State Sen. Al Melvin "exploring" a run for governor

...and speaking as a wiseass writer, this may constitute evidence that there is a god in heaven...

From the Arizona Daily Star, written by Howard Fischer of Capitol Media Services -

Three-term state Sen. Al Melvin announced this afternoon he intends to run for governor this coming year.

The Republican who lives in the Saddlebrook community just north of the Pima-Pinal county line said his bid will focus on giving every school student a $9,000 voucher to attend any school, public or private, of the parent's choice. Melvin said he sees that choice as the only real solution to improving academic performance.

He also wants to enact limits on how much juries can award in civil lawsuits. But that move would require voter approval, something that has been repeatedly rejected.

Melvin joins what promises to be an increasingly crowded field for the GOP nomination.
Secretary of State Ken Bennett and Tempe Mayor Hugh Hallman already have exploratory committees. And Wil Cardon also is looking at a bid.

 Melvin is no slacker - he doesn't just fight against public education and a fair legal system.

Nope, he wants to turn Arizona into a nuclear waste dump, turn Arizona's prisons into slave labor camps, confiscate all federal land in Arizona, exempt county sheriffs, like his friend and ally Joe Arpaio, from budgetary and fiscal oversight, and more.

He shows off his intellectual prowess with tweets like "#azright Tourism makes up 15% of the AZ economy, employing 4000,000 people. AZ havs world class resorts.Tourists often become home buyers." (4/15/2013), "#azright We must fight Obamacare at every turn. The Dems passed it in the dead of night, without a single Republican vote. It is a disaster!" (4/13/2013), and "#azright If we go for all avail USA gas & oil, we can be a petroleum exporter & bring Iran & Venezuela to their economic knees. Let's do it!" (8/31/2012).

In short, if he actually runs, he will be Ev Mecham II.  And we know how Ev I turned out.


While a Melvin candidacy is potentially the most entertaining campaign ever (maybe if Melvin and somebody like Frank "Don't Make Me Mad" Antenori teamed up to run as candidates for co-governor... :) ), right now, I'm not so sure that his candidacy is a serious one - his filing with the Secretary of State lists both the committee chair and treasurer as one...

Al Melvin.

The "candidate as chief cook and bottle washer" approach may work in a legislative race, but for a statewide race?  It's a sign, and not a good one...

Arizona Legislature: The coming week

This coming week at the lege is shaping up to be another exercise in "hurry up and wait".  According to sources who may not have much more specific information than me, word is that the budget is basically done, with minor differences remaining to be bridged, and that the delay is due to ongoing wrangling over Medicaid expansion.

It's gotten so slow at the Capitol that even the usual horde of lobbyists isn't blanketing the complex anymore...except for a dozen or so healthcare lobbyists, who are still asking for, and getting, meetings with electeds (another indication that Medicaid is the primary focus behind closed doors).

One source speculated that we may end up seeing a "bad" Medicaid bill passed, just to make Governor Jan Brewer prove that she is willing to use her veto power.

No matter how it goes down, however, expectations are that it is going to take at least another month or longer to wrap up the legislative session.  Guesstimates for the sine die date range from late May to mid June.

My personal guesstimate is more in line with the earlier date.  Lawmakers, particularly the non-Maricopa County group, are rapidly going to reach the point where they just want to get the hell out of Dodge*.

* - In this context, "Dodge" means Phoenix when the daytime high temps reach and stay above 100.

As the temperature rises, so will the pressure to pass something that the Governor will sign; it almost certainly won't be a *great* bill, but it might actually be palatable.

Of course, this could all change Monday morning... :))


On to the schedule part of the post, where the disclaimer section of the post is almost longer than the "meat" of the post...

As usual, all committee agendas, floor calendars, and event schedules are subject to change without notice. Call ahead to confirm plans before traveling to the Capitol based on an agenda, calendar, or schedule cited here.

Notes:

If an agenda is summarized with "looks harmless so far" that only means that nothing on the agenda set off "bat-shit crazy" alarm bells; if the committee in question covers an area of interest to you, check out the full agenda yourself. And if I missed something significant, please leave a comment letting me know.

A hearing room designation of "SHR" means it is a hearing room in the Senate building; "HHR" means that the hearing room is in the House building.

Lastly, this summary is not, nor is it intended to be, comprehensive. Many bills have been covered, but not all of them. Again, if a committee covers an area of interest to you, please check out the full agenda yourself.


