Legislative schedule - week starting 10/08/2023

There'll be one (relatively) busy day this week.

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 spread 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 that replaces the entirety of a bill.  Those can be introduced at any time and can make a previously harmless bill into a very bad one.

On Monday,  10/9, Wednesday, 10/11, and Thursday, 10/12 - Nada.

On Tuesday, 10 10 

- 

Joint Legislative Budget Committee (JLBC) meets at 9:30 a.m. in SHR1.  The agenda includes an executive session (two items; one which will be considered via consent), a consent agenda (where all items on it will be considered en masse with no testimony taken), and a regular agenda (where each item on it is considered individually).

To be considered: items from the AZAG, AZSOS, and the Arizona Department of Corrections.

Much of the stuff on the consent agenda looks to be stuff that shouldn't be all but ignored, while most of the stuff on the regular agenda seems t be an opportunity for inquisition/propaganda.

Joint Committee on Capital Review meets at 9:45 a.m. or upon adjournment of JLBC in SHR1

McCarthy out as speaker

Time for a mea culpa - not that I liked McCarthy, but I did predict that he would survive the first vote to depose him because the person leading it, Matt Gaetz, was so universally reviled by his colleagues..

I was wrong.

Oh, Gaetz' colleagues in the House still can't stand him, but they voted to depose McCarthy anyway.

From USA Today -

Kevin McCarthy ousted from House speakership after Republican rebellion: What you missed

Republican Kevin McCarthy’s deal with hardline House conservatives that handed him the speaker’s gavel in January unraveled on Tuesday as those same right-wing rebels, joined by Democrats, shoved him out of the seat.

McCarthy’s 269-day reign as speaker was ended by a 216-210 vote, a move that has no marker in modern history and paralyzes Congress for the time being.

The rebellion, led by conservative hardliner Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., has roiled the House in chaos. The move to oust McCarthy – known as a motion to vacate – had the support of a handful of hard-right lawmakers who have expressed anger at McCarthy for working with Democrats to avert a government shutdown.  

The House vote is here.

Two AZ Republicans were among those who to depose McCarthy.

On this vote, a "yea" is a vote against McCarthy while a "nay" is a vote to support his tenure as speaker.

Paul Penzone not seeking a 3rd term and will resign in January

Let the political games of musical chairs and idle speculation begin.

From AZFamily -

Penzone won’t seek 3rd term as Maricopa County Sheriff, will step down in January

Maricopa County Sheriff Paul Penzone says he will not seek a 3rd term and will be stepping down as Sheriff in January 2024.

“I have decided that I will not pursue a third term,” said Penzone during an emotional news conference Monday afternoon. “Not because I leave this office in any way, shape, or form disappointed; it has all been incredible. It is the greatest privilege and blessing that anyone could’ve asked for, especially in a profession like this.” Penzone said.

Penzone also announced he would be stepping down before his current term is up, "I think it’s appropriate for me to depart of the office in January and clear the way so during the last year of my term going into elections, there aren’t distractions. It gives me a chance to pursue some opportunities to serve the public in several ways and to do some things that present themselves as incredible options and opportunities."

I'm not much into musical chairs, but I can do idle speculation with the best of them.

Caveat: No actual humans were talked for this.

I have no idea who the Democratic nominee will be; the R nominee will (probably) be someone who should be in prison used to work for Joe Arpaio.

As for Penzone's next gig, if it's not elected, I could only guess - maybe he's going to be the commissioner of the World Pickleball Tour.

OK, that's probably not going to happen. :)

Some speculation is that he plans to run for an elected office, so I'll talk about that.

US Senate - could happen, but probably not, and for two reasons.  1. Ruben Gallego has been in the race for a while.  2. Kyrsten Sinema is still lurking; a Sinema candidacy is expected to give the race to the R nominee.

US House of Representatives - could happen, but that will depend on other chips falling in a way that's favorable to him.  

