Legislative nativists getting clever in their dotage

I missed this during my perusal of strikers earlier this week, but it was brought to my attention in an email forwarded from Humane Borders Phoenix.

There was a striker to HB2162 heard and approved in Senate Appropriations on Tuesday to create a "Border Security Commission."

After my initial scan of the text of the striker, I was left with the impression that is was just election-year winger posturing, repugnant but ultimately harmless.

Turns out first impressions can be wrong. Woefully wrong.

From the text of the striker (emphasis mine) -

5. Recommend the establishment of twelve forward operating bases along the United States-Mexico border beginning east of an Indian reservation that is adjacent to the United States-Mexico border and continuing to the Arizona–New Mexico state line and urge the federal government and the state of New Mexico to add additional forward operating bases along the United States-Mexico border that is located in the state of New Mexico.

{snip}

A. Of the monies appropriated to the department of public safety for the gang and immigration intelligence team enforcement mission in fiscal year 2010-2011, the sum of $200,000 shall be distributed to the Cochise county sheriff's office for border security, including the costs of equipment related to a pilot program to dispatch a volunteer security force to the United States-Mexico border.

Let's see...

Not only do they want to militarize the border, they are appropriating money from DPS to fund a group of amateur vigilantes, and they are doing it in a way that avoids the openness and scrutiny (such as it is) of the real budget process.

Something tells me that sine die won't come soon enough.

Throwing stones at Glassman while living in a glass house

Greg Patterson, the former state legislator who writes the Republican blog Espresso Pundit, is widely considered the dean of R bloggers in Arizona, and also one of the best. While he almost always is wrong (he *is* a Republican, ya know), he usually makes his points intelligently and civilly.

Well, apparently he has abandoned intelligence so that he can jump on the IOKIYAR bandwagon.

From his post criticizing one of the supporters of the Glassman for Senate campaign -

I thought the small print in his announcement was interesting...

Co-Chairs: Flagstaff Mayor Sara Presler, Phoenix Councilman Michael Nowakowski, Pima County Recorder F. Ann Rodriguez

Pima County Recorder F. Ann Rodriguez? She's in charge of elections in Pima County. What is the elections director doing endorsing a candidate? Is she going to recuse herself from this election cycle?

I can understand Patterson's wariness when an official who oversees elections seems to endorse a candidate in an election he/she oversees. Even the appearance of impropriety can undermine Arizonans' faith in their political system.

As happened in 2004, when then-Secretary of State Jan Brewer, the state's senior election official, was one of the AZ co-chairs of Bush/Cheney 2004.

Yet there was nary a mention of Brewer doing the same thing that he has criticized Rodriguez for in his post.

Normally, I don't directly call out another blogger on his postings. However, Patterson moves in higher circles than most bloggers, including me, because of the respect he has earned through his years in the blogosphere. That higher level of respect comes hand-in-hand with higher expectations.

If the anonymous writers at Seeing Red AZ or even the mostly anonymous ones at Sonoran Alliance want to engage in a little "do as we say, not as we do" hypocrisy, nobody much says anything because they really aren't expected to be better than that.

There are only a couple of bloggers in AZ who *are* expected to be better than that**, and Patterson is one of them.


** = Tedski at R-Cubed, before he suspended his blogging to concentrate on his campaign for the lege, is the other.

Later...

The end is near...

...the end of the legislative session, that is.

Steve Farley (D-LD28) sent out his weekly update on Tuesday, and in it he indicated the possibility that the Rs will "sine die" (final adjournment) the regular session of the lege as soon as this week.

That doesn't seem likely, at least not this week, but most expectations at the Capitol, at least those of my sources, center on the end of April for sine die.

Another indication that sine die won't happen this week is that the Senate Finance Committee's scheduled consideration of the Rs' corporate tax cut bill, HB2250, has been moved from tomorrow to next Monday.

Also, most pending committee agendas have been revised as the end of session scramble ensues. Any legislator with active bills still pending is using every trick known to them to get those bills heard in committee and on the floor as soon as possible. Given the length of some of the new agendas, look for a real push to sine die by the end of the week after next, if not next week.