Floor activity:


Monday's House Third Read calendar is here, and its COW (Committee of the Whole) calendar is here.

Monday's Senate calendars: Final Read (Senate bills that were amended in the House whose changes need to be approved by the Senate before going on to the Governor's desk), Third Read, COW.




Committee activity:


House Rules, Monday, 1 p.m., HHR4.


Senate Commerce, Energy, and Military, Wednesday, 9:30 a.m., SHR1.
Senate Natural Resource and Rural Affairs, Wednesday, 10 a.m., SHR109.
Senate Public Safety, Wednesday, 2 p.m., SHR109.
Senate Health and Human Services, Wednesday, 2 p.m., SHR1.

The above meetings are mostly about hearings on executive branch nominees.

Senate Education, Thursday, 9 a.m., SHR1.  Hearing a presentation on "Advancing Technology in the Classroom".  The presentation will be given by one Jodie Butler, a lobbyist for Promethian, Inc., a company that creates and markets technology-based education products.  Of the many words that may ultimately be used to describe the sales pitch "presentation", I'm guessing that "unbiased" won't be among them.

Interestingly, the organization that provides the Butler bio (she's on the board of directors) linked to her name, the National Foundation for Women Legislators (NFWL), lists as one of its prominent members Arizona State Senator Kimberly Yee.

And Yee is the chair of the Senate Education Committee.  Probably not a coincidence.

NFWL appears to be a corporate front group in the mold of ALEC, the American Legislative Exchange Council, with the major differences being that it is smaller, and that most of their "resolutions" and policy statements have the word "women" in them.  Like ALEC, the organization's list of officers and directors is dominated by corporate lobbyists.  


Capitol and area activity:

The lege's Capitol Events calendar is here.  Probable highlight:  Saturday's scheduled 2nd Amendment "rally" (aka - gathering of the "Black Helicopters" crowd) at the Capitol.

The Arizona Department of Administration's list of public meetings of various state-level boards and commissions is here.

An open letter to Chad Campbell and Fred Duval...

...and anyone else looking at entering the 2014 race for governor...and anyone looking to convince one or another candidate to drop out of the race to avoid a messy primary.

Earlier today, Tom Prezelski and Bob Lord, two of the contributors to Blog for Arizona, wrote "open letters" to State Rep. Chad Campbell.  Tom urged Campbell to drop out of the race, while Bob didn't go that far, instead suggesting that Campbell examine his motives for running, and possibly reevaluate his candidacy.

Time for a bit of a contrarian view.

Dear Chad and Fred,

 

I know, like, and respect you both. 

 

I firmly believe that either of you will make a fine candidate for governor and a good governor of the state of Arizona, and certainly a better one than anyone who can get through the Republican primary. 

 

Don't get too excited - I think that a mop in a janitor's closet in the basement of the Executive Tower would do a better job than any of the likely Republican candidates.  The mop wouldn't do a *good* job - it wouldn't do much of anything at all.  However, by the same token, it wouldn't set out to do a *bad* job, either.  Which places it head and shoulders above any of the Rs...but I digress...

 

I also believe that both of you, and/or anyone else who may jump into the race, *need* a contested primary, against a serious and capable opponent.

 

Fred, you are an intelligent and accomplished man with a long record of public service.  And, so far as I can tell, you've run for office once many years ago (Congress, 2002) and it wasn't statewide.

 

Chad, you are an intelligent man who has done some incredible work in the legislature.  And so far as I can tell, you've only run for office in a relatively small and Democratic-leaning district in Phoenix.

 

Running for a statewide office will be outside of the experience of both of you, and clearing the primary field will only serve to put the beginning point of the learning curve for that at the start of the general election season.

 

Given that there will be five or six weeks between the end of primary election voting and the beginning of early voting in the general election, that's not the place to start learning how to be an effective candidate for high office.

 

A robust primary is the place for that learning process.

 

Witness two examples -

 

In 2006, Jim Pederson ran for the US Senate seat held by Jon Kyl.  A good man and an effective businessman, like Fred, he had never run for office before.  As a former chair of the ADP, many party insiders worked to clear the primary field for him, and it showed.  At the start of the general election campaign he was painful to watch on the stump.  To be sure, he learned, and learned quickly.  By the time the GOTV push came around during the last weekend before the election, he was far more relaxed in front of crowds.  However, by then it was far too late.