If he entered the race against R David Schweikert, he'd almost certainly cause at least two of the announced candidates in the crowded Democratic primary there to withdraw.  I don't think it will happen, but given his documented history of taking on entrenched office holders with ethics issues, this one isn't out of the realm of possibility.

If he entered the race to replace Gallego in Congress, he would lose in the primary there - the candidates there have been active since before the moment that Gallego announced his intent to run for Senate.

If he entered the race for the seat held by Greg Stanton, well, I suppose it *could* happen, but I expect that he wouldn't enter that race unless Stanton announces that he won't seek another term.

Arizona Corporation Commission - the only state-level seats on the 2024 ballot.  Seems too low profile for him.

City Council, School Board, Justice of the Peace, and Constable slots - Not only do I not know where he lives (eligibility for those is residency-specific), I think those are too low profile.

State Legislature - he's highly respected; why would he want to lose that?  In other words, not gonna happen...though if he were to join the lege, he could serve as a counterbalance to John Kavanagh.

What I think will happen is that he will accept a position with the Biden Administration.

If that happens, there will be a certain synchronicity to that - Penzone's predecessor was pardoned by Biden's predecessor.

Basically, one skell pardoned another.

If Biden hires Penzone, it will be a situation where one decent human being hires another.

Shutdown delayed; McCarthy on the clock

The MSM likes to say a shutdown has been "averted," but in reality, Congress just kicked the can down the road for 45 days.

From AP --

Government shutdown averted with little time to spare as Biden signs funding before midnight

The threat of a federal government shutdown suddenly lifted late Saturday as President Joe Biden signed a temporary funding bill to keep agencies open with little time to spare after Congress rushed to approve the bipartisan deal.

The package drops aid to Ukraine, a White House priority opposed by a growing number of GOP lawmakers, but increases federal disaster assistance by $16 billion, meeting Biden’s full request. The bill funds government until Nov. 17.

[snip]

The outcome ends, for now, the threat of a shutdown, but the reprieve may be short-lived. Congress will again need to fund the government in coming weeks risking a crisis as views are hardening, particularly among the right-flank lawmakers whose demands were ultimately swept aside this time in favor of a more bipartisan approach.

Thanksgiving will be on November 23 this year; this funding will expire just before that.  So we'll going through this again during the run up to that holiday.

Of course,  Kevin McCarthy may not be Speaker of the House at that point.

From BBC (UK) -

Hardline Republicans seek to oust House Speaker Kevin McCarthy

A hardline Republican says he will seek to oust House Speaker Kevin McCarthy this week, after he pushed through a last-minute spending bill with support from the opposition Democrats.

Mr McCarthy submitted the bill - aimed at averting a government shutdown - in defiance of the right of his party.

They had already vowed to topple him if he tried to overcome their opposition with Democratic support.

Hardline Republicans in both houses of Congress voted against the motion.

[snip]

On Sunday, Rep Matt Gaetz vowed to oust Mr McCarthy, telling the CNN that House Republicans needed "trustworthy" leadership.

"I do intend to file a motion to vacate against Speaker McCarthy this week," said Mr Gaetz, long a vocal critic of the Californian congressman. "I think we need to move on with new leadership that can be trustworthy."

I think that McCarthy will survive the initial threat to his speakership, if only because Gaetz is so profoundly and personally unpopular.

Plus, instead of voting for Democrat Hakeem Jeffries, the Rs will try to select a speaker from their caucus.

And though he may be a lousy human being and a worse public servant, the least bad R may be the one that they're intent on deposing.

The Senate vote on the measure is here.  The only surprise in it is that a certain Senator from Arizona didn't vote against the measure because it didn't contain enough money for hedge fund managers.

The House vote on the measure is here.  No surprises here. Arizona Republicans Biggs, Crane, Lesko, Schweikert, and, of course, Paul Gosar voted against it; all other members from AZ voted for it.