Finally, Third Read (aka - "final passage") calendars are also getting longer.

Wednesday's calendar in the House has 12 items on it; the Senate has a 10-item "consent" Third Read calendar on tap.

Note: in this context, "consent" means that the bills are unchanged since their introduction, and can bypass Committee of the Whole (COW) consideration.

The bottom line is that while final adjournment as soon as this week seems unlikely (though anything is possible with this bunch), it is imminent.

Later...

Scottsdale Councilman Nelssen reveals that he has cancer

From AZCentral.com -

Scottsdale City Councilman Tony Nelssen said Tuesday he has been diagnosed with cancer.

Nelssen made the announcement during the public comment period of the City Council meeting. He expects to start treatment next week.

Nelssen, who is running for re-election, said he doesn't expect the diagnosis to affect his official duties or plans to seek another term.

While Councilman Nelssen and I are usually on the opposite side of most political issues (with him being on the wrong side, of course :) ), I wish him all the best in his fight against his cancer. He's got a tough fight ahead of him and he and his family will need all the support they can get.

Glassman makes it official - the race for the Senate is on

On Tuesday, Rodney Glassman ended months of speculation (OK, it wasn't really "speculation" when he has an exploratory committee open and has been raising gobs of money :) ) when he resigned from the Tucson City Council to focus on his race for the U.S. Senate.

From the AZ Daily Star -

Tucson City Councilman Rodney Glassman has resigned to run for the U.S. Senate. Glassman hopes to win the Democratic nomination to take on incumbent Republican Sen. John McCain in the November general election.

Arizona Capitol Times coverage here.

Glassman has been receiving support from all over the state as community leaders and average Arizonans alike have come to realize that John McCain no longer represents Arizona in D.C., just himself and lobbyists:

“Having served in the House of Representatives for four terms, it would be nice to finally have an Arizona Senator that is willing to work with our entire Congressional delegation regardless of party affiliation,” said Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.). “Rodney has a unique desire and ability to work with everyone and provide everyone with equal set at the table.”

“Arizona needs someone representing us who has the interests of our state, not Washington, D.C. bureaucrats, in mind. We need someone approachable and involved in Arizona,” said Arizona Sen. Paula Aboud (D-Tucson). “We need someone who doesn't need a GPS to find his way around Arizona. Rodney Glassman knows his way around our state and he's working for us.”

"It is refreshing to see an elected official who is enthusiastic about trying new approaches to solve old problems. And, Rodney really means it when he says he wants to take a bipartisan approach to policy-making. His track record proves it. Isn't it about time we saw that from Arizona senators?" said Mesa City Councilman Dennis Kavanaugh.

From Rodney himself, via email -

Today, I am pleased to announce my decision to run against the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate. It is official.

I spent several months traveling throughout Arizona listening to you. Across Arizona, I heard a single message: Arizona needs a U.S. Senator who works for Arizona’s future.
We need someone who lives and works in Arizona. Someone who loves Arizona. Someone who is more concerned with creating jobs in Arizona than clinging to his own job in Washington, D.C.

My campaign team and my supporters understand that beating a lifelong U.S. Senator will not be easy. We are running because we believe in you. Across Arizona, you have made bold declarations that you want Arizona to have a better future. I am answering that call.

My Promise to You:

As Vice Mayor, my door was always open. I have been accessible. I even printed my mobile telephone number in the paper on several occasions. I make this promise to you today: When you elect me to the U.S. Senate, I will continue to be open and accessible to every Arizonan who needs my help.

I believe in this campaign because I believe in you.

Your Friend,

Rodney Glassman

P.S. Please join our campaign today for Arizona's future, and share our website with your friends at www.rodneyglassman.com.


As pleased as I am to see Glassman's official entry into the race, as a writer I'm going to find the spitting match between John McCain and JD Hayworth a lot more fun to cover.