 

He got smoked in the general election by Kyl.

 

On the other hand, in 2012, Kyrsten Sinema ran for Congress.  Like Chad, she had run for office before (and also like Chad, won), but only in a Democratic-leaning legislative district.  The 2012 primary that she won was a robust one (OK.  It was probably the most rugged seen by AZ Dems in recent memory, but compared to some of the D primaries in Massachusetts, where I grew up, it was no worse than one of the neighborhood games of tag that we played as kids).

 

She emerged from that primary as a strong and toughened candidate who hit the general election ground running, and ran right over the Republican nominee in the race.

 

 

There are a number of Arizona Democrats, many of whom I respect and some of whom I count as friends, who always work to avoid primaries.  Too "messy", or something like that.

 

I think that they, and candidates who go along with that line of thinking, are doing the people of Arizona in general, and Arizona Democrats and Independents in particular, a supreme disservice.

 

Primaries, uncomfortable though they may be for some people, toughen candidates for their general election races and also raise the public profiles of those candidates.

 

As things stand right now, even the worst Republican candidate goes into any general election race with advantages that go beyond a voter registration advantage.  Their primary battles generate public interest and media coverage for their candidates, and their candidates start the general election season already at full campaign speed while generally facing opponents who are still gearing up for the real race.

 

Instead of clearing the field for a single candidate, party activists, grassroots and establishment alike, should encourage the candidates to run in, not to get out of, races.

 

Chad, Fred, and anyone else who gets in the race - instead of reaching out to contacts within the party who might help convince one of the other candidates to step aside, focus on reaching out to Democrats (and Independents) who will vote for you not only in the primary but in the general.

 

Oh, and while the primary campaign should be "robust" and energetic, it should also be fairly clean.  Regardless of who wins the primary, the victor will need the general election support of the runner-up's supporters.

 

Just a few things to keep in mind.

 

Sincerely,

 

Craig McDermott

Scottsdale, Arizona

Boston bombing: Pictures of possible suspects released

From the Facebook page of the Massachusetts State Police -

 

 

Also from the Massachusetts State Police -

THESE ARE THE SUSPECTS IN THE BOSTON MARATHON BOMBING. DO YOU RECOGNIZE EITHER OF THESE MEN? Think of neighbors, co-workers, fellow students, or other acquaintances who may fit these descriptions. Call 1-800-CALL-FBI with any information or provide tips via https://bostonmarathontips.fbi.gov/ They should be considered dangerous. Do not approach them yourself. If you see them, call police immediately.

Note: 1-800-CALL-FBI translates to 1-800-225-5324

"Shameful"

Earlier today, 46 US Senators, including Arizona's Jeff Flake (R), kowtowed to the NRA and blocked a measure to expand background checks for firearms purchases to all sales of firearms, not just those involving federally-licensed gun dealers.

It was a slap in the face of all of the victims of gun violence and their families, and President Obama took the unusual step of immediately calling out the senators for their craven cowardice (my words, not the President's).

He was incredibly eloquent in expressing the anger and outrage of millions of Americans; I know he was far more eloquent that I would be.  When I first heard of the Senate vote today, my instinctive response could be summed up in two words directed at the senators who voted against common sense, who placed gun industry profits ahead of the lives of innocent men, women, and children.

Hint: the second one was "you".



The text of the President's remarks (emphasis added) -

A few months ago, in response to too many tragedies -- including the shootings of a United States Congresswoman, Gabby Giffords, who's here today, and the murder of 20 innocent schoolchildren and their teachers -- this country took up the cause of protecting more of our people from gun violence.

Families that know unspeakable grief summoned the courage to petition their elected leaders -- not just to honor the memory of their children, but to protect the lives of all our children. And a few minutes ago, a minority in the United States Senate decided it wasn't worth it. They blocked common-sense gun reforms even while these families looked on from the Senate gallery.

By now, it's well known that 90 percent of the American people support universal background checks that make it harder for a dangerous person to buy a gun. We're talking about convicted felons, people convicted of domestic violence, people with a severe mental illness.  Ninety percent of Americans support that idea. Most Americans think that's already the law.

And a few minutes ago, 90 percent of Democrats in the Senate just voted for that idea. But it's not going to happen because 90 percent of Republicans in the Senate just voted against that idea. 

A majority of senators voted "yes" to protecting more of our citizens with smarter background checks. But by this continuing distortion of Senate rules, a minority was able to block it from moving forward.

