Violence directed at abortion rights protesters: It's already started

Faux News and other Murdoch-owned outlets, Cheeto and his vassals may insist that any violence is directed at anti-choicers, but that's not the case.

From NBC News -

Rhode Island officer arrested in alleged assault of Senate opponent at abortion rally

An off-duty Rhode Island police officer who was running for state Senate was arrested on an assault charge after allegedly attacking his female opponent during an abortion rights protest Friday night.

Providence police patrolman Jeann Lugo, 35, was arrested on charges of simple assault and disorderly conduct, state police said Saturday. Lugo turned himself in, was arraigned and released, it said.

From the AZ Mirror, written by Jerod MacDonald-Evoy -

Legislature ends its session amid protests, tear gas

State senators had to briefly flee the chamber’s floor Friday night as they worked to end the 2022 legislative session when state troopers fired smoke bombs and tear gas when protesters, who had gathered outside the legislative buildings to denounce the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade and ending abortion rights, allegedly tried to breach the Senate building.

The fumes leaked into the building, causing the senators to leave the part of the chamber where they gather to deliberate bills and instead set up shop in a committee hearing room.

Legislative schedule - week starting 6/26/2022 and until January

They adjourned on Friday, so nothing is on the schedule for this week.

They did pass a raft of bad bills on Friday, and during the rest of the session, so the AZLegislature qualifies as "The Gift From Hell That Keeps on Giving."

The damage they wreaked will be hurting Arizona, and Arizonans, for years to come.

Anyway, as they've adjourned, this should be the last schedule post until January.

Federal Committee update

From the website of the Federal Election Commission -

Democrat Bies is a beekeeper in Northern AZ who's challenging incumbent Tom O'Halleran for the Congressional seat in CD2.  Not on the ballot and not yet a declared write-in candidate.

Democrat Lucier is a veteran in Central AZ who's challenging Paul Gosar (and a host of other Rs) for the Congressional seat in CD9.  Not on the ballot but is a declared write-in candidate (there is another, but that person has yet to form a committee.

Disclosure time: I've known Lucier for many years and think that he's worthy of any Democrat's write-in effort, and if he wins the Democratic primary and gains enough votes to be on the general election ballot, he'll be worthy of everyone's vote.

Kelli Ward has a bad day

Perhaps justifiably, this tidbit was lost in the hubbub surrounding SCOTUS' overturning of Roe was this.

From the AZ Mirror, written by Jerod MacDonald-Evoy -

AZGOP Chairwoman Kelli Ward subpoenaed in connection with false elector slate

Arizona GOP Chairwoman Kelli Ward was issued a subpoena by the Department of Justice along with other Arizonans who signed onto a document that would have sent fake electors to Congress on Jan. 6.

Politico first broke the news of Ward and her husband Michael being subject of a subpoena, citing an unnamed source who was familiar with the case but could not speak publicly. Alexander Kolodin, the Wards’ attorney and an attorney for both the Arizona Senate and Cyber Ninjas, confirmed to the Arizona Republic that he was representing them in the matter.

Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade: a dark day for America

June 24, 2022 joins November 8, 2016 (the day Cheeto "won" election as POTUS) and January 6, 2021 (the day Cheeto et. al. tried to overturn the results of the election he lost) are dark days in modern American history.

From NPR -

Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, ending right to abortion upheld for decades

In a historic and far raching [sic] decision, the U.S. Supreme Court officially reversed Roe v. Wade on Friday, declaring that the constitutional right to abortion upheld for nearly a half century, no longer exists.

Writing for the court majority, Justice Samuel Alito said that the 1973 Roe ruling and repeated subsequent high court decisions reaffirming Roe "must be overruled" because they were "egregiously wrong," the arguments "exceptionally weak" and so "damaging" that they amounted to "an abuse of judicial authority."

The decision, most of which was leaked in early May, means that abortion rights will be rolled back in nearly half of the states immediately, with more restrictions likely to follow. For all practical purposes, abortion will not be available in large swaths of the country. The decision may well mean too that the court itself, as well as the abortion question, will become a focal point in the upcoming fall elections and in the fall and thereafter.

The slippery slope part has already started.

From CNBC -

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas says gay rights, 

contraception rulings should be reconsidered after Roe is 

overturned

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas on Friday said landmark high court rulings that established gay rights and contraception rights should be reconsidered now that the federal right to abortion has been revoked.

