Republican Congressional leader targeted for violence

It looks as if House Republican whip Eric Cantor (R-VA) has had his district office shot at*, perhaps by supporters of HCR angered by his vocal opposition to the recently enacted measure.

Or not. From the Richmond, VA Police Department press release on their preliminary investigation (emphasis mine) -

A Richmond Police detective was assigned to the case. A preliminary investigation shows that a bullet was fired into the air and struck the window in a downward direction, landing on the floor about a foot from the window. The round struck with enough force to break the windowpane but did not penetrate the window blinds. There was no other damage to the room, which is used occasionally for meetings by the congressman.

To summarize - the Richmond PD thinks that someone fired a gun up in the air, and the bullet fell to Earth, and the shooter knew not where.

To be sure, any violence or threats of violence against people because of their political positions is despicable and should be immediately denounced by all civil members of society, no matter the political persuasion of the would-be domestic terrorists.

However, while it is still early in the investigation and different information could come to light, the preliminary results don't cast Cantor in a good light. The wave of vitriol and violence that is sweeping the country is something to be taken seriously; all Cantor seems to take seriously is the fact that the Rs who have whipped up the frenzy are now unable to rein it in, to save for the next time they want to use the Tea Party types.

I am not normally a Bible-quoter (OK, not ever :) ), but there is one quote that works here. I didn't actually know it was from the Bible when I Googled it to make sure I got it right.

From Hosea 8 -

7. When they sow the wind, they shall reap the whirlwind

* - as much as I am loathe to link to a Fox News story, all of the responsible MSM sites had updated their stories on this topic to reflect the Richmond PD's press release.

Later...

"Hell No You Can't!!" immortalized

When his career in office is over, this may or may not be the way Boehner *wants* to be remembered, but it *will* be...

And the descent continues...

Earlier today, I wrote a post about a march/rally to thank Congressman Harry Mitchell for his vote on health care reform that took place in Tempe yesterday. During the march, a woman collapsed and needed to be resuscitated and hospitalized, and in the post I linked to an AZRepublic article on the woman/march.

At one point, the story was open to commenting on the Rep's website. That lasted approximately three hours, and then the editors of the Rep had to close comments and pull down those that had already been submitted.

In that few hours, what should have been a "feel good" piece about someone surviving an acute illness brought out some seriously vicious trolls, who hijacked the thread and turned it into an outlet for hate and bile.

For example (bolding and italics utilized solely to indicate separate quotes):

They should have let her die just to prove a point. Fricken hilarious! (commenter DISSONANT)

Ironically, people this woman's age are going to be the ones screwed the worst by the plan. She'll eventually be hauled off to a corner somewhere so she can die a9lone with dignity. (commenter AngryPatriot)

Thinking it was the Grim Reaper, she became gripped with terror when she saw that giant sickle coming for her.
Lo and behold, it was just one of her comrade's red flags flapping in the breeze. (commenter GannettStockChart)

Too bad it wasn't obama, pelosi, and reid having the heart attacks with no one there to help them. That would be great! (commenter demsrslime)

YOU WANTED YOUR HEALTH CARE PREMIUMS TO DOUBLE AND GET LESS CARE ?? WHY?? YOU MUST NOT BE VERY SMART THEN AGAIN YOU PROBABLY VOTED FOR THE (inappropriate term) IN THE WHITE HOUSE ALSO, MAY I THANK YOU FOR THE MESS YOU PUT THIS COUNTRY IN NOW (commenter GLSSSMAN33, who's got a confederate flag as his avatar)

"The woman, who was not identified, collapsed during a rally to celebrate U.S. Rep. Harry Mitchell's vote in favor of health care legislation"

------------------

Karma. (commenter FailRail)


And that's just a sampling from the first couple of pages of comments, which were all that I got to save before the Rep's editors pulled them down.

Any questions about how ugly this summer is going to be?

The last time things were this bad, which perhaps not so coincidentally was immediately after the last serious attempt at health care reform, Timothy McVeigh, perhaps egged on by extremist rhetoric from right wing talk radio (Rush and his ilk were already going strong) and Republican so-called leaders in Congress, blew up the federal building in Oklahoma City and murdered over 160 men, women, and children.

I fervently hope it doesn't get that far, but my hopes won't be enough to stop that from happening.

The R "leadership", if it ever again wants to be considered part of civil society, will denounce the vandalism, violence, and violent rhetoric that their tea partiers have embraced, and do so in clear, unambiguous terms.