I'm going to speak plainly and honestly about what's happened here because the American people are trying to figure out how can something have 90 percent support and yet not happen. We had a Democrat and a Republican -– both gun owners, both fierce defenders of our Second Amendment, with "A" grades from the NRA -- come together and worked together to write a common-sense compromise on background checks. And I want to thank Joe Manchin and Pat Toomey for their courage in doing that. That was not easy given their traditional strong support for Second Amendment rights.

As they said, nobody could honestly claim that the package they put together infringed on our Second Amendment rights. All it did was extend the same background check rules that already apply to guns purchased from a dealer to guns purchased at gun shows or over the Internet. So 60 percent of guns are already purchased through a background check system; this would have covered a lot of the guns that are currently outside that system.

Their legislation showed respect for gun owners, and it showed respect for the victims of gun violence. And Gabby Giffords, by the way, is both -- she's a gun owner and a victim of gun violence. She is a Westerner and a moderate. And she supports these background checks.

In fact, even the NRA used to support expanded background checks. The current leader of the NRA used to support these background checks. So while this compromise didn't contain everything I wanted or everything that these families wanted, it did represent progress. It represented moderation and common sense. That's why 90 percent of the American people supported it.

But instead of supporting this compromise, the gun lobby and its allies willfully lied about the bill. They claimed that it would create some sort of "big brother" gun registry, even though the bill did the opposite. This legislation, in fact, outlawed any registry. Plain and simple, right there in the text. But that didn't matter.

And unfortunately, this pattern of spreading untruths about this legislation served a purpose, because those lies upset an intense minority of gun owners, and that in turn intimidated a lot of senators. And I talked to several of these senators over the past few weeks, and they're all good people. I know all of them were shocked by tragedies like Newtown. And I also understand that they come from states that are strongly pro-gun. And I have consistently said that there are regional differences when it comes to guns, and that both sides have to listen to each other.  

But the fact is most of these senators could not offer any good reason why we wouldn't want to make it harder for criminals and those with severe mental illnesses to buy a gun. There were no coherent arguments as to why we wouldn't do this. It came down to politics -- the worry that that vocal minority of gun owners would come after them in future elections. They worried that the gun lobby would spend a lot of money and paint them as anti-Second Amendment. 

And obviously, a lot of Republicans had that fear, but Democrats had that fear, too. And so they caved to the pressure, and they started looking for an excuse -- any excuse -- to vote "no."

One common argument I heard was that this legislation wouldn't prevent all future massacres. And that's true. As I said from the start, no single piece of legislation can stop every act of violence and evil. We learned that tragically just two days ago. But if action by Congress could have saved one person, one child, a few hundred, a few thousand -- if it could have prevented those people from losing their lives to gun violence in the future while preserving our Second Amendment rights, we had an obligation to try.

And this legislation met that test. And too many senators failed theirs.

I've heard some say that blocking this step would be a victory. And my question is, a victory for who? A victory for what? All that happened today was the preservation of the loophole that lets dangerous criminals buy guns without a background check. That didn't make our kids safer. Victory for not doing something that 90 percent of Americans, 80 percent of Republicans, the vast majority of your constituents wanted to get done? It begs the question, who are we here to represent? 

I've heard folks say that having the families of victims lobby for this legislation was somehow misplaced. "A prop," somebody called them. "Emotional blackmail," some outlet said. Are they serious? Do we really think that thousands of families whose lives have been shattered by gun violence don't have a right to weigh in on this issue? Do we think their emotions, their loss is not relevant to this debate?

So all in all, this was a pretty shameful day for Washington. 

But this effort is not over. I want to make it clear to the American people we can still bring about meaningful changes that reduce gun violence, so long as the American people don't give up on it. Even without Congress, my administration will keep doing everything it can to protect more of our communities. We're going to address the barriers that prevent states from participating in the existing background check system. We're going to give law enforcement more information about lost and stolen guns so it can do its job. We're going to help to put in place emergency plans to protect our children in their schools. 

But we can do more if Congress gets its act together. And if this Congress refuses to listen to the American people and pass common-sense gun legislation, then the real impact is going to have to come from the voters. 

To all the people who supported this legislation -- law enforcement and responsible gun owners, Democrats and Republicans, urban moms, rural hunters, whoever you are -- you need to let your representatives in Congress know that you are disappointed, and that if they don't act this time, you will remember come election time. 