R mantra: Don't just ban books, ban even talking about banned books

A large school district tried that stunt.

It didn't turn out well for them.

.From The Guardian (UK) -

North Carolina bans ‘Banned Books Week’ but retracts after media backlash

North Carolina’s Charlotte-Mecklenburg school district appears to be a bit confused as to where it stands in the ongoing battle against books around the US: they banned educators from participating in a weeklong series of events drawing attention to banned books and then … said there was no ban.

The American Library Association (ALA) holds “Banned Books Week” annually, with this year’s iteration running from 1-7 October, to celebrate the freedom to read and discuss attempts to censor books.

According to WFAE, a public radio station serving North Carolina, district officials in Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools told principals to cancel events, readings, suggestions, announcements, messages or displays linked to the program.

Information about the ALA's Banned Books Week is here.

When all is said and done, Kevin McCarthy will be as famous as Neville Chamberlain.

Of course, that's not a good thing.

From the National Archives of the UK -

Chamberlain and Hitler 1938

After the First World War, the map of Europe was re-drawn and several new countries were formed. As a result of this, three million Germans found themselves now living in part of Czechoslovakia. When Adolf Hitler came to power, he wanted to unite all Germans into one nation.

In September 1938 he turned his attention to the three million Germans living in part of Czechoslovakia called the Sudetenland. Sudeten Germans began protests and provoked violence from the Czech police. Hitler claimed that 300 Sudeten Germans had been killed. This was not actually the case, but Hitler used it as an excuse to place German troops along the Czech border.

During this situation, the British Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain, flew to meet Hitler at his private mountain retreat in Berchtesgaden in an attempt to resolve the crisis. Use this lesson to explore documents concerning Chamberlain’s original meeting with Hitler and advice given to him at home in Britain.

Kevin McCarthy, the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representative, is doing his best Chamberlain imitation (don't misunderstand me - the most extreme members of the House's R caucus are NOT Adolph Hitler and the Nazis, but neither are they honorable public servants or even simply decent human beings).

From Truthout (but many other outlets have stories on the same topic), from 9/27 -

A Small Cadre of GOP Hard-Liners Is Pushing US 

Toward Government Shutdown

If the shutdown occurs, it will be because Speaker McCarthy let the far right 

dictate critical legislative decisions.

The U.S. government is set to run out of money later this week, not because the U.S. has suddenly gotten poor, but because hard-liners within the GOP are looking for major policy concessions from the White House and the Democratic-controlled Senate simply to keep government operations afloat. Without those concessions, many Republicans have made it clear they will refuse to cast their votes for the 12 appropriations bills that keep the system ticking along.

This is the latest installment of what has become an entirely dysfunctional congressional ritual — using vital legislative deadlines as bargaining chips in a high-stakes effort to impose a far right agenda on the body politic. If the borrowing limit needs to be raised, a significant number of Republicans simply refuse to vote for the increase. If government needs to be funded through appropriations bills, as is the case this week, these same hard-liners see it as an opportunity to leverage their votes in exchange for massive cuts to federal spending and the adoption of a raft of other policy demands.

Guess that McCarthy would rather be called "Mr. Speaker" than "Mr. Public Servant."

I've already predicted that McCarthy will be a one-termer as Speaker; his performance regarding the potential shutdown of the federal government doesn't change that prediction.

Legislative schedule - week starting 10/01/2023

This week's theme at the legislature:

"Gimme."

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 spread 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 that replaces the entirety of a bill.  Those can be introduced at any time and can make a previously harmless bill into a very bad one.

On Monday, 10/2 

 -

Joint Legislative Committee on DES Block Grants meets at 10 a.m. in HHR1.

They're scheduled to hear three presentations, including one from Wildfire, a community action organization headed up by Kathy Senseman, former president of the Arizona State Board for Charter Schools.  She's married to Paul Senseman, a renowned lobbyist/fixer at the Capitol.  Both Sensemans are regular donors to AZ political campaigns.

