Monday is expected to be a busy day at the Capitol, as there are expected to be lots of folks there to for Spring Break At The State Capitol. People from all over the state are expected to be there to protest the xenophobic hysteria and fiscal malpractice of Republican state legislators. During the even, there will be a candlelight vigil for the transplant patients condemned by Jan Brewer's Death Panels.
All floor calendars can be found here; all House committee agendas can be found here; all Senate committee agendas can be found here.
On the Senate side of the Capitol:
- Rules will meet on Monday at 1 p.m. in Caucus Room 1. While there are a few bad bills on this agenda, they aren't *bad*. This committee is a rubber stamp anyway.
- Natural Resources and Transportation will meet on Monday at 2 p.m. in SHR109. Looks relatively quiet so far, though they are hearing the executive nomination of Fred Arnett for the Citizens Transportation Oversight Committee. There's a "F. Rockne Arnett currently serving as chair of the Committee.
- Judiciary will meet on Monday at 2 p.m. in SHR1. Not so quiet. On the agenda - HB2191, barring undocumented immigrants from being awarded punitive damages in a lawsuit (aimed at a case in southern AZ where a rancher assaulted and held some undocumenteds at gunpoint and they successfully sued him); HB2423, setting up "guidelines" for the AG's office when it comes to retaining private attorneys; reads more like a "first step to privatizing the AG's office"; HB2645, setting up a process for those who have forfeited their rights to possess a firearm to regain that right, a proposed amendment to the measure would also carve out an exception to laws regarding the barring of certain people from possessing firearms. The proposed amendment would exempt "retired peace officers" from most firearms regulations and make it next to impossible to require one to surrender a firearm.
- Education will meet on Monday at 2 p.m. in SHR3. Two bills on the agenda: HB2565, creating a special set of academic "rights" for religious students at public universities and community colleges; HB2710, creating a committee to craft legislation to move school funding from a per-pupil, "hours of instruction" model to an "outcome based" model, games played in the House to make this an "emergency" measure that will go into effect as soon as the governor signs it.
- Veterans and Military Affairs will meet on Tuesday at 9 a.m. in SHR3. Looks relatively quiet so far.
- Banking and Insurance will meet on Tuesday at 2 p.m. in SHR3. Not sure if this one is quiet - lots of workers comp-related measures on the agenda.
- Appropriations will meet on Tuesday at 2 p.m. in SHR109. Short agenda, but it includes HB2577, allowing the legislature to claim and reappropriate "non-custodial" federal monies (such as block grants) as it see fits.
- Public Safety and Human Services will meet on Wednesday at 9 a.m. in SHR3. On the agenda: HB2675,adding to the list of things that constitute unlawful use of food stamps. As originally introduced by Rep. Jeff Dial, also would have required that food stamps cards be bright orange and have printed in large bold letter "Government Food Stamp Card." That provision was struck out by cooler heads in a House committee.
- Government Reform will meet on Wednesday at 9 a.m. in SHR1. On the agenda: HB2002, barring school districts from spending monies for a membership in an organization that attempts to influence an election, except for chambers of commerce (of course!); HB2644, prohibiting political entities in Arizona from accepting federal money for a project if that acceptance means that union labor must be utilzed for the project.
- Commerce and Energy wll meet on Wednesday at 9 a.m. in SHR109. On the agenda: HB2341, "Repeals language that allows additional payment assessments to the Residential Contractors’ Recovery Fund." (quoting from the summary prepared by legislative staff); HB2541, allowing employers to fire employees for being under the influence of legally-prescribed marijuana.
- Water, Land Use and Rural Development will meet on Wednesday at 2 p.m. in SHR3. On the agenda: a striker to HB2485, relating to "liquefied petroleum gas; emergencies, liability." No text available as yet, though a bill with the same title and from the same sponsor (Gowan), HB2470, died in the House.
- Finance will meet on Thursday at 9 a.m in SHR1. Two bills on the agenda: HB2338, establishing limits for secondary property taxes levied by special library, jail, and health districts; a striker to HB2407, relating to "community college correction; levy amount." No text available as yet, but HB2144, a bill that died in the House, has the same subject.