Thomas wrote that those rulings “were demonstrably erroneous decisions.”

The cases he mentioned are Griswold vs. Connecticut, the 1965 ruling in which the Supreme Court said married couples have the right to obtain contraceptives; Lawrence v. Texas, which in 2003 established the right to engage in private sexual acts; and the 2015 ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges, which said there is a right to same-sex marriage.

Thomas’ recommendation to reconsider that trio of decisions does not have the force of legal precedent, nor does it compel his colleagues on the Supreme Court to take the action he suggested.

But it is an implicit invitation to conservative lawmakers in individual states to pass legislation that might run afoul of the Supreme Court’s past decisions, with an eye toward having that court potentially reverse those rulings.

Have there been any SCOTUS rulings on being married to a traitor?

The ass covering part has already started, too.

From NBC News -

Collins, Manchin suggest they were misled by Kavanaugh and Gorsuch on Roe v. Wade

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., criticized the Supreme Court's ruling Friday to eliminate the constitutional right to an abortion, after they voted to confirm Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch, two key votes in the decision to overturn a half-century-old precedent.

“This decision is inconsistent with what Justices Gorsuch and Kavanaugh said in their testimony and their meetings with me, where they both were insistent on the importance of supporting long-standing precedents that the country has relied upon," Collins said in a statement.

I'm not exactly a fan of the characters of Sens. Collins or Manchin, but I don't low rate their intelligences, but they, apparently, have low opinions of our intelligences.

Betcha Rusty Bowers isn't on Ginni Thomas' Christmas card list

Her email list?  Certainly.

Her Christmas card list?  Almost certainly not.

From CNN -

Arizona lawmaker Rusty Bowers details the pressure put on him by Trump and Giuliani

Arizona House Speaker Rusty Bowers, a Republican, told the committee during today's hearing about the pressure put on him by former President Donald Trump and his allies, including Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani.

Bowers testified that Giuliani told him of allegations of voter fraud committed by undocumented immigrants or dead people who were listed as having voted.

Bowers said he and other GOP legislators pushed for explanations into the theories and for Giuliani to provide sufficient evidence to justify recalling the state's presidential electors.

"In my recollection," Bowers said of Giuliani, "he said, We have lots of theories we just don't have the evidence.'"

One thing from the article really caught my attention.  Cheeto and his minions really consider treason to be a partisan issue. (Emphasis added by me)

""You are asking me to do something against my oath, and I will not break my oath," he said he told Trump and Giuliani, to which the former New York mayor said: "Aren't we all Republicans here? I would think we'd get a better reception."

GOPer pushes for violence...toward other GOPers

Geez, and I thought AZ GOP primaries were crazy. 

Oh wait...they are.  It's just a question of how long before a candidate here goes to the same place.

My first guess: Blake Masters.

Second guess: Mark Finchem.

Third guess: Paul Gosar, but any AZGOPer could go here.

Actually, more than one could go here.

From CNN -

This GOP Senate candidate just released a video calling for some Republicans to be hunted

On Sunday, Illinois Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger said he received a letter in the mail a few days ago that threatened to execute him, his wife and their newborn.

"There is violence in the future, I'm going to tell you," Kinzinger said on ABC's "This Week." "And until we get a grip on telling people the truth, we can't expect any differently."

Less than 24 hours later, Eric Greitens, a leading contender for the Republican Senate nomination in Missouri, released a new video in which he is depicted as hunting RINOs (Republicans in Name Only).

"I'm Eric Greitens, Navy SEAL, and today we're going RINO hunting." Greitens says as he walks down a sidewalk with a gun in hand.

And violence toward anyone, even GOPers, is a bad thing that should never be tolerated.

The silence from AZGOPers is deafening.

Can jailbirds issue pardons?

From The Hill -

Trump says he would look ‘very, very seriously’ at pardons for Jan 6 defendants if reelected

Former President Trump said on Friday that he would look “very, very seriously” at pardoning those charged in connection with storming the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, if he ran for and became president again. 

Speaking during a Faith and Freedom event in Nashville, Tenn., Trump said the defendants charged in the Capitol riot were “having their lives totally destroyed and being treated worse than terrorists and murderers,” claiming that most had been “charged with parading through the Capitol.”

If one could, this one would probably just pardon himself, and only himself.

