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.
Saturday, January 09, 2016
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)
Sunday, October 11, 2015
Short Attention Span Musing
...How long will the 2016 session of the legislature be active before they start doing the hypocrisy two-step?
First, from the Arizona Republic, written by Alia Beard Rau (emphasis added) -
Presenting the main R talking point when they rationalize continuing to underfund Arizona's education system: "We can't afford it."
However, don't expect them to let that argument stop them from blowing up the state's budget.
From the "Tax Justice" blog from the Citizens for Tax Justice, written by Sebastien Johnson -
AZBlueMeanie and Bob Lord at Blog for Arizona offer their takes on this topic (far more eloquent and informative than mine, too); the budget update presentation from the lege's Joint Legislative Budget Committee (JLBC) is available here.
...As much as I'm enjoying the spectacle of DC Republicans eating their own, also known as the fight over the speakership in the US House of Representative, there is a significant downside to it -
It is giving some of the wingnuts far more media exposure than they merit.
One example of this is Arizona's own Congressman Trent Franks.
Never known as one of the brightest bulbs in Congress, Franks seems to be focused on reducing intellectual expectations faced by Congressional Republicans.
From TalkingPointsMemo, written by Katherine Kreuger (emphasis added) -
Now, skilled mediator that I am (OK, not really :) ), I propose that House Republicans, since they are unable to find a candidate for Speaker that the all like, they should compromise by choosing one that they all dislike -
Nancy Pelosi.
:)
First, from the Arizona Republic, written by Alia Beard Rau (emphasis added) -
The Arizona Legislature and Gov. Doug Ducey will have about $250 million in additional ongoing revenue to work with as they begin develop the fiscal 2017 budget over the next few months, according to the latest projections from state financial experts.
But looking further to the future, experts painted a grim picture that could complicate the ongoing debate over increasing funding for K-12 schools.
Economists who serve on the state Financial Advisory Committee said they've given up on the arrival of any post-recession boom and warned that the next recession could come within the next couple of years.
They recommended state leaders neither institute any new major tax cuts nor any significant spending increases.
Presenting the main R talking point when they rationalize continuing to underfund Arizona's education system: "We can't afford it."
However, don't expect them to let that argument stop them from blowing up the state's budget.
From the "Tax Justice" blog from the Citizens for Tax Justice, written by Sebastien Johnson -
Plans to eliminate the state income tax in Arizona continue, with State Rep. Darin Mitchell telling officials that the push will come during the next legislative session. Mitchell, who chairs the Arizona House Ways and Means Committee, says the current strategy is to fight for a flat income tax that can be slowly eliminated over time: “We want to go to a flat tax next year, and then, maybe over the next five or six years we’ll ratchet down the collection until it no longer exists. We’ll just increase sales tax, on certain items.” Mitchell expects that Gov. Doug Ducey, who ran for election on a platform of eliminating the income tax, will support his plan. Were Mitchell’s plan to actually go forward, tax fairness in Arizona would become much worse. According to ITEP’s Who Pays? report, Arizona has the 8th most unfair tax system in the country, and the bottom 20 percent pay almost three times as much in taxes as a share of their income as do the top one percent.
AZBlueMeanie and Bob Lord at Blog for Arizona offer their takes on this topic (far more eloquent and informative than mine, too); the budget update presentation from the lege's Joint Legislative Budget Committee (JLBC) is available here.
...As much as I'm enjoying the spectacle of DC Republicans eating their own, also known as the fight over the speakership in the US House of Representative, there is a significant downside to it -
It is giving some of the wingnuts far more media exposure than they merit.
One example of this is Arizona's own Congressman Trent Franks.
Never known as one of the brightest bulbs in Congress, Franks seems to be focused on reducing intellectual expectations faced by Congressional Republicans.
From TalkingPointsMemo, written by Katherine Kreuger (emphasis added) -
In an interview with MSNBC, Freedom Caucus member Rep. Trent Franks (R-AZ), offered a roll call of acceptable candidates for speaker. He named Reps. Paul Ryan (R-WI), Jeff Miller (R-FL), Tom Price (R-GA), and Jim Jordan (R-OH). He even mentioned Newt Gingrich, who was speaker from 1995 to 1999.Yes, he wants the leader of his chamber of Congress to be someone who would lead the House membership to horrible deaths.
"I hear a lot of names. All of those men are Valley Forge Americans that would serve this country very well," Franks said, referencing the winter military camp where more than 2,500 of George Washington's troops died of starvation and exposure during the Revolutionary War.
Now, skilled mediator that I am (OK, not really :) ), I propose that House Republicans, since they are unable to find a candidate for Speaker that the all like, they should compromise by choosing one that they all dislike -
Nancy Pelosi.