To whit: Recently, Grant Woods, a McCain advisor and former AZ Attorney General was quoted in a Newsweek Magazine article as saying "[t]o have just a caricature of the opportunistic, bombastic politician throwing grenades at him at this stage of his career is really a sad commentary. Someone needs to drive a wooden stake through this guy's heart."

Hayworth says that last bit about the wooden stake is a threat to his life and has demanded an apology from Woods.

Most people understand that the "stake" comment was a metaphor (political careers, like vampires, aren't dead until you've driven a stake through their hearts), but it's an election year, so a little self-righteous posturing is par for the course.

Woods responds in this AZ/DC blog entry from AZCentral.com with one of the best lines of the election cycle so far -

Woods laughed about Hayworth's overwrought reaction.

"I am a Dracula fan. I do think J.D. sucks, but he's no Dracula," Woods quipped to AZ/DC.

"J.D. sucks, but he's no Dracula."

Classic. :)


Later...

Jon Kyl on the Supreme Court: Ideology is more important than qualifications

From the Washington Post -

There isn’t even a vacancy on the Supreme Court and yet the absurdities have already begun.

Appearing on "Fox News Sunday," Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.), the minority whip, essentially warned President Obama that sterling qualifications won’t be enough for his next high court pick to be confirmed. “I think the president will nominate a qualified person,” Kyl said. “I hope, however, he does not nominate an overly ideological person. That will be the test.”

Another relevent line, this one from the Fox News piece linked in the WaPo quote -

Specter said he wants a nominee who is "tough" on executive power. But Kyl said that's exactly the kind of pick his party wants to avoid.

Yup, 'cause God knows that "checks and balances" were never part of the intent of the original Framers of the Constitution.

Anyway, Kyl is talking like a guy who A) knows that the Rs will eventually control the White House again, and wants to make sure they have only a lapdog SCOTUS to deal with, not a bulldog SCOTUS: and B) who is considering the possibility that he will be on the R ticket in 2012 as VP, and wants to have as much freedom from judicial scrutiny as was enjoyed by Dick Cheney.

The coming week - legislative edition

Yes, it's a little late. Monday's activity has already taken place, but the rest of the week (particularly Wednesday) promises to be colorful.

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

Over on the House side -

- Government will meet on Tuesday at 2 p.m. in HHR4. Highlights include: a striker to SB1042 to limit municipal governments and their ability to levy building permit fees; SB1363 and SB1366, relating to restricting the use of eminent domain; and SB1398, requiring that "a city, town, county, or special taxing district (local government) to demand that the federal or state government coordinate with the city, town, county or district before implementing, enforcing or extending federal regulations." (from the fact sheet prepared by legislative staff)

That last seems to be targeted at things like federal environmental laws and such, but the authors of the bill may be getting a little too cute for their own good. There is a very good chance that by this time next year, possession of marijuana for medical purposes could be allowed.

That is something the federal government has consistently opposed, ignoring state and local laws all over the country to raid and arrest medical marijuana providers and users.

Their bill (sponsors like Sylvia Allen, Russell Pearce, and Ron Gould) is so broadly written that it may force cities and towns, even the ones that elect the likes of Allen, Pearce, and Gould (who are not exactly fans of the medical marijuana initiative) to interfere with federal enforcement of federal drug laws.

- Military Affairs and Public Safety will meet on Wednesday at 9 a,m. in HHR3. On the agenda: a striker to SB1005 to exempt trap and skeet shooting facilities from taxation. This one has been floating around all session, failing in the House last week as HB2526.

- Health and Human Services will meet on Wednesday at 9 a.m. in HHR4. On the agenda: SB1304, the Center for Arizona Theocracy Policy-written scheme to limit availability of abortion services by imposing all sorts of reporting requirements on health care providers; and SB1324, mandating that the AZ Department of Administration expend some of its resources to procure and provide identity theft protection services to state employees and officers. Call it the "guaranteed contract for LifeLock" bill.

- Commerce will meet at 8 a.m. on Wednesday in HHR5. On the agenda: SCR1009 and SCR1043, two schemes to kill Clean Elections in Arizona; and SB1242, a bill to protect employers from labor actions.