And fundraise off of both.

Of course, this could just be his attempt attempt at tampering with witnesses.

Well, this should be interesting: Bowers to talk to the January 6 Committee

From CNN -

Arizona House speaker, who resisted Trump pressure campaign, testifying at January 6 hearing Tuesday

Rusty Bowers, a Republican and Arizona state House speaker, will testify at a Tuesday hearing focusing on former President Donald Trump's pressure on state officials to overturn Joe Biden's victory in 2020, a member of the committee confirmed to CNN.

Bowers will join Georgia's election officials — Brad Raffensperger and Gabe Sterling — who will be part of a panel before the January 6 committee detailing Trump's campaign to force states to overturn their certified election results.

Rep. Zoe Lofgren, a California Democrat, confirmed CNN's earlier reporting about Bowers testifying during an interview with CNN's Jim Acosta on "Newsroom."

That explains why there are no floor sessions on the lege's schedule for Tuesday 

Apparently, a certain bishop didn't get the message

From The Hill -

Bishop says school flying BLM, LGBTQ flags can no longer call itself Catholic

A Massachusetts middle school may no longer describe itself as Catholic after refusing to lower a Black Lives Matter flag and an LGBTQ+ Pride flag, a local bishop has declared.

Bishop Robert J. McManus on Thursday said the Nativity School of Worcester, a tuition-free middle school for boys from low-income families, is prohibited from identifying as a Catholic School over its decision to fly the flags, which he said in April represented ideologies that are inconsistent with Catholic beliefs.

"Catholic beliefs"?  Really?

Where in Catholic teachings do those teachings say that it's OK to kill someone because of their skin color?  Or that the intended victims shouldn't object to it?

And isn't kind of hypocritical of any member of Church management to cast the first stone on LGBTQ+ issues?

Anyway, from the website of the National Catholic Educational Association (emphasis added by me) -

[snip]

U. S. Catholic school enrollment reached its peak during the early 1960s when there were more than 5.2 million students in almost thirteen thousand schools across the nation. The 1970s and 1980s saw a steep decline in both the number of schools and students. By 1990, there were approximately 2.5 million students in 8,719 schools. From the mid-1990s through 2000, there was a steady enrollment increase (1.3%) despite continued closings of schools.

From the website of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (emphasis added by me) -

Catholic Education

These facts are for 2016-2017 unless otherwise noted.

The Catholic Church runs the largest network of private schools in the United States. Total Catholic elementary/middle and high school enrollment for the 2016-2017 academic year is 1,878,824.  

• Elementary/middle schools: 5,224 schools educating 1,309,429 students.
• High schools: 1,205 schools educating 569,395 students.
• 6,429 total Catholic (elementary/middle and high) schools in the United States.

Maybe someone should tell that bishop that further reducing the quantity of Catholic schools is NOT a good idea.

Note: I grew up in Worcester County MA (which is why this caught my attention) and was a Catholic...until I realized that the nuns who taught CCD didn't like left-handed people or people who objected to being told how to think.

This isn't a criticism of Catholicism (or any other religion).  I just happen to believe that good people are good people, and that bad people are bad, whether or not those people profess a particular religious belief. 

Religious beliefs are just words, while actions matter more.

Harming others while citing religion and/or political ideology?  Still qualifies as harming others.

Something that certain members of the Arizona Legislature should take to heart.

Legislative schedule - week starting 6/19/2022

Not much on the public schedule at the legislature (missing items include a budget).

There are two committee meetings on tap this week, and neither is of a standing committee.

On Tuesday 6/21, a conference committee for SB1412 meets at 11:30 a.m. in SHR1.  SB1412 is an anti-CRT bill proposed by the Republicans.  The Senate members of the conference committee are Republicans J.D. Mesnard (the bill sponsor) and Paul Boyer, while the Democratic member is Martin Quezada.  The House members are Republicans Michelle Udall and Beverly Pingerelli while the Democratic member is Jennifer Pawlik.

I don't know which version of the bill, House or Senate, will ultimately be approved, but I expect it to be the least good/most oppressive one.

On Thursday 6/23, the House Ad Hoc Committee on Abuse and Neglect of Vulnerable Adults meets at 1 p.m. in HHR1.  They're scheduled to hear both a report from the Arizona Auditor General about the Arizona Department of Health Services and a response to that report from DHS.