I'm not holding my breath waiting for that to happen, and I can't recommend that anybody else do so, either.

A "Thank you Harry" march, with a little good karma mixed in

There was a rally and march in Tempe on Tuesday to thank Congressman Harry Mitchell for his "yes" vote on health care reform. Well over 100 people attended to show their gratitude, and hundreds more passers-by shouted or honked to show their unity with the marchers.

The day was filled with smiles, especially when we found out that the planned anti-Harry rally planned by tea partiers and Jan Brewer and scheduled for Harry Mitchell Park in Tempe had fizzled out due to the sprinkles of rain in the Valley at the time.

The one dark note was when a woman who was marching in support of Harry collapsed near 6th St. and Mill Ave. She was unresponsive, even after CPR and multiple defibrillations, and everyone present was praying for her.

Apparently, those prayers helped. Probably not as much as a knowledgeable bystander, well-equipped and -trained EMTs, and highly-skilled doctors and nurses, but still... :)

From AZCentral.com -

An unsung hero saved the life of the 65-year-old woman who collapsed at a political rally on Mill Avenue on Tuesday in Tempe, a spokesman for the Tempe Fire Department said.

When she collapsed, an anonymous bystander began chest compressions immediately, before paramedics arrived.

"These chest compressions being performed likely contributed to her survival," said Tempe Fire spokesman Mike Reichling.

Keep the as-yet-unidentified victim in your thoughts and prayers during what is sure to be a long recovery.

Congressman Mitchell's response to a letter regarding health care reform

Last week, I (as well as many others) contacted Congressman Harry Mitchell to urge him to vote for the health care reform bill before the House (and on Sunday, he did!! THANK YOU!!).

His reply came through today.

The response, via email -

Dear [cpmaz]

Thank you for contacting me regarding health insurance reform legislation, H.R. 4872. I appreciate you sharing your thoughts with me on this important issue.

After more than a year of hearing from health care professionals, insurers, patients, and tens of thousands of passionate and concerned Arizonans both for and against reform, it has become clear to me that we cannot sustain the path that we are on. Rapidly rising health care costs are burdening Arizona families, hurting the economy, and slowing our recovery.

Arizonans are losing their health insurance when they get sick, and being denied the ability to purchase new coverage if they've previously seen a doctor. Insurance companies are literally refusing to sell policies to individuals who have previously seen a doctor for high cholesterol, diabetes or even acne.

Small businesses, which make up 73 percent of Arizona 's businesses, are facing a full-blown crisis. Since 2000, health-insurance premiums for small businesses have risen 130 percent, and insurers are warning that they will go up another 15 percent this year. In other words, a premium that cost $4,500 per employee in 2008 - and $4,800 last year - will cost $5,500 per employee this year. As a result, employers are being forced to choose between hiring workers and paying for health insurance costs.

At the same time, families who have insurance, and are already struggling with skyrocketing premiums, are being forced to pay a hidden tax to pay for those without insurance who show up at emergency rooms and get treated despite their inability to pay. It is estimated that the average American family is already paying an extra $1,100 a year in premiums to pay for costs associated with treating the uninsured, a cost that will only continue to grow.

After more than a year of careful review, I believe that this legislation will address many of the key issues plaguing our current health care system. While I understand that this package is not perfect and I don't approve of some of the procedures that were proposed to advance the bill, I strongly believe that the status quo is unsustainable and the time for reform is now.

While I have been heartened by the many thoughtful questions, comments and suggestions I have received over the course of this debate from both sides, as a former high school government teacher, I have been extremely disappointed by much of the extremist rhetoric and blatantly false statements that some have injected into this discussion. The use of swastikas does not help foster a civil discussion on a serous issue, nor does it honor the memory of the millions victims who died in concentration camps. But perhaps even more insidious, millions of dollars have been spent to spread misconceptions about what reform will mean, ultimately distracting many from engaging in meaningful conversations.

I would like to take this opportunity to briefly explain what reform would mean for you and clear up some of the most egregious rumors about reform. For more detailed information, I encourage you to visit my web site at: www.mitchell.house.gov.

For individuals with insurance, including the 469,000 residents of Arizona 's Fifth District who currently receive health care coverage from an employer, this legislation will enable you to keep it, and prevent your insurer from dropping you if you get sick. It will also require insurers to allow young adults, up to 26 years of age, to remain on their parents' health care plans if they so choose.

