The 2014 session of the Arizona Legislature starts Monday with the Governor's State of the State Address to a joint session of the AZ House and AZ Senate (and a slew of media types, lobbyists, staffers, and well-connected lookie-loos).
Time for a preview of, and a few predictions for, the new session:
Membership/personnel changes at the lege for 2014, all in the Senate:
Out: Sen. Jack Jackson Jr. (D-LD7)
In: Sen Carlyle Begay (D-LD7)
Jackson resigned from the Senate to accept a position with the Obama administration. Begay is "officially" a Democrat from LD7, but there are concerns/rumors that he his neither a Democrat nor a resident of LD7.
Out: Sen. Rich Crandall (R-LD16)
In: Sen. David Farnsworth (R-LD16)
Crandall resigned from the Senate to accept the top education job in Wyoming. Don't know much about Farnsworth.
Out: Sen. Linda Lopez (D-LD2)
In: TBA
Lopez has resigned from the Senate in order to focus on a new job. No replacement has been selected as of this writing.
Out, as Senate Democratic leader: Sen. Leah Landrum-Taylor (D-LD27)
In: Sen. Anna Tovar (D-LD19)
The most surprising news emanating from the lege between the sessions was the unexpected change in the leadership of the Senate Democratic caucus. There were some hard feelings at the time, but like the Rs with their rift over AHCCCS restoration, most of the focus this session is expected to be on finishing as quickly as possible so that all members can focus on campaign activity.
My predictions and expectations for the session (minimal wiseass-ery involved) -
- Addressing the CPS scandal will be a priority, but since actually "fixing" the agency's problems will require addressing the root cause, chronic underfunding, don't expect much here. If any real work on CPS happens, it will be because Jan Brewer decides that her political career will expire when her term as governor does and she wants to burnish her "legacy".
- The state's budget/revenue situation is loosening, so the Rs will look for ways to worsen the state's structural deficit, probably with permanent tax cuts in response to temporary revenue increases.
- Some crazy bills will be proposed, considered, and passed. Rep. Steve Montenegro has promised submission of a bill proposal that would exempt religious officials (rabbis, priests, ministers, etc.) from having to perform ceremonies for same-sex marriages. The facts that same sex marriages are illegal in AZ, and there is no talk (that I've heard, anyway) of compelling such officials to perform such ceremonies. However, those are apparently minor details to Montenegro.
Montenegro's proposal isn't in bill form yet, but another crazy one is -
HB2030, where the Republicans from LD22, Reps. Phil Lovas and David Livingston and Sen. Judy Burges, propose requiring that most people who receive unemployment benefits pass a drug test.
- Democrats will propose some "good governance" proposals (Sen. Ed Ableser has a bunch of them in already). None of them will go anywhere unless an R decides to steal an idea and put his/her name on it.
- There will be some intra-caucus scuffles over past controversies (AHCCCS restoration for the Rs, Senate leadership changes for the Ds), but most real tiffs will be about two members going for the same office (i.e. - House Speaker Andy Tobin and Rep. Adam Kwasman going after the R nomination in CD1.)
- None of this stretching the session into June stuff this year; look for the lege to wrap things up by the end of April. They've got campaigning to do this year.
Other predictions:
From the Arizona Republic -
Senate GOP:
- Fix CPS.
- Efficient passage of the state's budget.
- Quick session.
Senate Dems:
- Fix CPS.
- Adequately funding education in the state budget.
- Improving cross-border trade and commerce with Mexico.
- Attracting business to AZ.
- Ethics reform.
House GOP:
- Fix CPS.
- HURF funding restoration (Highway User Revenue Fund). Much of its funds are currently "swept" by the lege into the state's General Fund to pay for non-road items. The state's roads, particularly those in rural areas, are starting to show the effects of reduced maintenance.
- Education funding.
House Dems:
- Fix CPS.
- Education funding.
- Close some tax loopholes.
From Channel 3's Politics Unplugged -
- The big issues, at least early in the session, will be the state's budget (which is always an issue) and addressing the CPS scandal.
- While the issue of "dark money" in campaigns may be addressed, expect any measures approved by the Republicans to be less about fixing the campaign finance system and more about making sure more money goes directly to underprivileged politicians.
- Legalizing the recreational use of marijuana: supported by some Democrats in the lege, but not going to happen unless approved by a referendum; legislative Rs will never go for it.
- Education funding increase: Democrats want it, but while legislative Rs "prioritize" education, their priorities don't include actually *paying* for it. They would much rather direct public resources to...
- Private prisons. Expect proposals from legislative Democrats to rein in private prisons a little; expect those measures to be thoroughly ignored by legislative Republicans.
From Channel 12's Sunday Square Off -
- GOP State Rep. Adam Kwasman and House Speaker Andy Tobin will be attacking each other hard this session - both are candidates for the GOP nomination for the CD1 seat.
- GOP State Sen. Michele Reagan and State Rep. Justin Pierce are both running for AZSOS. While their race may not be as rugged as the Tobin/Kwasman race, there will be a lot of "dark money" in the race. Expect a proposal from Reagan to bring some light into the dark money world, but not because she thinks dark money is bad.
Apparently, the expectation is that Pierce is going to be the bigger beneficiary of the dark money in the race.
Friday, January 10, 2014
Sunday, January 05, 2014
GOP solution to CPS scandal: Help abused children in AZ by undermining the education and health of all children in AZ
In the classic novel 1984, George Orwell coined a term, "doublethink", meaning the acceptance of two contradictory ideas at the same time.
It seems that the GOPer caucus of the lege has made doublethink a linchpin of their ideological platform tactical planning.
