Townsend vs. Rogers, two far-right Rs, to face off in the LD7 State Senate primary [Updated]

From KPNX (Channel 12 in Phoenix) -

Kelly Townsend reelection bid sets up battle with Wendy Rogers

Two high-profile Republican state senators appear ready to go head-to-head in the August primary election after Kelly Townsend filed for reelection in the same district she and Wendy Rogers ended up in after new district maps were adopted.

Townsend's filing for the District 7 seat with the Arizona Secretary of State's Office on Monday night puts the Apache Junction Republican in the race against Rogers, who lives in Flagstaff.

In 2000 in MLB, the New York Yankees and the New York Mets faced off in the World Series.

This Red Sox fan hoped both would lose.

In 2022 in Arizona, crazy and crazier will face off in the Republican primary in LD7.

This Democrat hopes both lose.

Because if whoever emerges victorious from the R primary wins the general election, the people of that district and the people of Arizona will lose.

In the end, the Yankees won that WS but the folks in LD7 will have another option in the general - voting for the Democratic candidate.

I don't, as yet, know who that will be, but am willing to say here THAT PERSON WILL BE SIGNIFICANTLY SANER THAN EITHER OF THOSE TWO.

On the face of things, that seems unlikely, but it may be necessary if the voters of LD7 wish to avoid being laughed at by the rest of the state.

From the AZ Independent Redistricting Commission -

[Edit on 3/9 to add -

From the AZ Daily Sun -

Kyle Nitschke announces Clean Elections campaign for Arizona Senate

Kyle Nitschke -- an active member of the Coconino Democratic Party, a state committee member with the Arizona Democratic Party and co-chair for the Progressive Counsel of the Arizona Democratic Party -- announced over the weekend that he would run as a Clean Elections candidate for Legislative District 7.

As per the 1998 Citizens Clean Elections Act, Nitschke will work with the Citizens Clean Elections Commission and receive a limited amount of funding from the Commission after he has generated at least 200 $5 contributions and agrees to forgo high-dollar and special-interest contributions.

/end edit]

Well, we know what the standard attire will be in the reboot of the TV show Cops

From Twitter -

Full story, from NPR -

Enrique Tarrio, who led the Proud Boys, is arrested over the U.S. Capitol attack

Enrique Tarrio, who was the chairman of the far-right extremist group the Proud Boys, was arrested and charged with conspiracy for his alleged role in planning the Jan. 6 attack, the Justice Department announced on Tuesday.

He is one of the most prominent defendants yet to face charges over his alleged involvement in the insurrection.

The First Lady will visit AZ on Monday, so AZ's average IQ will go up Monday.

Actually, while I don't know that she is the most intelligent FLOTUS ever (there have been some very smart First Ladies), she is almost inarguably the best educated one ever.

From AZFamily (Channels 3 & 5 in Phoenix) -

First Lady Jill Biden visiting Phoenix, Tucson on Monday

The White House says First Lady Jill Biden is coming to Phoenix and Tucson on Monday to promote the President’s policies that were showcased during this year’s State of the Union address.

Officials say Biden is scheduled to arrive in Phoenix around 12:30 p.m. She will be joined by Angela Hanks, the Assistant Secretary of Employment & Training Administration at the U.S. Department of Labor. Biden and Hanks are scheduled to tour Intel’s campus in Chandler later that afternoon, where they are expected to talk about the company’s investment in community colleges to strengthen the workforce. Intel’s CEO, Pat Gelsinger, is slated to attend the news conference.

Mendoza looks to pick up the bigotry baton left by Russell Pearce

If she wins her race, and Wendy Rogers wins reelection, Rogers won't be the only anti-Semite in the Arizona legislature.

Actually, I'm pretty sure she isn't now, but Rogers is the only one who has been censured over it.

From CNN -

Speaker removed from RNC program after tweeting anti-Semitic conspiracy theory

A speaker who was scheduled to deliver remarks at the Republican National Convention on Tuesday was abruptly removed from the program after she retweeted a thread promoting an anti-Semitic conspiracy theory with ties to the fringe conspiracy theory, QAnon.

Mary Ann Mendoza, whose police officer son was killed by a drunk driver, had been included in a list of speakers sent by the Trump campaign earlier Tuesday evening. An updated rundown circulated before the convention, however, did not include Mendoza after her tweet garnered significant scrutiny following a report by The Daily Beast.