Pardon my cynicism, but I expect the thinking on the part of the R members of committee to be "well, we can recommend helping real people or recommend using the public monies in block grants to line private pockets  Not really a dilemma.".

On Thursday, 10/5 

-

Urban Air Mobility Study Committee meets at 2 p.m. in SHR1.  It's a joint committee.

It looks to be about combining flying vehicles with self-driving cars.

They're scheduled to hear three presentations, all given by corporate executives/lobbyists and at least two of them are members of the committee.

Since I'm letting my cynicism run wild tonight, I'll speculate about the presentations: "enhance our bottom lines and give us public money."

Wait, didn't they get Capone for tax evasion?

Pointed at this by Taegan Goddard's Political Wire.

Like Cheeto, he did a lot of bad things, most them far worse than tax evasion, but the pragmatic part of me says "hey, whatever works."

From The Messenger -

Trump’s Tax Representative Said in 2020 He ‘Agrees’ With $26.6 Million Appraisal of Mar-a-Lago (Exclusive)

Former President Donald Trump has sought to discredit a New York judge’s blockbuster ruling threatening his business empire by arguing that Mar-a-Lago alone is worth more than a billion dollars.

But less than three years ago, his tax representative told Palm Beach County officials that Trump “agrees” his private club in South Florida is worth just $26.6 million, according to records obtained by The Messenger.

“The petitioner agrees with the determination of the property appraiser or tax collector,” Michael Corbiciero, the CEO of the tax consulting firm Marvin F. Poer & Co., attested in a letter dated Nov. 16, 2020.

Maybe the next time that Cheeto, he should enter to a song.  Of course, that song should be Fortunate Son, written by John Fogerty, and performed by Creedence Clearwater Revival.

From Austin Community College -

[snip]

But when the tax man comes to the door,
Lord, the house looks like a rummage sale.

A court ruling may remove the core of Cheeto's self identity

Before he committed treason...before he bankrupted a casino...even before he was a media "personality"...he was a a real estate developer in New York City.

For most folks in that line of work, their favorite building materials seem to be concrete, wood, and drywall; based on the judge's ruling, it seems that Cheeto's were smoke, mirrors, and bullshit.

From The Hill -

Trump could lose control of famed properties under New York fraud ruling

A major loss Tuesday in former President Trump’s New York civil fraud case raises the potential for him to lose control of some of his famed properties and ability to do business in the state.

A New York judge ruled Tuesday that state Attorney General Letitia James (D) proved core elements of her far-reaching case, narrowing the scope of the trial that is set to begin as soon as Monday.

The decision finds Trump, two of his adult children — Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr. — and their businesses liable for fraud after James’s office sued them last September. They have denied any wrongdoing and vowed to appeal.

"Smoke, mirrors, and bullshit."

Those are the basic building materials in his political career, too.

The MAGA crowd has a new dance-the hypocritical two step: Cheeto wants to overturn the Constitution while claiming it protects him

Pointed at this by Taegan Goddard's Political Wire.

From PBS -

Trump argues First Amendment protects him from ‘insurrection’ cases aimed at keeping him off 2024 ballots

Attorneys for former President Donald Trump argue that an attempt to bar him from the 2024 ballot under a rarely used “insurrection” clause of the Constitution should be dismissed as a violation of his freedom of speech.

The lawyers made the argument in a filing posted Monday by a Colorado court in the most significant of a series of challenges to Trump’s candidacy under the Civil War-era clause in the 14th Amendment. The challenges rest on Trump’s attempts to overturn his 2020 loss to Democrat Joe Biden and his role leading up to the violent Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Congressman Paul Gosar again brings notoriety to Arizona

And again, cements his hold on the title of "Most Bigoted Member of Congress."