From Howard Fischer of Capitol Media Services, via the Arizona Daily Star -
First Things First is an early childhood health and education project implemented by the voters in 2006 when it became obvious that the Arizona Legislature, as a group, is more intent on sacrificing Arizona's children on the altar of GOP ideology/corporate greed than it doing its job - working for the benefit of all of Arizona.
First Things First, being created by a ballot question approved by the state's voters, is subject to the Voter Protection clause of the Arizona Constitution and can only be changed or ended by another ballot question.
The Republicans in the legislature have been attacking First Things First since its inception. In 2010, they put a question on the ballot to end it and grab the money for its own purposes.
That question failed miserably, even in what turned out to be a massive R wave year.
Apparently, this year they're going to try the "We're going to help the children by hurting the children. It's for the kids. Trust us. Really, just trust us" gambit.
Truly, if the majority in the lege has its way, those children in Arizona who are fortunate enough to reach adulthood (or, at least, old enough to be tried as adults), will make fine fodder for the ever-well -funded private prison industry.
I wonder what motivate$ their anti-children and pro-pri$on policie$? Hmmm...
It seems that the GOPer caucus of the lege has made doublethink a linchpin of their ideological platform tactical planning.
From Howard Fischer of Capitol Media Services, via the Arizona Daily Star -
A veteran state lawmaker wants voters to siphon cash away from a program for early-childhood development and redirect it to help fund services for foster children and the families that care for them.
Rep. John Kavanagh, R-Fountain Hills, said it’s clear that additional money is needed to ensure laws against child abuse and neglect are being enforced.
Child Protective Services has been running a backlog of 10,000 cases listed as inactive, meaning there has been no action on them in at least two months. And that is on top of the more than 6,500 complaints that were recently discovered to have been entirely ignored and now are finally being investigated.
All that, Kavanagh said, will have to come from general tax revenues.
But he said there is other money potentially available for foster-care families: revenues from an 80-cent-a-pack tax on cigarettes that voters approved in 2006. He said some of the funds from First Things First, which now finance everything from pre-kindergarten programs to subsidized child care, might be better spent on families with more immediate needs.
First Things First is an early childhood health and education project implemented by the voters in 2006 when it became obvious that the Arizona Legislature, as a group, is more intent on sacrificing Arizona's children on the altar of GOP ideology/corporate greed than it doing its job - working for the benefit of all of Arizona.
First Things First, being created by a ballot question approved by the state's voters, is subject to the Voter Protection clause of the Arizona Constitution and can only be changed or ended by another ballot question.
The Republicans in the legislature have been attacking First Things First since its inception. In 2010, they put a question on the ballot to end it and grab the money for its own purposes.
That question failed miserably, even in what turned out to be a massive R wave year.
Apparently, this year they're going to try the "We're going to help the children by hurting the children. It's for the kids. Trust us. Really, just trust us" gambit.
Truly, if the majority in the lege has its way, those children in Arizona who are fortunate enough to reach adulthood (or, at least, old enough to be tried as adults), will make fine fodder for the ever-well -funded private prison industry.
I wonder what motivate$ their anti-children and pro-pri$on policie$? Hmmm...
Thursday, January 02, 2014
GOP caucus in the lege finds a way to suppress public input by calling it an "improvement"
For the record, I *really* hope I'm wrong about the motivation behind this, but given the character and track records of the people behind this move, I'm not holding out much hope for that...
From an AZ House GOP press release -
The section most important to concerned citizens and other lege watchers is at the bottom of the press release (emphasis added) -
To make a long story short:
The Arizona Legislature has a "Request To Speak" system for people to sign in to if they wish to weigh in on a measure that's up for committee consideration, whether in person at the Capitol or remotely via the internet.
Users, even remote users, must set up their account while physically at the Capitol. Inconvenient, but the current system has been in place long enough that most people who are interested in doing so have been able to set up an account.
That includes people people who tend to criticize the lege, but who, because of a conflicting work schedule or simple sheer distance, cannot travel to the Capitol on a regular basis.
Now, in the name of "efficiency", those people have all had their ability to have direct input on measures before the lege removed.
Much like the higher campaign contribution limits in last session's HB2593, it grants greater influence to the lobbyists. HB2593 enhances the effect of lobbyists' deep pockets; this move enhances the effect of lobbyists' constant presence at the Capitol.
It's also kind of like the voter suppression moves in HB2305, but done in a way that the voters cannot block or overturn.
From an AZ House GOP press release -
The section most important to concerned citizens and other lege watchers is at the bottom of the press release (emphasis added) -
Important to note:
• All users will have to create a new account to access the new system; old accounts will not be carried over to the new system
• Setting up a new account requires a visit to the Legislature, once setup the account will work for committee meetings scheduled in both the House and the Senate
• After the account is setup, users will be able to access it remotely in order to make a request to speak at a committee meeting
To make a long story short:
The Arizona Legislature has a "Request To Speak" system for people to sign in to if they wish to weigh in on a measure that's up for committee consideration, whether in person at the Capitol or remotely via the internet.
Users, even remote users, must set up their account while physically at the Capitol. Inconvenient, but the current system has been in place long enough that most people who are interested in doing so have been able to set up an account.
That includes people people who tend to criticize the lege, but who, because of a conflicting work schedule or simple sheer distance, cannot travel to the Capitol on a regular basis.
Now, in the name of "efficiency", those people have all had their ability to have direct input on measures before the lege removed.
Much like the higher campaign contribution limits in last session's HB2593, it grants greater influence to the lobbyists. HB2593 enhances the effect of lobbyists' deep pockets; this move enhances the effect of lobbyists' constant presence at the Capitol.
It's also kind of like the voter suppression moves in HB2305, but done in a way that the voters cannot block or overturn.
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