To the wide majority of NRA households who supported this legislation, you need to let your leadership and lobbyists in Washington know they didn't represent your views on this one. 

The point is those who care deeply about preventing more and more gun violence will have to be as passionate, and as organized, and as vocal as those who blocked these common-sense steps to help keep our kids safe. Ultimately, you outnumber those who argued the other way. But they're better organized. They're better financed. They've been at it longer. And they make sure to stay focused on this one issue during election time. And that's the reason why you can have something that 90 percent of Americans support and you can't get it through the Senate or the House of Representatives.

So to change Washington, you, the American people, are going to have to sustain some passion about this. And when necessary, you've got to send the right people to Washington. And that requires strength, and it requires persistence. 

And that's the one thing that these families should have inspired in all of us. I still don't know how they have been able to muster up the strength to do what they've doing over the last several weeks, last several months.

And I see this as just round one. When Newtown happened, I met with these families and I spoke to the community, and I said, something must be different right now. We're going to have to change. That's what the whole country said. Everybody talked about how we were going to change something to make sure this didn't happen again, just like everybody talked about how we needed to do something after Aurora. Everybody talked about we needed change something after Tucson.

And I'm assuming that the emotions that we've all felt since Newtown, the emotions that we've all felt since Tucson and Aurora and Chicago -- the pain we share with these families and families all across the country who've lost a loved one to gun violence -- I'm assuming that's not a temporary thing. I'm assuming our expressions of grief and our commitment to do something different to prevent these things from happening are not empty words. 

I believe we're going to be able to get this done. Sooner or later, we are going to get this right. The memories of these children demand it. And so do the American people. 

Thank you very much, everybody.

 Note: I would like to personally thank all of the senators who voted for the measure, especially the four Republican who did so - 

Mark Kirk, John McCain, Susan Collins, and Pat Toomey.

Note2:  I'd like to make that a "WOW! Thank you!" for McCain; I thought that the 'maverick" John McCain was long gone, subsumed by the "cranky old man" John McCain who came to the fore once he started running for president.

Black Helicopter Caucus meets: Arizona's status as a national punchline is safe

An abbreviated version of the hearing held on Thursday by State Sen. Judy "Birther" Burges...



At the :14, 1:56, 4:50, and 5:15 marks, former legislator Sylvia "6000 years old" Allen spouts off...not the most credible commentator on science or academic issues...

At the 5:06 mark, State Rep. Bob "body armor" Thorpe urges onlookers to fire the "Colt .45s" in the air...(he's getting some national coverage for this comment)

Horror in Boston

By now, everyone has heard of the bomb explosions near the finish line of the Boston Marathon on Monday.

As of this writing, three of the victims have died and well more than 100 have suffered injuries, with some of the injured in critical condition.

I don't have much to say about this right now, my thoughts are just too jumbled, but I can say this -

The completely (but, I hope, understandably) selfish part of me is grateful that my friends and family who work in Boston are all OK.  News reports are that these bombs were "small" devices, but my sister Patti works over a mile away and 38 stories above the explosions, and she heard them.  And the seemingly never-ending wail of sirens.

The incredibly sad part of me extends condolences to the friends and families of those who died today, and sends my thoughts and prayers for a quick and full recovery to those who were injured.

The wholeheartedly grateful part of me says "thank you" to the first responders, Marathon volunteers, and simply courageous human beings who ran *toward* the danger to help the victims.   If there is a silver lining to be found in all of this, it is the reaffirmation that there is more good in human nature than bad.

And the unspeakably angry part of me has just one word to say to the coward or cowards behind the attack -

Run.

Coming Events: Maricopa County Democratic Party Celebrating Our Communities

Event tickets can be purchased here.

Coming Events: LD24 Sweet Synergy 2013

The guest list is growing, but is already impressive, with people like Congressman Ed Pastor, Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton, State Senator Katie Hobbs, State Representative Lela Alston, State Representative Chad Campbell, Arcadia/Biltmore Constable Carolyn Lane, candidate for governor Fred Duval, and candidate for attorney general Felecia Rotellini already planning to attend.

Make the list even more impressive by adding your name to it here.