- Appropriations will meet at 2 p.m on Wednesday in HHR1. The agenda is short (four items), but packs a punch. The highlight here is SB1104, a Russell Pearce special that would place stringent and inflexible limits on government expenditures.

- Water and Energy will meet on Thursday at 9 a.m. in HHR5. This agenda is even short (two items) but this one has SCR1046, declaring that "non-navigable" waters in Arizona aren't subject to federal regulatory jurisdiction.

- Transporation and Infrastructure will meet at 9 a.m. on Thursday in HHR3. Looks quiet so far.

- Judiciary will meet on Thursday at 9 a.m. in HHR4. On the agenda: SB1362, allowing the award of attorney fees in eminent domain cases under certain circumstances; also, SCR1009 and SCR1043, ending Clean Elections as mentioned above, are on this agenda.


...Over on the Senate side -

- Commerce and Economic Development will meet on Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. in SHR1. The agenda looks long but quiet, but in a curious development, it has two strikers with the working title "Tourism; TPT distribution; reinstatement." Actually, HB2243 has already been amended while they're offering an amendment to HB2309 that looks to be identical.

- Appropriations will meet on Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. in SHR109. On the agenda: HCR2039 (if approved by the voters, it would suspend protection from legislative appropriations of ballot-approved revenues) and HCR2041 (mandating periodic reauthorization of voter-approved measures that require expenditures).

- Veterans and Military Affairs will meet on Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. in SHR2. Quiet so far.

- Public Safety and Human Services will meet on Wednesday at 10 a.m. in SHR3. On the agenda: HB2650, imposing a 180 waiting period on divorces.

- Healthcare and Medical Liability Reform will meet on Wednesday at 9 a.m. in SHR1. Looks quiet so far.

- Finance will meet Wednesday at 1:15 p.m. in SHR1. This agenda is the worst of the week, hands down. On the agenda:

...HB2250, the Rs' corporate tax cut bill. The bill has a fiscal note on it from JLBC showing that it will cost the state over $940 million per year by FY2017. However, this one now has a same-subject striker proposed (the link to HB2250) and I am not sure what that proposal's impact will be.

Update on 4/6 - The Arizona Capitol Times has a report up on the striker. It's a slightly watered-down version of the original bill. The biggest change is the removal of a cut to personal income taxes, but leaving the corporate tax cuts in place or, at worst, delayed.

End update.

...a striker to HB2001 to allow faculty members at the state's public community colleges and universities to carry concealed weapons on campus.

...a striker to HB2035 related to "consumer loans; origination fees." This one caused a hubbub, with many observers (like this one) believing that this one was being used to attempt to revive the payday loan industry. I'm not sure the language in the current striker does that, but something new could be wheeled in at the last minute.

...HB2496, extending the contribution date for donations to school tuition organizations so that donations made as late as April of this year can receive a tax credit against last year's taxes.

...a striker for HB2509, reducing corporate property taxes and for other things (related to the "reform" of corporate taxation.

- Education Accountability and Reform will meet on Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. in SHR1. On the agenda: HB2731 (creating a new class of high school diploma, the "Grand Canyon Diploma"; a striker to HCR2038 (ending Clean Elections by removing and re-appropriating its funds); and a possible striker (language not posted yet) to HCR2057 relating to "failing schools; vouchers."

- Government Institutions will meet on Thursday at 9:30 a.m. in SHR1. On this agenda: HB2602, granting law enforcement officers warrantless access to restricted records held by the County Recorder; and a striker to HB2478. The agenda refers to a striker concerning "development fees" but the only striker posted relates to Maricopa County's library district and the lege mandating how the district's revenue is apportioned.


Later...

Maricopa Supes appoint committee to vet interim replacement for Thomas

...and while almost anybody would be an improvement over Thomas, whoever makes the grade with this bunch won't be much of an improvement.

From the East Valley Tribune -

The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors appointed a citizens' committee Monday to recommend a replacement for outgoing Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas.