:)
Saturday, October 03, 2015
Cutting Out The Middle Man 101: Goldwater Institute lawyer seeks seat on the AZ Supreme Court
...If this works, maybe a Mob capo will apply for a deputy or associate director job at the FBI...
For a long time now, Arizona's Judicial Branch has been the only branch of government in Arizona that garners any national respect.
It seems like that in every legislative session, there are efforts to make the state's judicial branch more subject to the whims (and whimsy) of the state legislature and governor (2015, 2012, 2011...I could keep this going for a long time, but since I would like to complete this post, I'll just go with "you get the picture").
Those usually fail, so certain people appear to be taking a more direct approach to subverting the judiciary.
While not perfect (nothing is, but the AZ judicial branch does a good job of cleaning up its own messes), Arizona's judicial branch is seen as honest, fair, and professional...something that will change soon if the Goldwater Institute, a Koch Brothers affiliate, gets their way.
From Howard Fischer of Capitol Media Services, via Arizona Capitol Times -
For a long time now, Arizona's Judicial Branch has been the only branch of government in Arizona that garners any national respect.
It seems like that in every legislative session, there are efforts to make the state's judicial branch more subject to the whims (and whimsy) of the state legislature and governor (2015, 2012, 2011...I could keep this going for a long time, but since I would like to complete this post, I'll just go with "you get the picture").
Those usually fail, so certain people appear to be taking a more direct approach to subverting the judiciary.
While not perfect (nothing is, but the AZ judicial branch does a good job of cleaning up its own messes), Arizona's judicial branch is seen as honest, fair, and professional...something that will change soon if the Goldwater Institute, a Koch Brothers affiliate, gets their way.
From Howard Fischer of Capitol Media Services, via Arizona Capitol Times -
Gov. Doug Ducey is getting his first chance to put his imprint on the state’s high court.
A dozen attorneys and lower court judges have applied to replace Rebecca Berch who is retiring. The Commission on Appellate Court Appointments will meet later this month to winnow down the list and decide who to interview and, ultimately, who to nominate.
Press aide Daniel Scarpinato said Ducey does have some ideas about who should serve on the Supreme Court.
“Some of the qualities that are important to the governor are an individual with a reputation with outstanding legal ability, someone with integrity and also the temperament for a job where you need to be calm under pressure and be thorough and be thoughtful,” he said. He also said Ducey said he wants someone who “treats people with respect,” whether as an attorney working with clients or lower court judge dealing with litigants.
And Scarpinato said Ducey believes it’s important for to appoint someone “that understands the three distinct branches and the separation of powers.”
Thursday, September 24, 2015
Candidate and committees update
Some updates -
Federal offices:
...Shawn Redd, a Navajo businessman, has filed to run for the R nomination for US Senate.
..."Cranky Pants", no treasurer listed and a committee address of a mail drop in Litchfield Park, has filed to run for president as an independent (the filing is probably someone's idea of a practical joke, but it gives me an excuse to use the phrase "cranky pants" in a post that isn't about John McCain :) ).
Note: the first day for real candidates to file the paperwork necessary to appear on the ballot for Arizona Presidential Preference Election is November 13; the deadline is December 14 at 5 p.m. (AZ time)
State level offices:
...The races for the legislative offices in LD26 (parts of Tempe and Mesa) are getting complicated.
Incumbent state senator Ed Ableser (D) is resigning at the end of September in order to move to Nevada for a job.
Current State Rep. Andrew Sherwood and chair of the LD26 Democrats Sam Pstross are among those who have indicated an interest in being appointed to serve out the rest of Ableser's term in the Senate.
Michael Martinez, a candidate for JP in 2014, and Steve Muratore, a fellow blogger (full disclosure time: while Steve and I both have our individual blogs, we both contribute to Blog for Arizona), have formed committees to run for a House seat there (probably on the presumption that Sherwood will run for the Senate seat regardless of who is appointed to serve out the term).
Expect others to step up in both races...
...Judah Nativio, a member of the Queen Creek Unified School District's governing board, has filed for a run for the Republican nomination for on of the House seats in LD16. In 2008, in the then-LD18, he was the Democratic nominee for state senate (Russell Pearce won that particular election).
...Current state rep. Sonny Borrelli and former state senator Ron Gould have formed committees to run for the R nomination for the LD5 senate seat currently held by Kelli Ward, who is running for the US Senate seat held by John McCain.
...Pamela Powers Hannley, also a blogger and also a contributor to Blog for Arizona, has filed to run for the Democratic nomination for one of the LD9 House seats there. Incumbent Victoria Steele is running for Congress.
Maricopa County:
...Michael Bodak has filed to run for the Republican nomination for Maricopa County Sheriff. On his campaign website, he touts his lack of experience as his greatest qualification for the office.