Coming Events: LD26 Chili Cook Off

Good people, good food, good causes = good time

 

6th Annual D26 Democrats Chili Cook Off

Proceeds will benefit D26, and Respect Arizona, the committee to Recall Sheriff Arpaio

Guest of Honor: Congresswoman Kyrsten Sinema

Special Guests: State Senator Ed Ableser, State Representatives Andrew Sherwood and Juan Mendez, Mesa City Councilman Dennis Kavanaugh, Randy Parraz, and more!

What: Come judge the best chili, salsa, and guacamole Arizona Democrats have to offer! Enjoy a “Best of D26” Silent Auction; with donations by local Dem-friendly businesses! Turning Arizona-Blue Martinis, a cake by Honeymoon Sweets, Bocce Ball Contest, Lawn Games, and a Special Musical Performance by ASU’s Priority Male!

When: Saturday, April 20th, 2013 4:00pm to 7:00pm

Where: The Barnes House - 1104 S Ash, Tempe

Compete for Bragging Rights (and Prizes): Email the name of your chili (specify meat or vegan), Guacamole, or Salsa to: D26Dems@gmail.com

Tickets: $25 ($15 for Young Democrats; $10 for Children)

WHEN

April 20, 2013 at 4pm - 7pm

WHERE

The Barnes House
1104 S Ash
Tempe, AZ 85282
United States
Google map and directions

 

 

Purchase tickets here. 

Arizona Legislature: "Silly season" becomes "ignorant and ugly season"

Normally, this would be time for the "coming week" post, but there truly isn't much on the schedule right now.  It's subject to change (and probably will change) at a moment's notice, but right now the highlight of the week looks to be the lege's annual House v. Senate softball game on Tuesday.  It is scheduled to take place at the field at SRP's PERA Club in Tempe (1 E. Continental Drive) at 5 p.m.

However, because of the light schedule (so far), it might be wise to use this opportunity to highlight why this may be the most dangerous time in this, or any other, session of the legislature.

This past Thursday, State Sen. Judy "Birther" Burges held a hearing to denounce the UN's Rio Declaration on Environment and Development in particular, and sustainability and "green" initiatives in general, as efforts to take away American sovereignty and Americans' freedom.

Perhaps (not-so) surprisingly, things got a little colorful.

Posted by State Sen. Steve Farley on Facebook - 

The most specific thing noted in the update, Rep. Bob "body armor shill" Thorpe's urging the crowd to commit a felony (violating ARS 13-3107, also known as "Shannon's Law"), could be considered a crime in and of itself (see: ARS 13-1002).  Assuming that Thorpe actually did this (and such an assumption is necessary as the video record of the meeting hasn't been posted on the lege's website), he has all-but-absolute legal immunity for anything he says while at the legislature.

Still, "immune" in this context doesn't mean "didn't violate the law"; it just means "not responsible for his words".

As for the part about pointing out "Sandy Bahr of the Sierra Club as a target"?  Until I see the recording of the meeting to see exactly what Thorpe said, I'll reserve comment.

Fair notice time:  If it turns out that Thorpe was advocating violence against someone because that person disagrees with him politically, that comment will be clear and direct.


All of this brings to mind the old saying - 

The devil finds work for idle hands.

 According to TheFreeDictionary.com, this means "something that you say which means people who have no work or activity are more likely to do things they should not do, such as commit crimes".

It's as if the creator of that saying had Rep. Bob Thorpe and the AZ lege in mind when they came up with it. 


Note: I've been told both that the meeting video will and will not be posted on the lege's website.  If it is, I'll link to it and do a fuller analysis and commentary.  Until, and if, that happens, I've got a few feelers out to people who were at the meeting.  However, it's the weekend, and I don't expect to hear from anyone until Monday at the earliest.

2014 candidates update

More like a "committees" update since this is based on the actual formation of political committees; since every person who has ever held or run for office in Arizona is being talked about as a 2014 candidate, that would be too long a post.

This will be a short post. :)


...Christopher Campbell of Prescott Valley (R) has formed an exploratory committee for a run at the Corporation Committee.  The name sounded familiar, so I did a little research.  One "Christopher Campbell" was a big part of the "fake Green candidates" scandal in 2010.  That Christopher Campbell was a roommate of the daughter of former Arizona House speaker Jim Weiers.  He was one of many non-Green Party members who were recruited to run as write-in candidates in competitive races in an attempt to siphon votes away from Democratic candidates.  I don't know that this is the same Christopher Campbell, but this one was active with the MCRC (Maricopa County Republican Committee) the following year, and I am not a fan of coincidence.