The Board of Supervisors will make the final decision on whom to pick and is scheduled to consider the recommendations by the five-man committee on April 16.

The committee consists of former state Rep. Steve Tully, former state Attorney General Jack LaSota, Mesa Mayor Scott Smith, Goldwater Institute attorney Clint Bolick and Salvador Ongaro, who leads a Latino legal organization.

Let's see -

- Tully is a former legislator (House majority leader in the mid-2000s) and chair of the LD11 Republicans.

- Lasota is a former AG and current lobbyist and a big Thomas supporter.

- Bolick...Clint freakin' Bolick. Where do I start? Go to Blog for Arizona and run a search; they've done a much better job of covering him and his organization, Goldwater Institute, than I ever have. Suffice to say, where most people have blood running through their veins, he's got Kool-Aid.

- Smith is the mayor of Mesa. He's a Republican, but he may be one of the few in AZ who actually can be conservative without trying to destroy society in the name of ideology. I don't always agree with him, but he seems to be trying to improve Mesa. It seems to be working, or at least it isn't the political laughingstock of the Valley of the Sun any longer.

Note: In a weird bit of coincidence, Scottsdale now holds that distinction, and Jack Lasota's son Tim is the chief of staff for Jim Lane, Mayor of Scottsdale. OK, given that Tim also worked for Thomas at one point, I don't think that it is much of a coincidence.

- Ongaro is head of Los Abogados, Arizona's Hispanic Bar Association.

The Phoenix New Times has more coverage, including the supes' press release on today's appointments, here.

In other County Attorney news, the AZ Republic has a piece up on the possibility that former CA Rick Romley may run for the job.

Later...

An imminent opening on the Supreme Court, Janet Napolitano in D.C...

...and AZ's Republicans start sweating from their eyeballs...

From NPR -

Regarding the resignation of Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens, it's now a matter of when, not if. Weeks away from his 90th birthday, Stevens is the court's senior justice in both terms of age and service; he was named by President Ford in 1975. An official announcement is expected soon.

{snip}

Stevens is a liberal, and Obama will certainly name a like-minded successor... thought to be on the list is Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano...

Let the screaming begin. :)

Late season candidate committees

Yes, it is getting late for candidate committees to form, with only a little over seven weeks remaining before nominating petitions are due at the Secretary of State's/County Clerk's/City Clerk's office.

However, at least a few intrepid souls are giving it a shot.

- Rick Fowlkes of Mesa has started a $500 Threshold Committee for a run at the Arizona Corporation Commission (filer ID 201000533). No party is listed in his entry on the Secretary of State's website, but he was a candidate for the Republican nomination for ACC in 2008.

Update, courtesy a comment from regular reader Thane: Fowlkes' website identifies him as a Libertarian. I thought he might have made the move officially (in the 2008 campaign, he ran as part of a team that was more Libertarian than Republican), but I wasn't sure.

- Frank Fairbanks, who I think is the same Frank Fairbanks who recently retired after nearly two decades as City Manager of Phoenix, recently formed a $500 Threshold committee to run for the Board of Directors of the Central Arizona Water Conservation District (aka - Central Arizona Project).

- Republican Justin Pierce, an attorney from Mesa, has filed to run for Maricopa County Attorney. Turns out that is a lousy name for a Google search. I think he is a Young Republican who is active in tea party circles, but I'm not sure.

- Libertarian Sean Shepherd has formed a committee for a run at Scottsdale City Council. Seems to be active in tea party activities and a Republican drinking group.

Later...

Trying to have their cake and eat it too, and making AZ's taxpayers foot the bill

I'm leaning more and more to voting against the temporary sales tax hike on the ballot in May.

Not because I don't think that the revenue is needed for Arizona's schools and infrastructure, but because it is looking more and more like the move is nothing more than an attempt to further shift the state's tax burden away from corporations and the wealthy on to the backs of AZ's poor and middle class residents.


Exhibit one:

The Yes on 100 campaign, supporting the passage of the sales tax hike. From the boilerplate at the bottom of the main page - "Major funding by the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry..." Also on the list of supporters are some Chambers of Commerce, including Tucson's.