The legislation will also ultimately slow the rapidly accelerating growth of insurance premiums by spurring greater competition between health insurers and offering more choice to consumers. Specifically, the legislation will establish insurance exchanges through which businesses and individuals can comparison shop for insurance policies that best meet their needs. While more complex, these exchanges would function, in a sense, like the system many travelers currently use to purchase airline tickets online. Just as the airlines bid for your travel business, health insurers will bid for your insurance business.

To participate in an exchange, insurers will have to meet certain minimum standards. Most notably, insurers will no longer be allowed to refuse to cover someone because of a pre-existing condition, or place a cap on annual or lifetime coverage. Members of Congress and federal employees have long had access to a system like this, and it has worked well. So well, in fact, that Congress is frequently, and I believe correctly, criticized for giving itself better quality and more affordable health care than countless Americans.

The legislation will also help small businesses, including the more than 17,800 in the Fifth District, who have been among the hardest hit by the present health insurance system. Currently, without a large number of employees, businesses cannot negotiate bulk, competitive rates with insurance companies. Reform will enable small businesses to combine or "pool" their purchasing power, and then comparison-shop for competitive rates via an insurance exchange. Approximately 15,700 small businesses in Arizona 's Fifth District would qualify for tax credits for up to 50 percent of the cost of insurance coverage.

Furthermore, this package will improve and strengthen Medicare for seniors that have been squeezed by rising costs of care and prescription drugs. So much so, the bill has been endorsed by the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP). Among other things, the legislation will fill the "donut-hole" in Medicare Part D, the prescription drug benefit, helping the 10,100 seniors in Arizona's Fifth District who are forced to pay full drug costs because they fall into it. The legislation would further improve Medicare by eliminating out-of-pocket expenses for preventative services in Medicare. This package does not, as some have alleged, weaken Medicare. As someone who is over 65 and depends on Medicare myself, I would not vote for it if it did.

The package does not contain any so-called "death panels" or government takeovers of health care. It does not contain a public option, does not dismantle the private insurance industry, and does not provide benefits for illegal immigrants. In fact, the legislation explicitly prohibits illegal immigrants from receiving health insurance. The package also maintains the current ban on federal funding for abortion, and maintains TRICARE for veterans.

According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the bill would reduce federal budget deficits by $138 billion from 2010 - 2019 and by $1.2 trillion over the next decade. CBO's analysis is available online at: www.cbo.gov.

The reconciliation package that was approved by the House in conjunction with the underlying health care legislation addresses several of the concerns I had with the Senate bill. Specifically, it closes the prescription drug donut hole for seniors, and eliminates special deals like the "Cornhusker Kickback." Moreover, in the wake of the state legislature's decision to kick kids off state health insurance -- risking billions in federal matching funds and killing over 42,000 jobs -- the legislation will help Arizona bridge its budget gap by providing it with an additional $2.5 billion for Medicaid funding.

Finally, I have received a number of inquiries about tort reform and the ability to purchase insurance across state lines. While these are primarily issues of state law, the reform package will allow the federal government to play a constructive role for states that are interested in pursuing either of these ideas. Under the legislation, states will be able to enter into agreements to facilitate the purchase of coverage across state lines. Reform will also provide incentives to states to create pilot tort reform programs. I would encourage those interested in reforming Arizona 's tort laws to contact their state legislators as well as the Governor.

Again, thank you for taking the time to write. For more information about this issue, I invite you to visit my web site at www.mitchell.house.gov.

Sincerely,

Harry E. Mitchell
Member of Congress

Jan Brewer: Channelling her inner Marie Antoinette

Who knew that Brewer was such a Francophile?

On the other hand, perhaps Brewer isn't a Francophile and was just looking for the historical figure who was most openly disdainful of her society's most impoverished members.

If that is the case, then the Governor has made the perfect choice for her political inspiration.

From AZCentral.com -

That was then, this is now . . . Gov. Jan Brewer held a news conference Thursday to complain about the plans for federal health-care reform. That gave reporters a chance to ask about the budget she signed that day, which among other things removed health care from an estimated 310,000 adults and nearly 40,000 children.

Asked what those hundreds of thousands of people should do when they get sick, Brewer said this: "If they need health care, they'll be able to go to health clinics and present themselves at emergency rooms."

