the names of three nominees to fill the seat to the MCBOS.
Word then was that the supes were going to make the appointment at their meeting on October 21st.
They didn't.
This isn't the first time that they've played partisan games with the district - in 2012, there was a vacancy in the old LD17 House contingent (most of the old LD17 became most of the new LD26 after redistricting). At first, the supes refused to make an appointment, and then they tried to give it to someone who had just won election to the House to start his term limits clock early. Observers quickly figured out what the supes were intending to do, and that nominee withdrew his name for consideration for the appointment. Ultimately, nothing happened.
At the time, while there was some grumbling over the supes' high-handed tactics, in general people didn't sweat it that much - the appointment would have mostly been pro-forma as the lege was not in session and there was not any expectation of a special session.
Now, however, things are different.
Now, a special session of the lege is imminent, one regarding what is perhaps the issue that is most significant to average Arizonans - their children's education.
Now, as this looms, one of the areas of Maricopa County is significantly underrepresented.
Well, one thing is the same - the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors is shirking its duty.
At this point, the supes don't have any regular meetings scheduled to take place before the likely dates of a special legislative session
And I am hardly the only person who thinks that.
For what it's worth, I am a supporter Bernie Sanders and believe that Clinton is *far* too close to Wall Street and other 1%'ers (and their lackeys).
I think Sanders is far more concerned with working to enhance the lives of average Americans than any other candidate, D or R.
Supporting him is an easy choice.
Having said that, she did incredibly well, staying cool, calm, and collected in the face of a marathon session thinly-veiled partisan bloviating dressed up as questioning.
Her biggest gain from the session won't be in attracting hardcore supporters of Sanders and the other Democratic candidates, it will be in attracting the support of voters who are late arrivals to the primary season. The image of Clinton facing Trey Gowdy and his merry bunch of cutthroats and not even batting an eyelash will be the main image in their minds when those voters figure out who they think is the best candidate.
...The Republican field of candidates in CD1 is growing, as Paul Babeu, Pinal County Sheriff, and David Gowan, speaker of the Arizona House of Representatives, have announced their candidacies (Ken Bennett, former AZSOS, and Gary Kiehne, a businessman, are already in the R field).
Babeu seems to be appealing to the pro-LGBT nativist portion of the GOP electorate. Lending new meaning to the term "microtargeting"...
On the other hand, Gowan has become renowned for his "tin ear", politically speaking.
In other words, my prediction is that these two will be fighting it out for third and fourth place. Unless someone else gets into the race (which may yet happen - perennial R candidate Wendy Rogers has been establishing ties to CD1).
Then they'll be duking it out over fourth and fifth place...
...News broke Saturday that a deal has been reached in the ongoing lawsuit over the state's consistent, and unconstitutional, underfunding of the state's education system. Details are sketchy at this point (OK, they're nonexistent at this point), but it looks likely that there will be a special session of the legislature during the first two weeks of November (after that, the calendar will turn to the holiday season, a period during which no non-Maricopa legislator wants to be in Phoenix)..
That issue will be worthy of a separate post (or posts) in coming days; today, however, it highlights the failure of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors to do its job.
In LD26 (Tempe and west Mesa), there is a senate seat that was vacated at the end of September when Ed Ableser resigned to accept a job in Nevada.
Shortly after that, the Democratic PCs of LD26 sent the names of three nominees to fill the seat to the MCBOS.
Word then was that the supes were going to make the appointment at their meeting on October 21st.
They didn't.
This isn't the first time that they've played partisan games with the district - in 2012, there was a vacancy in the old LD17 House contingent (most of the old LD17 became most of the new LD26 after redistricting). At first, the supes refused to make an appointment, and then they tried to give it to someone who had just won election to the House to start his term limits clock early. Observers quickly figured out what the supes were intending to do, and that nominee withdrew his name for consideration for the appointment. Ultimately, nothing happened.
At the time, while there was some grumbling over the supes' high-handed tactics, in general people didn't sweat it that much - the appointment would have mostly been pro-forma as the lege was not in session and there was not any expectation of a special session.
Now, however, things are different.
Now, a special session of the lege is imminent, one regarding what is perhaps the issue that is most significant to average Arizonans - their children's education.
Now, as this looms, one of the areas of Maricopa County is significantly underrepresented.
Well, one thing is the same - the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors is shirking its duty.
 |
| The three nominees (L--R) State Rep. Andrew Sherwood, LD26 Chair Sam Pstross, State Rep. Juan Mendez |
At this point, the supes don't have any regular meetings scheduled to take place before the likely dates of a special legislative session
Thursday, October 15, 2015
Russell Pearce misuses county resources: gets "admonished"
From the Arizona Republic, written by Yvonne Wingett Sanchez -
In most any other state, Pearce would have been fired; in Arizona, he gets less than a slap on the wrist.
For wasting public resources on his private jihad against immigrants.
Laurie Roberts, a columnist for the Republic, has her take here (as it turns out, Pearce is a "well-rounded" winger - he hates public education almost as much as he hates immigrants)
Russell Pearce, the former Republican state Senate president known for his hard-line stance on illegal immigration and controversial remarks about Latinos and women, appears to be violating the Maricopa County's e-mail policy.
On late Tuesday afternoon, he sent an e-mail from his county treasurer's account that hits on the enforcement of immigration laws, sanctuary city policies, the ACLU and the media. The e-mail was titled "NO PERMISSION SLIP NEEDED: STATES HAVE INHERENT AUTHORITY TO ENFORCE OUR IMMIGRATION LAWS, ENOUGH OF THE LIES BY THE LEFT AND PROFITS OVER PATRIOTISM CROWD."
Maricopa County policy defines improper use of e-mail as using it for "illegal, inappropriate, obscene, political, or personal gain purposes."
{snip}
He signs off with a description of himself, "Senator Russell Pearce and former President of the Arizona State Senate, former Chief Deputy of the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, former Judge, author of: SB1070, Employer Sanctions, Proof of Citizenship to vote, No welfare for illegals, No bail for illegals charged with serious crime, English as the Official Language, No in-state tuition for illegals, etc."
In most any other state, Pearce would have been fired; in Arizona, he gets less than a slap on the wrist.
For wasting public resources on his private jihad against immigrants.
Laurie Roberts, a columnist for the Republic, has her take here (as it turns out, Pearce is a "well-rounded" winger - he hates public education almost as much as he hates immigrants)
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