...Leonore Driggs has filed to run for the Republican nomination for Justice of the Peace in the Arcadia-Biltmore justice precinct. Normally, I don't bother mentioning JP races in these posts (though since this is my justice precinct, I might have done so anyway :) ), but she merits some attention because she is the wife of State Senator Adam Driggs.
...A committee has formed to urge US Marshal David Gonzalez to run for the office of Maricopa County Sheriff. It is *not* a candidate committee. Their website is here.
Local races -
Mesa:
...Former state senator Jerry Lewis (R), best known for defeating the infamous Russell Pearce during Pearce's recall election is running for Mesa City Council, is targeting a seat held by current council member Dennis Kavanaugh. Kavanagh is retiring.
From the Arizona Republic, written by Maria Polletta -
Scottsdale:
...Dan Schweiker, a former member of the Paradise Valley Town Council, has formed a committee for a run at a seat on the Scottsdale City Council.
Tempe:
...Mike Jennings, a Tempe businessman and apparently thegolden child chosen candidate of the Tempe Chamber of Commerce, has formed a committee for a run at the Tempe City Council.
Federal offices:
...Shawn Redd, a Navajo businessman, has filed to run for the R nomination for US Senate.
..."Cranky Pants", no treasurer listed and a committee address of a mail drop in Litchfield Park, has filed to run for president as an independent (the filing is probably someone's idea of a practical joke, but it gives me an excuse to use the phrase "cranky pants" in a post that isn't about John McCain :) ).
Note: the first day for real candidates to file the paperwork necessary to appear on the ballot for Arizona Presidential Preference Election is November 13; the deadline is December 14 at 5 p.m. (AZ time)
State level offices:
...The races for the legislative offices in LD26 (parts of Tempe and Mesa) are getting complicated.
Incumbent state senator Ed Ableser (D) is resigning at the end of September in order to move to Nevada for a job.
Current State Rep. Andrew Sherwood and chair of the LD26 Democrats Sam Pstross are among those who have indicated an interest in being appointed to serve out the rest of Ableser's term in the Senate.
Michael Martinez, a candidate for JP in 2014, and Steve Muratore, a fellow blogger (full disclosure time: while Steve and I both have our individual blogs, we both contribute to Blog for Arizona), have formed committees to run for a House seat there (probably on the presumption that Sherwood will run for the Senate seat regardless of who is appointed to serve out the term).
Expect others to step up in both races...
...Judah Nativio, a member of the Queen Creek Unified School District's governing board, has filed for a run for the Republican nomination for on of the House seats in LD16. In 2008, in the then-LD18, he was the Democratic nominee for state senate (Russell Pearce won that particular election).
...Current state rep. Sonny Borrelli and former state senator Ron Gould have formed committees to run for the R nomination for the LD5 senate seat currently held by Kelli Ward, who is running for the US Senate seat held by John McCain.
...Pamela Powers Hannley, also a blogger and also a contributor to Blog for Arizona, has filed to run for the Democratic nomination for one of the LD9 House seats there. Incumbent Victoria Steele is running for Congress.
Maricopa County:
...Michael Bodak has filed to run for the Republican nomination for Maricopa County Sheriff. On his campaign website, he touts his lack of experience as his greatest qualification for the office.
...Leonore Driggs has filed to run for the Republican nomination for Justice of the Peace in the Arcadia-Biltmore justice precinct. Normally, I don't bother mentioning JP races in these posts (though since this is my justice precinct, I might have done so anyway :) ), but she merits some attention because she is the wife of State Senator Adam Driggs.
...A committee has formed to urge US Marshal David Gonzalez to run for the office of Maricopa County Sheriff. It is *not* a candidate committee. Their website is here.
Local races -
Mesa:
...Former state senator Jerry Lewis (R), best known for defeating the infamous Russell Pearce during Pearce's recall election is running for Mesa City Council, is targeting a seat held by current council member Dennis Kavanaugh. Kavanagh is retiring.
From the Arizona Republic, written by Maria Polletta -
...As mentioned in the above article, so is Ryan Winkle.
After a 2 1/2-year hiatus, former state Sen. Jerry Lewis is itching to get back into politics — this time, at the municipal level.
The 58-year-old assistant superintendent of Sequoia Schools has filed to run for southwest Mesa's District 3 City Council seat, joining 36-year-old urban-development advocate Ryan Winkle in the race to replace Vice Mayor Dennis Kavanaugh in January 2017.
Scottsdale:
...Dan Schweiker, a former member of the Paradise Valley Town Council, has formed a committee for a run at a seat on the Scottsdale City Council.
Tempe:
...Mike Jennings, a Tempe businessman and apparently the
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