Not everyone agrees with that sentiment, of course. We were reminded of some stern words we heard back in January from a top Arizona official:

"We must decrease visits to high-cost settings like emergency rooms - and encourage those receiving state services to take personal responsibility for their own health."

The occasion for those remarks? The 2010 State of the State Address. The speaker, of course, was Gov. Jan Brewer.

Note: Her State of the State address can be found here. The relevent quote is on page 13 of the .pdf, approximately halfway down the page.

Now, the health insurance reform act that was signed into law this week could go a long way toward ameliorating some of the effects (and here) of Brewer's and the legislative Republicans' jihad against Arizona's social infrastructure. However, that measure won't go into complete effect until 2014; until then, Brewer will continue railing against health care for all (like she already has, here, here, here, and here).

The Brewer campaign's new slogan -

"Let them eat cake."

It's a classic, isn't it?


P.S. - the scary part is that as bad for Arizona that Brewer is and has been, she may be the least bad among the R pretenders/contenders for their nomination.

We need Terry Goddard.

Chairman of AZ Democratic Party on the wave of vandalism and intimidation

From an email -

Chairman Bivens calls on Republicans to renounce violence and pledge to end inflammatory rhetoric

PHOENIX -- Arizona Democratic Party Chairman Don Bivens today called on elected Republican leaders in Arizona to strongly and immediately denounce all acts or threats of violence and inflammatory rhetoric being perpetuated in response to Sunday's health-insurance reform vote in Congress.

A disturbing incident Monday in Tucson prompted Bivens' call. Early that morning, a window was shattered at the office of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., possibly by a pellet gun. Giffords voted for the deficit-reducing package of reforms that includes prohibiting insurance companies from putting lifetime caps on insurance claims or dropping people because of pre-existing conditions.

"Threats and vandalism undermine the democratic process and have no place in our policy discussions," Bivens said. "They run counter to the fundamental freedoms our country was founded upon.

"I call upon elected Republican leaders -- especially Gov. Brewer and Sens. John McCain and Jon Kyl -- to immediately and unequivocally denounce any acts or threats of violence or inflammatory rhetoric associated with anti-health-reform protests.

"In light of what has already occurred in Arizona, I urge all those speaking at Friday's McCain-Palin rally in Tucson to lead their supporters in denouncing any future violence and curtailing the inflammatory rhetoric. Their failure to do so would constitute a tacit approval of these disturbing tactics," Bivens said.

I appreciate Don Bivens' call, but given McCain's rightward lurch politically, I don't expect him to risk alienating his base by telling them to behave like civilized and mature adults.

The end of the world as we know it

And that's a good thing....

Pic courtesy the White House's Facebook page...

Republicans blaming Democrats for vandalism and threats

The pic of the shattered door at Congresswoman Giffords office is courtesy Blog for Arizona.

The Arizona Star has a story up quoting Tucson Tea Party leader Trent Humphries insinuating that Democrats have been the ones shouting epithets at their own members and vandalizing their own offices.

From the story -

"If those events happened, it had nothing to do with my group,” said organizer Trent Humphries, noting his group has held many demonstrations over the past year. “We haven’t had anything like that happen and I defy anyone to tell me any different.”

Humphries said for all he knows, the accusations didn’t even happen, or might even be traced back to a Democratic operative. “I’m not going to accuse them of wrongdoing, but if they’re accusing us, they’d better be offering proof.”

A loose coalition of varied beliefs, Humphries also said, “We can’t be responsible for every sign that goes up at every protest.”

The police will be able to find out if Mr. Humphries' speculation about a "Democratic operative" being behind some of the more vicious incidents of the last few days.

From a Yellow Sheet Report piece (no link as it is behind a subscriber firewall) -

GABBY’S DIGS VANDALIZED, MITCHELL THREATENED

...Mitchell aide Robbie Sherwood said the congressman’s Scottsdale office has also been bombarded with “menacing or threatening callers,” one of whom apparently voiced a death threat against Mitchell last Tuesday. Capitol Police in D.C., per protocol, were made aware of the threat and have received the caller’s phone number that popped up on the office’s caller ID feature...

Nor have Mitchell and Giffords (and the African-American and gay members of Congress) been the only folks to be subject to threats, vandalism, and epithets in recent days. Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-NY) has been threatened and had her office vandalized and Democratic Party offices across the country have been similarly attacked (Kansas, Ohio) and all members who voted for HCR have been threatened with "drawing and quartering" (a particularly gruesome way to kill someone).

