Turns out the reps of Joe Arpaio and Scottsdale both travel well

Had a bit of an ego boost this week.

A writer for Sun-Sentinel.com (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) linked to an old post of mine when writing about the city manager there. Turns out that George Gretsas, the city manager in question, is a finalist for the same job in Scottsdale.

After enjoying the ego boost of the link (and the increased site traffic), I read the article and the comments accompanying it.

Most of them were as expected ("Gretsas is great/lousy", "Scottsdale is lucky/screwed", etc.) and similar can be found on almost any MSM website with a similar story.

A couple of them were eye-openers, however.

From commenter Trudy -

Trust me Georgie will fit right in in Snotsdale. Toodles

"Snotsdale"? I think she may have visited AZ once or twice, because I've only heard that one from natives.

From commenter Robert Walsh (the typos/spelling errors and poor sentence construction are his) -

Scottsdale Arizonia is a beautiful City.Good luck Mr.Gretsas with this process.I have been to Scottsdale very wealthy community.Very pretty city and I.m sure you would be an assest to Scottsdale-Only one proplem if I come to visit that Sheriff out there if this is Maricopa County. that Sheriff is wacked-Anyways if he wants it I hope he gets it

"wacked"?

Be still my beating heart. I think he is talking about our own Joe Arpaio.

"Snotsdale" and "wacked", accurate criticisms from a state that can't design an understandable ballot or count ballots once they are cast.

I'd say we've hit rock bottom, but the Rs in the lege might read this, view it as a challenge, and break out their shovels.

Later...

AZ lege's Republicans: "brown skin" equals "probable cause for arrest"

To the joy of nativists all over the country, the Arizona House of Representatives passed SB1070 on Tuesday, which if passed into law would bar sanctuary city policies, require local law enforcement officers to enforce federal immigration laws, radically lower the probable cause threshold for traffic stops, make it a crime for an immigrant to not present "their papers" to a law enforcement officer upon request (and make it grounds to detain anyone, even if they're citizens or legal residents, who doesn't have documentation until their identities are verified) and worse. (AZ Republic coverage here)

In short, Arizona is about to become the Mecca for nativists, Nazis, Klan types, and other vicious bigots who thrive on the demonization of "different."

Oh wait - they might be offended by the term "Mecca"...that's a place where some "durn furriners" hang out.

How about " Arizona is about to become the Ft. Lauderdale at spring break for nativists, with fewer babes in bikinis and more skinheads in jackboots"?

Anyway, it's hardly a new development in this country's history, though something of a disappointment.

Time for a repost of my very first post here; it's as relevent now as it was four years ago.

Unfortunately.

The post (a little rough around the edges, but it still works) -

Hi everyone! My first real post (i.e. – a post other than “test”) is inspired by something I found while doing research for a class that I am taking this semester. While what I found wasn’t useful for class, I still found it very illuminating.

I found a letter, at http://scriptorium.lib.duke.edu/americavotes/knownothing.html, that proves, at least in relation to anti-immigrant fervor, that not much has changed in the last 150+ years. The letter sets out the presidential campaign platform of the Know-Nothing Party, circa 1856. Here’s what it says (with the blank line at one word that I couldn’t make out):

1. Repeal of all naturalization laws

2. None but native Americans for office.
3. A pure American common school system.
4. War to the hilt, on political Romanism.
5. Opposition to the formation of military companies composed of foreigners.
6. The advocacy of a sound, healthy and safe nationality.
7. Hostility to all Papal influences, when brought to bear against the Republic.
8. American Institutions and American Sentiments.
9. More stringent and effective immigration laws.
10. The amplest protections to Protestant interests.
11. The doctrines of the revered Washington.
12. The sending back of all foreign _____.
13. Formation of societies to protect American interests.
14. Eternal enmity to all who attempt to carry out the principles of a foreign church on state.
15. Our country, our whole country, and nothing but our country.
16. Finally, American Laws, and American…..

Other than the blatantly anti-Catholic parts (haven’t heard any serious rants about ‘Papists’ since JFK was running for President), this could have been written today, with very little need to edit for modern language and concerns.

From the Minuteman Project’s website (http://www.minutemanproject.com/):

“We have seen defiance of the rule of law by foreign nationals. We have seen protests across America with disdain for American sovereignty. Defiance of the law supported by protest is outrageous to those who are lawful and proud of America.”

“It is now time to stop complaining and start reclaiming America!”

Found at http://www.splcenter.org/intel/intelreport/article.jsp?sid=174:

“The Mexican culture is based on deceit. Chicanos and Mexicanos lie as a means of
survival. Fabricating false IDs is just another extension of that culture ... [which] condones everything from the most lowly misdemeanor to murder in the highest levels of government." - VOICES OF CITIZENS TOGETHER
(I couldn’t find a link for a group by that name, though a Google search for that group did bring up a site for something called "Glenn Spencer’s American Patrol Report" that was full of writings in the same vein. I didn’t search the entire site for a direct quote. That stuff’ll stunt your growth, LOL.)