Exhibit two:

This letter, courtesy the website of the Arizona House Republicans, lobbying for passage of HB2250, the R caucus' laundry list of corporate tax cuts (fiscal note here). One of the 29 signers of the letter?

The Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Also on the list of signatories?

Tucson Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce (as well as a number of local C-of-Cs.)


There are other areas of overlap between the memberships of the two groups, but those two examples are the most direct.

Part of me is still willing to bite the bullet and vote for the sales tax increase, but if the lege passes its corporate tax cut package (or something similar) before the election, or is even still in session come election day, waiting for the polling places to be closed before passing the package, I'll be voting "no" on Prop 100.

I cannot support increasing taxes on Arizona's residents only to backfill tax cuts for corporations.

Period.

The coming week - everybody but the lege edition

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

Changing up the order this week (normally, the lege schedule is posted first), because, well, mostly because I feel like it.

Oh, and one of the most interesting events of the week won't be at the lege. :)

On to the post...

...Both chambers of the U.S. Congress are still in recess this week.

...The Arizona Corporation Commission doesn't have any regular meetings scheduled for this week, but it will have a special meeting on energy preparedness for this summer on Thursday and Friday. The ACC's hearing schedule is here. The only item of interest, in fact the only item on the docket this week, is a public comment session on some rate hike proposals from Arizona American Water. If you live in the Anthem Water District, Sun City Water District, Anthem/Agua Fria Wastewater District, Sun City Wastewater District, or Sun City West Wastewater District and do business with AAWC, you may want to attend the meeting in Anthem on Wednesday evening.

...The highlight of the week has to be Monday's special meeting of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors to discuss and take action on Andy Thomas' resignation as County Attorney. They are expected to initiate the process for naming an interim CA to replace Thomas in the office.

Expect *lots* of smiles on West Jefferson (where many county offices are located). :)

...The Tempe City Council isn't meeting this week. Their Council Calendar is here.

...The Scottsdale City Council will meet on Tuesday. The agenda includes the City's monthly financial report, issuing the official call for this fall's elections (OK, the primary will be in August, but that's close enough for blogging :) ), and discussion of possible projects to include in the 2010 bond election. The City's Community Meeting Notice is here.

An AZ Republic article on the City's proposed budget is here.

...Not meeting this week: Arizona Board of Regents, Citizens Clean Elections Commission, Governing Board of the Maricopa County Community College District, Boards of Directors of the Central Arizona Project and Maricopa Integrated Health System.

Later...

Trent Franks - coming through for his district...or NOT

From AZCentral.com -

Trent Franks pulls $10 million earmark for Surprise roadwork

A team of Surprise officials received disappointing news about federal funding during a recent lobbying trip to Washington, D.C.

Congressman Trent Franks, R-Arizona, pulled a $10 million earmark that would have helped build an interchange at Bell Road and Grand Avenue, said Michael Celaya, intergovernmental relations director, at Thursday's City Council work session.

Maybe if Surprise invaded Wittman (an unincorporated area northwest of Surprise) to look for WMDs or drugs or something, he would find it appropriate to help out - according to the House GOP's own website on earmarks, last year Franks put his name on over $2.63 billion worth of earmark requests.

Less than $15 million, or 0.56%, were for non-military and non-police uses.

Of course, even including military and police uses, only 1.6% of his proposed earmarks were for uses in CD2.

Thrasher for Congress. It's time for send someone to D.C. who will actually represent CD2.

Strikers running wild on West Washington

The "strike everything" amendment, aka "striker", is a tool in the legislature where the text of one bill is changed (amended) by replacing it with completely new (and usually unrelated) text.

The official definition, from page 84 of the Legislative Manual (page 90 of the .pdf) -

Strike Everything Amendment: An amendment to a bill that begins “Strike everything after the enacting clause and insert:”. A strike everything amendment proposes a new version of the bill, sometimes changing the nature of the bill completely, by replacing the provisions previously introduced or adopted.

The striker is used for many reasons, some of which are even good.