Mendoza had tweeted, "Do yourself a favor and read this thread" in reference to a string of conspiratorial tweets about a Jewish plan to control the world. She later deleted the tweet and claimed that she hadn't read "every post within the thread."

Pic from The Daily Beast

You've got to be *really* extreme to be too extreme for the RNC.

She's largely self-funding her campaign for legislature.  While she reported $450 in individual contributions, she's loaned her campaign $2000.

Note: The pic with Mendoza and Cheeto is from a 2019 anti-immigrant veto ceremony, and Mendoza isn't the only Arizonan in the pic.  Mark Lamb, the sheriff of Pinal County, is in the pic (2nd from right)

Normally, I don't write about legislative candidates/races at this point, but this was too much too ignore until ballots are finalized.

Russell Pearce was an infamously bigoted member of the Arizona legislature from Mesa.

How long before Andrew Cuomo becomes a Republican?

He's already got the "I'm a victim, so it must be someone else's fault" rhetoric down.

Pointed to this by Taegan Goddard's Political Wire.

From The Hill -

Andrew Cuomo blames 'cancel culture' for ouster from office

Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D), who resigned last year amid multiple accusations of workplace sexual misconduct, spoke out in public about his exit from office for the first time on Sunday and blamed "the cancel culture mentality" for his decision to leave.

While delivering remarks at the God’s Battalion of Prayer Church in Brooklyn, Cuomo acknowledged "a difficult period the past few months."

[snip]

In his remarks, he also called cancel culture "a new extremism."

Mercury star Brittney Griner arrested in Russia

From CNN -

New York Times: Brittney Griner, two-time Olympic gold medalist and WNBA all-star, arrested in Russia on drug charges

Brittney Griner, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and seven-time Women's National Basketball Association All-Star with the Phoenix Mercury basketball team, has been arrested in Russia after customs officials detected cannabis oil in her luggage at an airport near Moscow, The New York Times reported.

The Russian news agency TASS cited a law enforcement source identifying the American woman who was arrested on drug charges as 31-year-old Griner, upon arriving from New York, the report said.

I truly don't know if Griner was in possession of anything that's considered to be illegal under Russian law, but I will say this -

Russian authorities have something of a credibility problem.

I can also say this -

It is time for all Americans, non-celebrities, minor celebrities, and major celebrities, to leave Russia, Ukraine, and any Russia-controlled countries and/or not travel to the same.

Have no fear - the Rs will denounce her anyway

From CNN -

Harris to walk across Edmund Pettus Bridge on Bloody Sunday anniversary

Vice President Kamala Harris will travel to Selma, Alabama, on Sunday, where she will walk across the Edmund Pettus Bridge to mark the 57th anniversary of Bloody Sunday, a key moment in the civil rights moment.

Bloody Sunday commemorates when, in 1965, 600 people began a march from Selma, Alabama, to Montgomery, Alabama, demanding an end to discrimination in voter registration. At the Edmund Pettus Bridge, state and local lawmen attacked the marchers with billy clubs and tear gas, driving them back to Selma. Seventeen people were hospitalized and dozens were more injured by police.

Pic from a Los Angeles Sentinel story, dated 7/17/2020

Kari Lake likes to associate with con men and traitors

Pics taken from Twitter today, though some of the tweets are a few days old -

And, of course -

Being seen with them may help Lake win the R primary for governor, but in civil society, images of her with the likes of Lindell, Kern, and Cheeto may hurt her.

The blind leading the blind?

Example 1:

Example 2:

Two are members of Congress; two are members of the Arizona legislature who are running for Arizona Secretary of State.

Federal and State Committee update

There's nothing to update.  With nominating petition signatures due at the office of the Arizona Secretary of State's office on Monday, April 4th, I don't expect there to be any new committees for statewide or federal office.

If any new committees are formed for such, I'll update.

Legislative schedule - week starting 3/6/2022

Note: HHR refers to a hearing room in the House building; SHR refers to one in the Senate building.

Note2: Generally, I'll only specify bills that look to propagate propaganda.  Other bills may be more conventionally bad (think: corrupt or other misuses of public monies and/or authority.  My recommendation is that if an agenda covers an area of interest to you, read the entire agenda.

Note3: Each chamber's respective Rules Committee meets on Monday, the House's in HHR4 at 1 p.m. and the Senate's in Senate Caucus Room 1, also at 1 p.m.  Both committees serve as rubber stamps for bills leadership wants to be advanced and gatekeepers for measures that leadership wants stopped.

Note4: Meeting start times may be listed, but are flexible.  Before journeying to the Capitol or viewing the meeting online, verify the start time.