According to most of the reports, in each incident, the local police, U.S. Capitol Police, and/or the FBI are looking into the incidents (depending on which agencies have jurisdiction).

Something tells me that this summer is going to be long, hot, and filled with similar incidents.

Stay tuned...

"We all want clean air, but there's a limit!"

On Monday night, there was a candidate forum for the Republican candidates for governor at the Pyle Center in Tempe, sponsored by the Tempe Republican Women's Club.

Being an adventurous sort (aka "having nothing better planned" :) ), I took a couple of hours out of my evening to sit in the belly of the beast...OK, that's a little over the top, but it was definitely "stranger in a strange land" time.

Note: Jan Brewer was a no show, but she sent some campaign staffers and her son to work the crowd.

It was definitely an educational experience. Some of the things that I learned (actual quotes in quotes, paraphrases not):

"The time for talking about issues is past." - Hugh Kealer, CPA, tea partier, Republican candidate for governor

We can solve the state's fiscal crisis by cutting the state budget 50% across the board. - Steve Slaton, real estate appraiser, candidate for governor

Free enterprise is the answer to the state's fiscal crisis. - John Munger, businessman, candidate for governor

Fewer regulations are the key to the state's prosperity. - Munger

$0.53 of every dollar spent on education in Arizona is spent on administration. - Kealer

Health care reform is unconstitutional. - Pretty much all of them, none of whom is a constitutional lawyer

Illegal immigrants are the cause of all that ails the state. - Pretty much all of them, in one form or another

If illegal immigrants are the first cause of all that ails the state, welfare recipients and fraud are a close second - Most of them

Because of that, all welfare recipients should be fingerprinted. - Dean Martin, state treasurer, candidate for governor

All welfare recipients should be subject to drug testing. - Kealer (I think this one actually is already law in AZ, but not sure if it is in place yet. It was in the special session budget that was just passed.)

Arizona should opt out of Medicare. - Munger (I think that the state's seniors may weigh in on this one.)

And the jaw-dropper of the night, the title of this post, from candidate Slaton, who was expounding on how the state's air quality and environmental folks have gone overboard and are driving businesses away from Arizona -

"We all want clean air, but there's a limit!"

One of the candidates, Matt Jette, was pretty much the only candidate who exhibited any appreciation of the fact that most issues are nuanced, with shades of gray predominating, while the other candidates pretty much see everything in two shades, black and white (except for immigration issues, which are brown and white.)

About the only thing that he had to say that received anything more than perfunctory applause was during a question about photo radar. Where the other candidates stated that they opposed it, he said if people has such a problem with receiving tickets in the mail, they should just not speed. Other than that, though, things like "Obama isn't the evil empire" and that illegal immigrants "aren't bad people, but there are bad people among them" don't exactly play well with the R/TB base.

In other words, he doesn't have a snowball's chance in Phoenix of making any headway in the R primary.


Overall, it truly was a pretty valuable evening - it served as a great reminder of why we need to make sure that Terry Goddard has all the support he needs to become governor. None of the Rs in the running that have a chance of winning offer one iota of sanity. The state desperately needs him to win in November.

Edit on 3/23 to update:

Last night when Kealer spouted his "53 cents of every education dollar is spent on administration" stat, I knew he was full of it, but I didn't have the actual numbers handy to rebut right then and there. After the meeting, I contacted David Safier, an expert on the ed situation here in AZ (and a fellow writer at Blog for AZ) for more info.

He directed me to this annual report from the Arizona Department of Education detailing education expenditures in Arizona for the 2007/08 school year.

I don't know where Mr. Kealer ginned up his "statistic", but the report shows that in unified school districts (aka - "public"), 9% of money went to administration and in charter schools, 21% went to administration.

Either one is significantly less than "53%".

Thanks to Dave for his analysis of the report.

End edit...

Incivility not confined to DC

Turns out that I wrote too soon in the last post - they've exported the tactics of fear and intimidation to Arizona.

From AZCentral.com -

A federal investigation has been launched after vandals destroyed a glass door and a window at the Tucson Congressional offices of Democratic U.S. Rep.
Gabrielle Giffords.

Giffords press secretary C.J. Karamargin in Tucson told the Associated Press Monday the front door of the office was shattered along with a side glass panel.

U.S. Capitol Police were notified of the destruction and are investigating along with Tucson police.