...State Senator Leah Landrum Taylor, the Democratic leader in the AZ Senate, has formed an exploratory committee to look at a run for AZ Secretary of State.  She is smart and well-spoken, and also term-limited out of the Senate.  Unless Ed Pastor takes a presidential cabinet post or an ambassadorship (or simply retires from Congress), a 2014 run for a seat in Congress for her seems unlikely. 



...Jim Holway of Phoenix (D) has opened an exploratory committee for a run at the Corporation Commission.  He is currently a member of the Central Arizona Water Conservation District (CAWCD), also known as the Board of Directors of the Central Arizona Project (CAP).  Will Greene of Blog for Arizona has more information here.


...Andrew Walter, a former quarterback at ASU, has filed with the FEC to run for the Republican nomination for the Congressional seat currently held by Democrat Kyrsten Sinema (CD9).  Don't know enough about him to evaluate his chances against Sinema, but it may not matter - the Republican field in that race will be crowded, and unlike Walter, most of the other Republicans in the race won't be newbies.

Word is that he's been test-driving a campaign stump speech that makes the tea party look moderate; we'll see if he sticks with that.


More to come...

Arizona Legislature: The coming week

Another quiet week, which means that all of the interesting stuff will be going on behind closed doors.  However, keep an eye on the committee schedule - if something breaks on the budget front, they'll try to ram it through with minimal public input.  Meeting notices will be posted at or near the last minute.

Speculation (stuff that doesn't even rise to the level of whispers of rumors) is that the budget is on the back burner right now while the governor's office and the Republican leadership work out the details of Medicaid expansion.  Personally, I suspect that some of the budget and health care expansion talks are intertwined (as in "we'll put this in the budget if you vote for expansion" and the like) and both may come down together.  It's just going to take a while to work out the details and gather the votes.

As of right now, I expect the legislative session to continue well into May.

Of course, this could all change Monday morning. :)

In the meantime, look for more 'the black helicopters are coming!' (and similar) events at the Capitol, as bored legislators look to keep their names in the news.


As usual, all committee agendas, floor calendars, and event schedules are subject to change without notice. Call ahead to confirm plans before traveling to the Capitol based on an agenda, calendar, or schedule cited here.

Notes:

If an agenda is summarized with "looks harmless so far" that only means that nothing on the agenda set off "bat-shit crazy" alarm bells; if the committee in question covers an area of interest to you, check out the full agenda yourself. And if I missed something significant, please leave a comment letting me know.

A hearing room designation of "SHR" means it is a hearing room in the Senate building; "HHR" means that the hearing room is in the House building.

Lastly, this summary is not, nor is it intended to be, comprehensive. Many bills have been covered, but not all of them. Again, if a committee covers an area of interest to you, please check out the full agenda yourself.


Floor activity:

Monday's Senate Committee of the Whole (COW) calendar is here; Monday's House COW calendar is here.


Committee activity:

House side of the Capitol -

Rules, Monday, 1 p.m., HHR4.  Not a long agenda; may take all of five minutes to rubberstamp.

...and that's it for the House side of the Capitol.  Which isn't much, but it is still more than the Senate side of the Capitol, which has bupkes scheduled.  So far, anyway.


Capitol (and area) activity:

The lege's calendar of Capitol events is here.  Potentially the most newsworthy item on that calendar is a press conference scheduled for Thursday by the governor's office (10:30 a.m., House lawn).

Taking place on Wednesday, but not listed on the schedule, is the Republican caucus' modern-day version of a Tupperware party - the body armor party.

The Arizona Department of Administration's list of state-level commission and board meetings is here.

Arizona Legislature: Silly season is here

At the Arizona legislature, most of the real work is done, well, "real" by legislative standards anyway.

Committee work is all but complete - there may be some presentations to hear or some executive nominations to consider, but not much else, at least until the budget comes down from the leadership and/or any part of the Governor's Medicaid expansion proposal becomes subject to legislative consideration.

There are still floor sessions every day, but the calendars for those are short or even nonexistent. 

On some days, the floor session consists of a pledge (of allegiance to the flag), a prayer (to a God, and given this is AZ,  that is rich, white, male, and Christian), and a point (of personal privilege, where individual legislators rise to speak about anything that strikes their fancy) and not much more.

However, while there is little going on at the lege, at least publicly, legislators still have to show up to the job.