Note5: Watch for strikers, or strike everything amendments.  Those involve inserting language into the entirety of a bill.  Those can be introduced at any time and can make a previously harmless bill into a very bad one. 

Strikers are back this week, but only two of them.  I expect that number to increase until the legislature adjourns its session.

On Monday, 3/7 -

House Health & Human Services meets at 2 p.m. in HHR4.  1 bill on the agenda.

It meets again at 2:15 p.m.  12 bills on that agenda, including the first striker of the week, regarding the extension of temporary healthcare licenses.

House Land, Agriculture & Rural Affairs meets at 2 p.m. in HHR3.  3 bills on the agenda.

House Military Affairs and Public Safety meets at 2 p.m. in HHR1.  4 bills on the agenda, including SB1060, titled "survival of action; deceased sheriff" and SB1718, appropriating $1,140,800 to the "border security fund".

Senate Government meets at 2 p.m.in SHR1.  9 bills on the agenda, including HB2070, adding a civil penalty for the head of a public body that doesn't have enough chairs for the attendees at one their meeting or don't post on the meeting agenda when the public will have physical access to the meeting area; HB2237, barring same-day voter registration; HB2289, requiring that county chairs of political parties to appoint a vote challenger for each precinct polling place and for those people to remain in the polling place until votes there are tabulated and sent to the county recorder; HB2379, adding language to laws regarding voting and the election procedures manual, including language that has the legislature review voting equipment and the procedures manual; and HB2412, among other things, changes "or" to "and" regarding the posting of written minutes and a recording of meetings of a public body.

On Tuesday, 3/8 -

House Commerce meets at 2 p.m. in HHR3.  6 or 7 bills on the agenda (more on that later) including SB1278, adding a definition of "labor organization" to a law regarding fiduciary guidelines; and SB1494, making sure that folks who lose their jobs due to not receiving a Covid vaccine or a booster get unemployment compensation benefits.  One discrepancy on the agenda:

One bill, SB1168, regarding "vacation rentals; short-term rentals; enforcement" is list on the pdf of the agenda, but on the lege's website, shows as removed from consideration at this meeting.

House Education meets at 2 p.m. in HHR4.  6 bills on the agenda.

Senate Appropriations meets at 2 p.m. in SHR109.  12 bills on the agenda, including HB2552, appropriating $20,000,000 to build a new prison in Cochise County; and HB2646, altering the law regarding the fair market value of aircraft.

Senate Education meets at 2 p.m. in SHR1.  7 bills on the agenda, including HB2161, adding to the "parent's bill of rights" regarding education and health care records, and with a section that is so broadly written that I think it allows a parent to use this as a defense for an act of violence.

On Wednesday, 3/9 -

House Judiciary meets at 8 a.m.in HHR4.  7 bills on the agenda, 5 of them bad.

House Government & Election meets at 9 a.m. in HHR1.  9 bills on the agenda.

Senate Health and Human Services meets at 9 a.m. in SHR1.  10 bills on the agenda.

House Ways & Means meets at 10 a.m. in HHR3.  2 bills on the agenda.

Senate Finance meets at 10 a.m. in SHR109.  6 bills on the agenda, including HB2166, exempting guns, ammunition and "firearms safety equipment", from sales taxes.  This scheme is estimated to cost the state's general fund over $9 million inFY2024.

House Appropriations meets at 1:30 p.m. or upon adjournment of the floor session in HHR1.  8 bills on the agenda, including SB1175, wherein the legislature confiscates "non-custodial federal monies" (with certain specific exceptions) and re-appropriates them; and SB1718, appropriating $1,140,800 to the state's "border security fund."

House Transportation meets at 2 p.m. in HHR3.  8 bills on the agenda.

Senate Commerce meets at 2 p.m. in SHR1.  13 bills on the agenda, including HCR2031, asking the voters of AZ to amend the state constitution to bar municipalities from having their own to have their own minimum wages or other employment-related compensation rules.

Senate Natural Resources, Energy & Water meets at 2 p.m. in SHR109.  10 bills on the agenda, including HB2411, allowing ADEQ to regulate coal combustion residuals (coal ash, aka toxic materials produced by coal fired power plants).  Looks like it was written by an industry lobbyist.

On Thursday, 3/10 -

Senate Judiciary meets at 9 a.m. in SHR1.  11 bills on a very bad agenda.  It includes a striker for HB2253, titled "threshold amount; fentanyl" (text not available as of this writing).