Every time I think that the Rs/Tea Party types can't sink any lower, they break out a shovel and dig a deeper hole...

Civility still on the decline in Congress

Whether it is things like neo-Confederate Congressman Joe Wilson heckling President Barack Obama during a speech before a joint session of Congress...

Whether it is things like "Tea Party" types showing their true selves by surrounding and streaming through the U.S. Capitol and spewing epithets at Congressmen as they walked to votes...

Whether it is things like a Texas Republican shouting "baby killer!" at an ardently pro-life Democratic colleague in the House for daring to vote for health care reform...

Whether it is things like these or any of a hundred other examples, the sort of civil decorum that allows people who disagree strongly on the issues of the day yet still interact constructively has given way to cynical fear-mongering, shameless spin, and desperate demonization masquerading as flag-waving patriotism and devout religious fervor.

The sad thing is that outbursts like Sunday's "baby killer!" are so common these days that the only surprise for me isn't that it happened but that it wasn't shouted by Trent Franks of CD2, saving Arizona that bit of embarrassment.

Enough already.

219 - 212...YES!!!!

After many hours of contentious debate, the House of Representatives has approved H.R. 3590 by a 219 to 212 margin (vote details pending). They're now talking about the reconciliation bill, which the Rs are trying to kill (strangely enough, they are trying to kill it on pro-life grounds), but it is expected to pass by a larger margin than the main bill did.

NPR coverage on passage of the main bill is here; a live blog of the proceedings is here.

More later...

Edit later on 3/21 -

The vote details are now posted.

Each Democratic member from Arizona voted in favor of the bill and in favor of better health care coverage and access for all Americans (thank you Representatives Giffords, Kirkpatrick, Mitchell, Pastor and Grijalva!!) and each Republican member from Arizona voted against the bill (boo! hiss! Representatives Flake, Franks, and Shadegg!)

34 Democrats voted against the bill; time for some primary challenges.

...and the reconciliation bill has just passed with 220 votes in support. The reconciliation bill will now go to the Senate for consideration this week and the President willsign the underlying bill within a day or so. It looks as if one of the Ds who voted against the underlying bill signed on to the reconciliation bill.

End edit...

The coming week - everybody else edition

As usual, all info gathered from the websites of the relevent political bodies/agencies except where noted, and subject to change without notice...

...In the U.S. House of Representatives, last week is blending into next week as they are still in session even as I write this, working toward a vote on the latest health care reform package. As such, no agenda has been posted online as yet. Once that agenda is posted, expect a quiet week as the members look to recover from this week's exertions.

...Over in the U.S. Senate, a lot of their time will be taken up (presumably, assuming passage by the House) with consideration of a reconciliation bill relating to HCR. On the Senate's committee schedule, there is one item of direct interest to Arizonans - the Armed Services Committee's consideration on Tuesday of the nomination of Katherine Hammack to the post of Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations and Environment. Ms. Hammack is a senior manager at Ernst & Young in Phoenix.


...Back in Arizona...

- The legislature's committee schedule is covered here.

- The Arizona Corporation Commission doesn't have any full meetings scheduled this week, but their hearing schedule is here.

- The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors has a special meeting scheduled for Tuesday at 10 a.m. No agenda available online as yet.

- The Governing Board of the Maricopa County Community College District will meet on Tuesday, with an executive session planned for 5:30 p.m. and a regular meeting scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Agenda here. Looks relatively quiet thus far, though there is one item of interest to political geeks like me - a consent agenda item to participate in a program from First Things First to pay fees at the Children's Learning Center at Gateway Community College for qualifying parents.

The same First Things First that the legislature wants to eliminate.

- The Board of Directors of the Maricopa Integrated Health System has two meetings this week. On Monday, there is a special session scheduled, with an executive session component. On Wednesday, there will be a full meeting. The agenda includes consideration of proposed rate changes for services.

- The Tempe City Council will meet on Thursday. The agenda is here, and it includes approval of the results of Tempe's election from two weeks ago. The Council Calendar is here.

- The Scottsdale City Council will meet on Tuesday. First up will be a special meeting devoted to appointments to some of the City's Boards and Commissions. The agenda for the regular meeting includes, as with Tempe, approval of the election results from earlier this month. The City's Community Meeting Notice is here.


...Not scheduled to meet this week: Citizens Clean Elections Commission, Arizona Board of Regents, and the Board of Directors of the Central Arizona Project.