Which means that they tend to be bored, and much as with, say, teenagers, "bored" leads to "mischief".

Today's example: freshman State Rep. Bob Thorpe (R-of course).

Courtesy columnist Laurie Roberts of the Arizona Republic -

In the wake of Newtown, the state of Connecticut on Thursday enacted what some are calling the strongest gun laws in the nation, including limits on the size of magazines, a ban on armor piercing bullets and universal background checks.

 

[snip]

 

Meanwhile, in the state of Arizona, a legislator on Thursday offered a response to our own massacre.

 

“In the wake of Tucson shooting, I have been researching body armor in order to inform our members about the costs and options for those wishing to purchase a vest for their person use, for example, at town halls, parades and other public events,” Rep. Bob Thorpe wrote, in an e-mail to fellow legislators. “These vests have prices ranging from about $600-$800 and options that include their weight and comfort, bullet stopping ability and colors.”

 

You’ve heard of Tupperware parties?  Thorpe, a Flagstaff Republican, has invited members of the Arizona Legislature to a body armor party. Next Wednesday, a representative of AZ Tactical will be on hand in basement of the Arizona House to extol the virtues of various vests and take orders...

While this is highly mockable (hence this post), there is one silver lining -

With his proposal, Thorpe becomes the first Republican legislator in Arizona to admit that there is a gun violence problem in AZ.

His proposed solution may constitute a giant flipping off of civil society, but whether he intended it or not, Thorpe has started a discussion that needs to be started.

Having said all of that, expect more goofy proposals in the coming weeks, from legislators looking to entertain themselves.

Arizona's version of the mutaween have Bisbee in their sights now

Courtesy The FreeDictionary.com: Mutaween - religious police in Saudi Arabia whose duty is to ensure strict adherence to established codes of conduct; offenders may be detained indefinitely; foreigners are not excluded.

The mutaween don't exactly have a good public image outside of Saudi Arabia, but that doesn't seem to have hurt them inside Saudi Arabia.

Clarification on 4/4:  Per a conversation in the comments section of this post with State Rep. John Kavanagh, he wrote both of the strikers submitted under his name, the "show your papers before you pee" measure and the "bigot protection" act.  Per that conversation, any impression given by the post that CATP wrote either or both measures is incorrect.

End clarification.

The Center for Arizona Theocracy Policy may not have quite as much control "influence" over civil society as they would like (and are striving toward), but when it comes to Republican elected officials, all they have to do is tug on the leash and electeds come to heel in a flash.

Witness State Rep. John Kavanagh's (R-Fountain Hills) "snap-to" when Cathi Herrod and the CATP got their apoplexy on over Phoenix' passage of an anti-discrimination ordinance - he proposed a "show your papers before you pee" bill that morphed into a "bigot protection act". 

If enacted into law, it almost certainly will be struck down by a court of law, but the CATP isn't about following the law, it's about blind adherence to dogma.

Now, it is the small town of Bisbee that has roused the ire of the grand high "poobahs" of moral rectitude in Arizona.

From the Arizona Republic, written by Lindsey Collom and Alia Beard Rau -

Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne warned Bisbee on Tuesday that his office would take legal action against the city if council members approve an ordinance tonight allowing civil unions for gay couples. 

 

The unions would be recognized only within the city limits and would grant rights given to a married couple, including property ownership, inheritance, guardianship and adoption.

 

[snip]

 

Three Republican state lawmakers -- Sen. Gail Griffin, of Hereford, and Reps. David Gowan and David Stevens of Sierra Vista -- complained to his office, saying that consituents had contacted them, expressing concern that the proposed ordinance may be in violation of the state's constitution, Horne said. 

 

On Monday, a powerful conservative advocacy group, the Center for Arizona Policy, sent city officials a similar letter and threatened to sue the city if it allows civil unions.

As the crow flies, the distance between CATP's headquarters and the AZAG's office is a little over six miles (approximately a 1/2 mile more to the state capitol) and it is a little more than 10 miles by street (approximately a 1/2 mile more to the state capitol.  Thank you Google Maps :)  ).

Anybody know the record for the longest lapdog leash?


PS - Am I the only one who thinks that it is rather "ironic" that CATP has called on Tom Horne to be the point man in their defense of the "sanctity" of marriage?


Columnist EJ Montini of the Arizona Republic offers his take here.

AZBlueMeanie of Blog for Arizona offers his take here.