Townsend, spurned by Cheeto, quits race for Congress

From KJZZ -

Townsend, not endorsed by Trump, quits House race in Arizona

Arizona state Sen. Kelly Townsend announced Friday she is withdrawing from the race for the Republican nomination for Arizona's new 6th Congressional District because former President Donald Trump hasn't endorsed her.

Despite encouragement and repeated assurances, “the promised formal endorsement has still not materialized," leaving her unable to unify the conservative vote in the August primary, Townsend said in a statement.

[snip]

Redistricting put (state senator Wendy) Rogers and Townsend in the same legislative district and they avoided a head-to-head matchup when Townsend decided to seek the congressional seat.

Townsend's statement said she would “happily” focus on the state Capitol rather than the nation's Capitol, which left open a race against Rogers for the Senate.

Responding to an inquiry from the Associated Press, Townsend said that was indeed a possibility. She also said she could return to the private sector or return to college to get a doctorate. She is a doula, a trained professional who assists mothers giving birth.

What "possibility"?

She's running.  The only question remaining is if it will be against Rogers.

From Twitter -

Ducey says he's not running for Senate

From The Hill -

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey tells donors he won't run for Senate

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey (R) has put what Republicans see as a final kibosh on any chances he would challenge Sen. Mark Kelly (D) later this year, ending a long-running courtship by top Washington Republicans who saw him as their best hope of winning back the seat.

In a letter to donors, Ducey said this year, the last of his eight years in the governor’s office, would be the end of his public service career.

He may not be running in 2022, but in 2024?

I expect that he will be looking *hard* at Kyrsten Sinema's seat in the Senate, no matter what she does. (She's more vulnerable than Kelly, IMHO)

And I also expect that he will also be looking at a run for the White House. (His decision there may depend on if Cheeto continues to dominate GQP politics and if he runs in 2024)

And saying that this year will be the "end of his public service career" implies that he ever really worked for the public.  He never has done so.

Ron DeSantis is shameless enough to be in the Arizona legislature

From Politico -

DeSantis defends scolding students over masks — and fundraises off it

“Predictably, the leftist propagandists in our media had a meltdown and called me a ‘bully’ for allowing children to breathe fresh air," a campaign email reads.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is fundraising off a recent viral video depicting the Republican governor bluntly asking a group of high school students to take off their masks ahead of a public event, which drew outrage among Democrats.

In a Thursday campaign email attempting to spur donations “before the truth is silenced,” DeSantis blasted the “corrupt and biased legacy media” for chastising him over his claims that “masks are political theater.” The DeSantis campaign also created a hype video over his controversial brief scolding of high school students that slams Democrats like California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Stacey Abrams for going maskless at public events.

"[A]llowing"?

Well, at least he's got a Cheeto-like ego.

A former Missouri legislator writes about the craziness in the Missouri legislature, but she could have been writing about the AZ lege

Pointed to this by Taegan Goddard's Political Wire.

From an op/ed in the Kansas City Star -

I saw booze, guns and fights on the Missouri House floor. Voters must fix this mess 

BY Stacey Newman Special To The Star

The Kansas City Star’s Feb. 17 editorial, “Of dogs and dysfunction: Anarchy in Jefferson City,” was so right on the money. As a nine-year veteran of the Missouri House, I can wholeheartedly vouch that dysfunction is the legislature’s middle name.

 

As do most voters, I expect legislators to be serious when they take their oath of office. I want to trust they will treat their offices with reverence instead of middle school immaturity — I really do.

 

My first late-night session as a freshman involved debate over a pornography bill. Arguments proceeded way past midnight as I was introduced to #molegafterdark. Coffee cups are allowed on House chamber desks, yet during evening sessions, many of those cups contain alcohol. I was appalled at the drunken debate, remembering how hard I campaigned just to be sitting at one of those desks. Surrounding us were the words carved at the very top of the House chamber: “Liberty, Justice, Law, Progress, Truth, Knowledge, Honor.” Yeah, right.

I can't speak to there being any actual fights on the floor of the AZ legislature; I really don't know.

As for booze, while I HAVE seen some behavior that reeks of "under the influence", but absent seeing consumption of alcohol, or an actual blood test, or even smelling booze on someone's breath, I'm not prepared to accuse someone of legislating while intoxicated.

Lastly, guns?

Well, I was there when then-state senator Lori Klein packed some heat at a state of the state address.

And the AZ lege hasn't become classier since then.