The parallels between the anti-Mexican rhetoric today and the anti-Irish (and, to a lesser extent, anti-German) rhetoric of the 1840s and 1850s are striking. The Mexican immigrant tends to take jobs that most Americans don’t want, particularly menial labor; the Irish immigrant did the same 150 years ago. Mexicans usually live in the same neighborhoods; so did the Irish. Both groups are/were proud of their history, and still have/had strong family ties to the “old country”. And so on… All of which is used by the anti-immigrant crowd to whip up sentiments against ‘them durn furriners’.

On the one hand, it’s scary that a country founded on immigration could harbor such hypocritically virulent bigotry toward immigrants (hey, it’s hypocritical because ALL of us have immigrants somewhere in our family tree), even today. (BTW – I’m the grandson and great-grandson of immigrants. Port of Boston, late 1800s, and the 1910s)

On the other hand, the Know-Nothings, while they had a bit of electoral success in the late 1850s, particularly at the state level, were pretty much a complete non-factor politically by the mid-1860s. Gives me a little hope that the hysteria will die down soon.

Personally, I think that it will die down on November 8th, with a strong likelihood of resurrection as a polarizing/motivating issue if the Republicans feel that they will have their asses handed to them in the 2008 elections.

Not that I’m a cynic or anything.

Priorities

On Monday, a committee of the Arizona Senate approved a bill that, if passed by the entire lege and signed into law, would reduce state revenue by almost $650 million per year by 2017.

The bill would -

• phase out the state's equalization property tax (revenue from which is dedicated to funding education)
• cut corporate income taxes by ~30% (and no strings attached, like a requirement that the money then be turned around to create jobs in Arizona)
• cut corporate property taxes (forcing residential property owners to pick up the slack in local bond elections)

Just to reiterate some of the ways that that the Rs in the lege have "balanced" the budget -

• Ended KidsCare (Arizona's version of SCHIP), taking away the medical care for nearly 40,000 children in Arizona
• Proposed that the voters override themselves and take away funding from First Things First (eliminating early childhood development and health care funding) and give the money to the lege to appropriate
• Reduced eligibility for AHCCCS (Arizona's Medicaid program), taking away the health care for over 300,000 Arizonans
• Cut the pay of state employees by at least 5%
• Asked the voters to approve a temporary sales tax increase, threatening steeper cuts to education, health care, and infrastructure in Arizona

In short, they are provisionally* balancing the budget on the backs of Arizona's poorest residents, yet are turning around even before the ink has dried on those cuts and giving the money that has been save to corporations.

* = "provisionally" because the budget won't be balanced unless the voters approve some of the schemes put forward by the lege (sales tax hike, eliminate First Things First, etc.). If the answer from the voters is "no" on any of the many issues that the lege punted on, then the budget is totally out of whack.

Again.

Any question what the Rs' priorities are? Hint: looking after the long-term best interests of Arizonans (you know, the people who they swore an oath to) isn't on the list.

To reiterate a point I made a couple of posts ago -

The important election this year isn't the May special election concerning the sales tax hike, it's the general election in November.

If this isn't the year we make some serious inroads into the Republican control of the Capitol, the devastation of the last two years will be nothing compared to that of the next two.

The coming week - everybody else edition

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

...The post regarding the planned activities of the Arizona Legislature this week is here.

...In D.C., both chambers of Congress will be back in session this week, and should be until the week of Memorial Day at the end of May/beginning of June.

- The House's floor schedule is here. As might be expected during a week where they will be getting back up to speed after two weeks off (and most of a year devoted to health care reform), the schedule is kind of light. Only one bill looks like it might generate some serious controversy, H.R. 4715, the "Clean Estuaries Act of 2010." It amends the Clean Water Act, and the only "amendment" to that Act that the Rs will accept is a complete repeal. They aren't getting it with this.

- The Senate's website is unavailable at this writing, but they are expected to take up an extension of unemployment benefits, one that expired for hundreds of thousands of Americans due to Republican obstructionism.

...Back here in AZ -

- The Arizona Corporation Commission will hold a Securities, Safety, and Utilities meeting on Tuesday. They are holding "special" meetings on Wednesday and Thursday, and Thursday and Friday. Lastly, the ACC's regular hearing schedule is here.

- The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors has two regularly scheduled meetings on tap this week. Monday's "informal" session will be focusing on renewable energy contracts for the Jefferson St. Garage and the Downtown Justice Center. Wednesday's "formal" meeting looks to be longer but pretty mundane.

- The Governing Board of the Maricopa County Community College District is holding a "work session" on Tuesday evening. The scheduled topic of the meeting is "EFFECTIVE TEACHING & LEARNING – ON-LINE/IN-CLASS/HYBRID?"