It can be used to...

- revive a bill that died in committee or even failed to get a hearing

- introduce an emergency measure whose need wasn't foreseen early in the session

- introduce the budget and its related budget reconciliation measures (in years where the budget wasn't handled in a scripted special session, anyway...)

However, more often than not, it is used to introduce and pass a bad bill quickly, before opposition within or without the lege can organize.

Next week, most of the lege's committees are have agendized strikers, and some of them are doozys.

For instance -

Republican Rick Murphy (LD9) has introduced a striker to mandate how Maricopa County's Library District allocates revenue (all revenue from unincorporated areas stays there, while revenue from incorporated areas is split with unincorporated areas). That one will be heard in House Ways and Means on Monday.

- Republican Rich Crandall (LD19) has introduced a striker to mandate that all eighth graders in AZ take and pass a shortened version of the US citizenship test. House Education on Monday.

- Republican Chuck Gray (LD19) has one up that eases self defense rules as they relate to using deadly force and records of firearms. Senate Judiciary on Monday.

- Republican Al Melvin (LD26) is floating one that creates something called the "Arizona Border Security Commission." Senate Appropriations on Tuesday. Melvin is the vice-chair of Approps, and nativist extraordinaire Russell Pearce is the chair. This one will pass.

- Republican Jack Harper (LD4) has taken up the "let's remake college campuses as armed encampments" mantle and is proposing a striker to allow college faculty members to carry concealed weapons on campus. Senate Finance on Wednesday.


This list is far from comprehensive, and there are a few others with interesting subjects (clean elections, corporate taxes "reform" [my quotes], and so on), but the text of those hasn't been posted yet. You get the picture though - legislators have time on their hands and plenty of havoc to wreak between now and sine die (best guess on that date right now - end of April).

And their tool of choice when looking to engage in a little malicious mischief?

The strike everything amendment.


...Full details on next week's committee activity in this weekend's schedule post.

Later...

Thomas announces resignation...

...of course, he made the announcement that he will resign to run for Arizona Attorney General on April 6 (next Tuesday) on April Fool's Day, so take it with a grain of salt.

...of course2, if he actually wins the AG race, we will be the victims of the biggest April Fool's joke ever...

From AZCentral.com -

Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas announced Thursday that he would resign effective Tuesday to run for Arizona Attorney General.

Thomas is withholding comment on his resignation until Friday. His staff learned of his resignation at a 2 p.m. briefing.

Possible candidates to replace Thomas include: Boyd Dunn, Mayor of Chandler; Jay Beckstead, a former prosecutor in Maricopa and Yavapai counties; Bill Montgomery*, a current Maricopa County prosecutor and former R nominee for AZAG (2006). All three are Republicans. There may be others (Rick Romley?) lobbying more quietly for the job.

Normally, that would be the end of it - the Board of Supervisors gets to appoint a replacement CA to serve until a new one can be elected in November. However, Thomas is trying to do an end run around them by convincing Jan Brewer to appoint one.

Either way, though, there will be a race for Maricopa County Attorney on November's ballot. When a Democrat (or Democrats) announces for the race, I'll update on this blog.

* - In 2006, Montgomery wanted to shore up his anti-immigrant bonafides, so to show how much he was opposed to undocumented immigrants from Mexico coming to the US to find work, he hired undocumented immigrants from Mexico to appear in his campaign spot. Oops.

From a joint statement on Thomas' impending resignation issued by Felecia Rotellini, David Lujan, and Vince Rabago, the three Democratic candidates for AZ Attorney General (via email) -

"It's rather fitting this was announced on April Fool's Day. After forcing Arizonans to endure his costly and ethically bankrupt legal battle with county officials, Andrew Thomas now has the nerve to ask voters for a promotion. He talks as if he's tough on crime, but his actions reveal a politician who cares more about pursuing his own political vendettas than about keeping our streets safe from violent criminals. Arizonans want their law-enforcement officials to spend tax dollars wisely and keep criminals off our streets. Andrew Thomas has failed on both counts."

Later...