From Media-ite

Republican Congressman Calls For General Mark Milley to Be Executed in Shockingly Homophobic Screed

Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ) published a shockingly violent and homophobic tirade against General Mark Milley, suggesting the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff be put to death.

Gosar’s Congressional office released a newsletter on Sunday which claimed that the FBI, the DHS, and other federal agencies allowed the U.S. Capitol to be attacked by Donald Trump’s rioting supporters on January 6. From there, the newsletter blasted Milley for speaking with Nancy Pelosi after the riot, agreeing with her that Trump was “crazy,” and assuring the former House speaker that Trump wouldn’t be able to seize control of America’s nuclear arsenal during his last days in office.

Short Attention Span Musing

...Apparently, the U.S. Senate thinks it's better to look good than to be good.

From NPR -

The Senate's dress code just got more relaxed. Some insist on staying buttoned-up

There's a lot for lawmakers to be stressed about these days, from the looming threat of a government shutdown to debates over additional funding for Ukraine. But one of the most divisive issues on Capitol Hill suddenly seems to be what senators can wear to work.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer directed the Senate's sergeant-at-arms to stop enforcing its unwritten dress code — only for its 100 members — starting this week.

There may be much angst among Senators over their dress code, but some things don't bother them.

From USA Today -

Read the full indictment: Menendez faces second round of corruption charges

Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., is facing corruption charges after being indicted Friday in the Southern District of New York.

It marks the second time the New Jersey lawmaker has been indicted in the last 10 years − previously facing corruption charges in 2015.

They can wear tutus and propeller beanies or suit and ties or whatever.  It doesn't matter, as long as they don't take bribes.

Which is what Menendez (allegedly) did.

FWIW, this isn't a partisan thing - the political class in New York and New Jersey seem to believe that society's law or even standards of simple decency do apply to them, regardless of professed partisan affiliation.

We still have to claim Andrew Cuomo and Anthony Weiner as Democrats.

Of course, Republicans still have Chris Christie and, of course, Cheeto.

And Arizona State Senator John Kavanagh is from New Jersey, too.

...And speaking of Cheeto, it wasn't a good week for him.

From Good Morning America, via Yahoo! -

'You were warned': Judge reprimands Trump's lawyers in New York AG's $250M fraud case

A judge in New York expressed frustration at Donald Trump's defense counsel while considering sanctioning the defendants and their lawyers for making frivolous arguments in the state's civil case against the former president and others.

"When I first heard those arguments, I thought that was a joke," said Judge Arthur Engoron, who added that he has repeatedly ruled on and been upheld on some of the arguments rehashed by defense.

"The rule on sanctions is if you've been warned, don't do it. You were warned," Engoron said.

Legislative schedule - week starting 9/24/2023

Nada.

As in "nothing official scheduled as of this writing."

As in, "regular Arizonans should be verrrry worried."

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 spread 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 that replaces the entirety of a bill.  Those can be introduced at any time and can make a previously harmless bill into a very bad one.

Dear attorneys for Cheeto and his followers: Get your money up front

In other words, wait for any retainer checks to clear.

From Mother Jones -

Trumpworld Lawyers Keep Getting Stiffed on Fees

Robert Costello represented Giuliani and Bannon. Neither paid him.

Working as Donald Trump’s lawyer, or just being his lawyer’s lawyer, is a tough gig. The former president’s tight-fisted ways, not to mention his legal problems, are trickling down through Trumpworld’s legal ecosystem.

On Tuesday, Rudy Giuliani’s lawyer, Robert Costello, sued the former New York mayor for more than $1.3 million in allegedly unpaid legal fees dating back to 2019. That lawsuit, Costello says, is a consequence of Trump’s own refusal to pay Giuliani for years of work as Trump’s personal attorney.

Lawyers for Trump have landed in legal jeopardy due to his lies. They’ve been forced to testify against him, sanctioned, fined, stripped of law licenses, sued, and indicted. But none are in as much trouble as Rudy.