- Border Security, Federalism, and States Sovereignty will meet on Thursday at 9 a.m. in SHR109. This agenda has been covered in a separate post, but to summarize: the Arizona State Senate is giving a platform to the leader of a recognized hate group.
A Senate Third Read (final passage) calendar for the Senate has yet to be posted for Monday. However, the Committee of the Whole (COW) calendar has been posted. It's short (five bills) and all bad.
On the House side of the Capitol -
- Rules will meet on Monday at 1 p.m. in HHR4. Long agenda, lots of bad bills, rubber stamp. Probably foreshadowing the week in the House.
- Ways and Means will meet on Monday at 2 p.m. in HHR1. On the agenda: SB1226, placing limits on the ability of municipalities to levy secondary property taxes.
- Energy and Natural Resources will meet on Monday at 2 p.m. in HHR4. Looks quiet so far.
- Education will meet on Monday at 2 p.m., or upon adjournment or recess of the floor session, in HHR3. Looks quiet so far.
- Banking and Insurance will meet on Monday at 2 p.m., or on adjournment of the floor, in HHR5. On the agenda: a striker to SB1259 (which will be subject to this amendment, in turn).
- Government will meet on Tuesday at 2 pm. in HHR4. Long agenda, with some very bad bills on it: SB1286, imposing a time limit on municipalities and counties for approving/disapproving a permit - after 60 days, the permit is considered to be automatically approved; SB1288, giving religious professionals an out for unprofessional conduct; SB1329, barring public employees from lobbying governmental entities during their work hours (targeted at teachers for daring to protest massive cuts to public education funding); SB1465, barring the acceptance of consular issued ID cards from being accepted as valid ID; SB1523, placing restrictions on how and why sanitary districts can enact a moratorium on contrstuction or land development; SB1610, saving Arizona from the abject humiliation of not having named an official state firearm.
- Employment and Regulatory Affairs will meet on Tuesday at 2 p.m. in HHR3. Curiously, this agenda includes a couple of bills that are on the agendas listed about: SB1259 (on BI Monday) and SB1288 (Gov at the same time as this meeting). Also includes a number of public pension-related bills.
- Health and Human Services will meet on Wednesday at 9 a.m. in HHR4. Nugget of ugly on the agenda: SB1187, a "gift" from the Center for Arizona
- Commerce will meet on Wednesday at 10 a.m. in HHR5. Looks quiet so far.
- Appropriations will meet on Wednesday at 2 p.m. in HHR1. Only two bills on the agenda: SB1135, appropriating nearly $3.6 million (over two fiscal years) to the state's Nuclear Emergency Management Fund, timely but not related to the growing nuclear catastrophe in Japan; SB1406, an interstate compact/new Confederacy measure relating to a border fence.
- Transportation will meet on Thursday at 9 a.m. in HHR3. Looks quiet thus far.
- Technology and Infrastructure will meet on Thursday at 9 a.m. in HHR1. Looks quiet thus far.
- Judiciary will meet on Thursday at 9 a.m. in HHR4. On the agenda: SB1225, making forgery related to the acquisition of a drop house a class three felony; SB1412, innocuously titled "early voting revisions," it targets political organizations, mostly Democratic and union, that work to ensure that the early ballots of their supporters get to election officials - the measure makes it a class 5 felony to possess more than six voted early ballots and makes it a class 4 felony to "offer or provide any consideration" to another person to acquire an early ballot (like offering to make life a little easier for someone else by carrying a ballot to an election official?); SB1546, eminent domain on federal land; SCR1025, repealing Clean Elections indirectly, by banning the use of public monies for political campaigns.
- Agriculture and Water will meet on Thursday at 9 a.m. in HHR5. Two presenters and zero bills on the agenda.
On Monday's Third Read (final passage) calendar for the House -
- HB2154, relating to the privatization of correctional health services
- HB2636, implementing a flat tax, with exemptions that favor the wealthy
- HB2706, "Arizona empowerment accounts" - better known as school vouchers
Other events at the Capitol and environs:
The lege's calendar of events is here.
The Arizona Capitol Times' "Capitol Calendar" is here.
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