I don't expect it to go well for DHS.  To put it mildly.

However, R proposed "solutions" never change.

From the linked story from the AZMirror, written by Jerod MacDonald-Evoy -

[snip]

“This report is pretty horrific,” Rep. Steve Kaiser, R-Phoenix, said. “Why shouldn’t we privatize this and take away this function?”

[snip]

“You already have too much bureaucracy,” Kaiser shot back, saying that the Department should implement the federally recommended practices that the auditor general suggested. “You’re creating a mess.” 

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. 

It's nice to have priorities. Those of Arizona's GOP legislators include "govern by fear of hypotheticals"

The Arizona Legislature exists for one primary reason - craft and pass the state's budget.

Notwithstanding the fact that certain Rs have turned the state capitol into a giant cat litter box (if that's too subtle, think "some of the nuggets produced there stink to high heaven.")

The fact that the state is now less than two weeks from running out of money and plummeting over a fiscal cliff is a testament to the unwillingness of R legislators to do their jobs.

Don't fret though - while R legislators aren't doing their jobs, they ARE thinking of things to do.

From the AZMirror, written by Jerod MacDonald-Evoy and Jim Small -

Arizona Senate Republicans want to outlaw kids at drag shows

Arizona State Senate Republican leaders announced Tuesday that they want to make it illegal for anyone under 18 to attend drag shows in Arizona, though the actual details of what will be proposed are a “work in progress,” the measure’s likely sponsor said.

“In a civil society, you don’t bring your children up like that,” said Sen. Vince Leach, a Republican from Saddlebrooke.

Is "govern for 100 years" the MAGA equivalent of "thousand year Reich"?

From BusinessInsider -

Steve Bannon ranted outside a courthouse in DC, claiming MAGA will 'destroy the Democratic Party' and 'govern for 100 years'

At a Wednesday media appearance in Washington, DC, Trump ally and adviser Steve Bannon claimed without basis that the MAGA movement will take over the US and rule for a hundred years.

Bannon addressed the media on June 15 outside the E. Barrett Prettyman Courthouse after a three-hour court hearing, during which Bannon attempted to get the criminal contempt of Congress charges against him dropped. Judge Carl Nichols rejected Bannon's challenge, greenlighting the trial against the former Trump adviser. Bannon will be tried on July 18 on two counts of contempt of Congress for refusing to sit for a sworn deposition or give records to the House select committee investigating the Capitol riot.

Given the havoc wreaked by Cheeto et. al. after four years, will there be a country left to govern after even 10 years of MAGA, much less 100?

(Alleged) QAnon leader accuses QAnon adherent of apostasy: ideological equivalent of a mobius strip?

From the AZ Mirror, written by Jerod MacDonald-Evoy -

Ron Watkins files an ethics complaint against Wendy Rogers, alleging she put his life in danger

Ron Watkins, the man purported to be an architect of the QAnon conspiracy theory, filed an ethics complaint against Republican state Sen. Wendy Rogers for a post she made about him on social media.

Watkins’ complaint stems from a February post by Rogers on Telegram, an encrypted messaging app favored by conservatives, in which she asked the “Groyper army” to “hit” Watkins. 

Rogers was asking her fans and allies in the “groyper army” to go after the QAnon conspiracy theorist turned Congressional candidate because he had alleged Rogers, a Flagstaff Republican who has built her political brand on spreading lies about the 2020 election, was involved in some sort of “backroom deal” that was preventing some equipment from being examined for alleged election fraud. There is no evidence of such a backroom deal.

What's a mobius strip?

From Scientific American -

More like a snake eating itself.

From Newsweek -

Legislative schedule - week starting 6/12/2022

Not much is on the legislature's public schedule this week, though Thursday could be a popcorn-riffic day.

Looks boring, though Thursday could be fun to watch.

On Thursday, June 16, Senate Health and Human Services meets at 1 p.m. in SHR1 to consider some executive nominations.

Also on Thursday, the Senate and House Committees of Reference on Health and Human Services will hold a joint meeting at 2 p.m.in order to receive a presentation from the Arizona Department of Health Services.

The fun part?

The membership of both the Senate committee and the Senate committee of reference include former allies and current rivals Kelly Townsend and Wendy Rogers.

Both are running for the same seat.

If both show up, things could get kind of "awkward."

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.