The coming week - legislative edition

Just a little agenda reading while waiting for the health care reform theater vote in the House...

As usual, all info gathered from the website of the Arizona legislature, except where noted, and subject to change without notice...

Committee activity on the House side -

- On Monday, Rules will meet at 1 p.m. in HHR4.

- Ways and Means will meet at 2 p.m. in HHR1. One item on the agenda: SB1194, relating to "Arizona power authority; revenue bonding."


- On Tuesday, Public Employees, Retirement, and Entitlement Reform will meet at 2 p.m. in HHR3. Quiet thus far.

- Government will meet at 2 p.m. in HHR4. On the agenda: a same-subject striker to SB1357 relating to zoning changes, majority votes by county boards of supervisors; SCM1005, a postcard to Congress asking them to pay for Arizona's costs associated with illegal immigration. It'll pass, probably unanimously, but it's meaningless.

- Environment will meet at 2 p.m. in HHR5. Looks quiet thus far, though SB1408, relating to "agricultural best management; dust; districts" could generate some heat. When it passed the Senate, it was by a 19 - 9 vote, and 7 of the "no" votes were from Democrats, as were both of the senators who missed the vote. However, I don't understand the ramifications of the bill and cannot comment on the why of that vote.


- On Wednesday, Military Affairs and Public Safety will meet at 9 a.m. in HHR3. On the agenda: SB1029, a Russell Pearce-sponsored measure to limit the circumstances under which a law enforcement officer is subject to disciplinary actions.

- Health and Human Services will meet at 9 a.m. in HHR4. This agenda bears watching. On it: SB1305 (banning the use of tax/public monies to pay for costs associated with insurance policies that cover abortion services); SB1306 and SB1307 (seeking to inhibit fertilization treatments and scientific research under the guise of "protecting" human embryos and egg donors).

- Commerce will meet at 9 a.m. in HHR5. Looks quiet so far.

- Appropriations will meet at 2 p.m. in HHR2. On the agenda: two strikers (language not posted yet) relating to "tourism; TPT distribution; reinstatement" and "state parks fund; voluntary contributions"; SCR1022 (allowing the lege to sweep and reappropriate "non-custodial" federal monies, such as community block grants).


- On Thursday, Transportation and Infrastructure will meet at 9 a.m. in HHR3. Quiet thus far.

- Judiciary will meet at 9 a.m. in HHR4. Quiet thus far, though a couple of the measures may merit a closer examination.


...On the Senate side -

- On Monday, Judiciary will meet at 1:30 p.m. in SHR1. On the agenda: HB2490 (exempting "religious" organizations from having to register as political committees, even if they engage in political activities); HB2596 (limiting the ability of local governments to apply things like zoning rules to religious entities).


- On Tuesday, Commerce and Economic Development will meet at 1:30 p.m. in SHR1. Looks quiet so far, but I freely admit I don't understand the effects of some of the bills.


- On Wednesday, Veterans and Military Affairs will meet at 1:30 p.m. in SHR2. Quiet thus far.

- Public Safety and Human Services will meet at 9:30 a.m. in SHR3. Quiet thus far.

- Healthcare and Medical Liability Reform will meet at 9 a.m. in SHR1. Some nuggets of interest (HB2116, relating to AHCCCS ambulance reimbursement rates) but looks pretty quiet so far.

- Educations Accountability and Reform will meet at 1:30 p.m. in SHR1. On the agenda: a good bill, HB2760, Rep. Rae Waters' measure to improve preventive maintenance procedures in schools; also, a lot of other technical bills relating to education in AZ that someone who better understands the nuances may want to examine.


- On Thursday, Government Institutions will meet at 9 a.m. in SHR1. Looks quiet, in a "lot of technical measures" sort of way.


On the "interim" committee side (neither House nor Senate), the Joint Committee on Capital Review (JCCR) will meet at 8 a.m. on Tuesday in HHR4.


...Floor calendars for Monday -

- The Senate's Third Read calendar includes abortion reporting requirements, the ban on texting while driving (yet another attempt to pass it), four measures relating to eminent domain, and former Senator Jonathan Paton's scheme to abolish Clean Elections.

- The House's Third Read calendar is posted here.

- Tuesday's House COW calendars are posted here and here. Plenty of ugly here; I'll cover it later.

...And all of this was compiled and linked while the US House is still debating procedural issues relating to today's HCR vote.

This is going to be one long day... :)