- The Board of Directors of the Central Arizona Project will hold a rate setting workshop for its customers on Thursday. Preliminary rate schedule here.

- The Tempe City Council isn't scheduled to meet this week. The Council's Calendar is here.

- The Scottsdale City Council is scheduled to meet on Tuesday. Things look pretty mundane so far. The agenda has been revised to announced the appointment of John Washington to the Channel 11 Programming Commission by Councilman Tony Nelssen. Info on Washington is here. He was a write-in candidate for mayor in 2008 and is acting as the treasurer for Nelssen's reelection committee. The City's Community Meeting Notice is here.


Not meeting this week: Citizens Clean Elections Commission, Board of Directors of the Maricopa Integrated Health System, Arizona Board of Regents

Something to think about before casting your vote on Prop 100

...especially if the Rs pass their corporate tax cut bill before adjourning the 2010 session of the legislature.

Thanks goes to Taegan Goddard's Political Wire for the heads-up on this...

From Business Insider -

The rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer. Cliché, sure, but it's also more true than at any time since the Gilded Age.

The poor are getting poorer, wages are falling behind inflation, and social mobility is at an all-time low.

If you're in that top 1%, life is grand.

There are 15 slides detailing the ever-widening income and wealth gap in the United States. Each of the slides is eye-popping and the piece is worth checking out in its entirety, but I'll include one here -

The Prop 100 election (temporary sales tax increase) is very important. I'm not sold on it yet, not completely anyway, but there is no doubt that the state's education and social safety net infrastructures will be devastated further if it doesn't pass.

What is causing my hesitation, however, is my fear that people will come out for this one in May and think that the fight is over afterward. If the folks mobilizing in support of Prop 100 stay home in November, they'll just be winning one small battle but losing the overall war for Arizona's future.

Approving Prop 100 will just be delaying the inevitable if Arizonans don't kick the Kool-Aid gang to the curb.

It's time make some serious changes at the Capitol, and that can only happen in November. Not May.

More on these subjects (Prop 100 and the corporate tax cut) here and here, from AZBlueMeanie at Blog for Arizona.

A related story from Howard Fischer of Capitol Media Services, via the East Valley Tribune, here.

The coming week - legislative edition

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


This is probably the last free-standing legislative schedule post of the year. With the session winding down quickly - most legislators want to get on with campaigning, and those from the nether reaches of the state want to get out of Phoenix before it turns into hell with a zip code :) - almost all of the lege's committees have stopped meeting to consider bills.

On the House side, Rules is meeting on Monday at 1 p.m. in HHR4. Most of the bills on the agenda will probably be on a floor calendar later in the week. A couple of them are controversial (relating to limiting eminent domain, municipalities' ability to levy certain sales taxes, parents' "rights", etc.), but most passed through committee unanimously.

On the Senate side, there is a little more activity.

- Rules is meeting on Monday in Caucus Room 1 after floor adjournment. The agenda is a long one (71 items!) with some seriously bad bills, but they won't be killed in the Rules Committee - it's a rubber stamp. Look for many of the worst of the worst of the session to reach the floor later this week.

- Finance is meeting on Monday in SHR3 at 1:30 p.m. Its agenda balances the Rules agenda - there's only one item on it, but that one is a doozy. It will be considering a striker to HB2250, with an amendment proposed for the striker. Basically, it waters down the tax cuts proposed by the Kool-Aid drinkers (aka - the Republican caucus in the lege) so that instead of costing the state $941 billion per year by 2017, it will decrease revenue by "only" $650 million/year. (AZBlueMeanie at Blog for Arizona has coverage here.)

- As potentially ugly as that one may be, the expected winner of the "Worst Committee Agenda of the Week" should be the agenda for the Appropriations meeting on Tuesday (2:30 p.m., SHR1).

That agenda has no bills on it, just a presentation titled "Reclaiming Our Border." Presenters include:

- Patrick Bray (from the Arizona Cattlemen's Association)

-Louis Pope (who blames the U.S. government for the death of rancher Robert Krentz. Wonder if his anger at the U.S. Government will change his willingness to accept payouts from the feds?)

- John Ladd (a rancher/vigilante from the Douglas area)

- Gary Thrasher (a veterinarian and member of the AZ Grower's Association)

- Scott Arena (an activist with the AZ Cattlemen's Association)

Given the makeup of the presenters, this looks to be a propaganda session in support of Russell Pearce's amended version of HB2162, creating an "Arizona Border Security Commission" with a $200,000 appropriation to fund a "volunteer" vigilante force in Cochise County, where most of the presenters are based.

By the way, did I mention that Pearce is the chair of the committee hearing the presentation?


The House's Third Read Calendar for Monday is here. It's Monday COW calendars are here, here, and here. Tuesday's Caucus Calendar is here.

The Senate's Third Read Calendar for Monday is here.

Check the lege's website frequently for updates, as there probably will be significant calendars posted for each day this week.

Later...

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. :)