The CD1 candidate field is getting crowded

Kurt Kroemer, an experienced exec for non-profits, has formed a committee in the D race to unseat the vulnerable R David Schweikert.

Kroemer has already started his campaign - he sent out a mass text on Wednesday.

He joins Amish Shah, a doctor and member of the Arizona Legislature, and Andrei Cherny, a former chair of the Arizona Democratic Party, in the race.  

They may be the earliest entrants, but I don't expect them to be the last ones.

Disclosure time: While I haven't made a decision as yet, because of a move, I now live in CD1 and will be voting in this primary.

'Bye Parler: Turns out that catering exclusively to nuts and bigots isn't profitable.

Pointed at this by Taegan Goddard's Political Wire.

From Variety -

Parler Shut Down by New Owner: ‘A Twitter Clone’ for Conservatives Is Not a ‘Viable Business’

Parler, the self-described “uncancelable free-speech social platform” that catered to right-wing users — which was nearly acquired by Kanye West last year — has been shut down by its new owner.

“No reasonable person believes that a Twitter clone just for conservatives is a viable business any more,” Arlington, Va.-based digital media company Starboard said in announcing Friday that it had acquired Parler. The terms of the deal are not being disclosed; Starboard said it expects the deal to be accretive by the end of the second quarter of 2023.

A platform that was favored by Paul Gosar is/was not economically viable.

Who'da thunk it ?

Legislative schedule - week starting 4/16/2023

Nada.

For legislative committee meetings, there's nothing scheduled for this week, though that could change on a moment's notice (so keep an eye out as the lege has been known to get sneaky).

Actually, they don't even have floor sessions on tap for Monday though they may have floor sessions later in the week to consider and pass bills that will be vetoed by Governor Hobbs.

The only thing they have left is the same thing they began the session to do - the state's budget, and that could come down at any time.

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. 

Apparently, threatening to close things down is the MAGAt version of taking their ball and going away...when they don't get their way.

Note: Llano County Texas is a small county northwest of Austin.

From NBC -

Texas county will keep library system open and comply with judge's order to put banned books back in circulation

A small-town Texas library system threatened with extinction was spared Thursday after the Llano County commissioners said they would abide by a federal judge's order to restore the books they banned rather than shut the system down.

Llano County Judge Ron Cunningham, who is the head of the county commission, made the announcement after county leaders heard from more than a dozen residents at an emergency meeting.

"The library will remain open while we try this in the courts, rather than through the news media," said Cunningham, who said the county has already spent more than $100,000 on legal costs and vowed to appeal the federal judge's decision.

Residents turned out in droves to protect their library system

Also from the NBC story -

"That's a victory," the Rev. Kevin Henderson of Sunrise Beach Federated Church declared. "That's a victory for free speech!"

[snip]

"These books are not pornographic," librarian Suzette Baker, who works at the Kingsland branch of the system, told the commissioners.

Jeff Scoggins paused from livestreaming the meeting to warn the commissioners that they will hear it from the voters if they bow to a "minority" that is pushing to close the libraries.

[snip]

"We're really concerned they might just shut the libraries down," Leila Green Little, one of seven people who successfully sued the county in federal court for banning the books, said ahead of the meeting.

"Our library system was started over a 100 years ago by a group of Llano County women who used to meet by our river to read books," Little added. "That was the humble start of our library system. And if they were to shut it down, it would absolutely be the end of a key piece of our county's history."

Two things:

1. My guess is this isn't over.

2. How long before MAGAts, say, the R caucus in the Arizona legislature, come for public education?  They already hate public ed; threatening it won't be a stretch for them.

See: the reaction of Rs to Red for Ed.

Well, the first* Republican announces for the R primary in the 2024 race for US Senate

A "colorful" Pinal County sheriff not named Paul Babeu has announced his intent to run for the seat.

Mark Lamb, professional bigot and stone trumper (yes, I'm being redundant there) announced his candidacy today.  He's not the first R in that particular primary, hence the "*", but he's the first recognizable name to form a committee.

His treasurer is Lisa Lisker of Virginia.

Other Rs who may be looking at the race include (some of this speculation I've heard in news reports, some I'm pulling out of my...ear :) ):

Kari Lake, Karrin Taylor Robson, Blake Masters, Doug Ducey, Mark Brnovich, Sal DiCiccio, and for a dark horse candidate, I'll toss out one name, Kyrsten Sinema.  If she becomes a Republican.  My guess is that even they won't accept her.

There will be others, of course, and not all of those listed will actually run, but I'll be surprised if at least two don't do so.

VP Harris' speech in support of the Tennessee Three

I attempted to embed the C-SPAN video of the speech, but failed :(

The video is available here.

Courtesy the White House, the content of the speech -

Remarks by Vice President Harris at Fisk University

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Well, hello, everybody.  Hello, Nashville.  (Applause.)  (Laughs.)

 AUDIENCE MEMBER:  We love you, Kamala!

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  I love you.  (Applause.)  That’s why I’m here.  That’s why I’m here.  I love you.

 Please have a seat.  

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  I love you!

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Please have a se- — (laughs) —

Mayor Cooper — Mayor Cooper, it is good to see you again.  And I thank you for your leadership and the courage with which you have led for your tenure, but in particular over these last weeks.  (Applause.)

The mayor met with me — every time I come.  And you have been a clear voice around what smart governance can look like when people have the courage to lead.  (Applause.)  Thank you.

So, before I discuss the reason for our convening, I do want to mention the devastating tornadoes that have taken place in this state over the last two weeks and across this region. 

Lives have been lost here in Tennessee.  And as many of you know, the President — our President, Joe Biden, approved today a disaster declaration.  And we will continue to support the families in the community.  And our prayers and our thoughts are with all of those who have been affected.  

So, we are here at Fisk University.  (Applause.)  We are here.  And as we know —

AUDIENCE:  (Inaudible.) 

 THE VICE PRESIDENT:  (Laughs.)  I get that.  I get that.  As a proud HBCU graduate, I get that.

So, as the students, as the young leaders here know, the legacy of this extraordinary place of education in America has produced leaders who have gone on to be not only national leaders, but global leaders.  And I’m reminded, in particular this afternoon, of two of those leaders: the late, great John Lewis — (applause) — and, of course, the phenomenal Diane Nash.  (Applause.)


And what they learned and then taught was that if one is to understand that you are born a leader and it is just a matter of when you decide to kick that in, then you know that we will see leadership at every stage of life if people choose to turn that on.  

 And we have seen that here in Tennessee over the last couple of weeks.  We have seen over 7,000 students and young leaders go to the capitol to talk about what John Lewis and Diane Nash talked about — the importance of freedom, the importance of liberty, the importance of respecting the right of all people to live where they receive dignity, where they live in a place that they can be free from harm.  

 And so we are here, understanding the broad shoulders upon which we all stand — those fighters for freedom and liberty and justice, those fighters who understood the truth must never be stifled or silenced when it is on behalf of the people.  (Applause.)

And so I want to start by recognizing the Tennessee Three.  (Applause.)  Please stand.  (Applause.)

We are here because they and their colleagues, the Democratic caucus of the state legislature — and I’d ask you to stand as well, please — (applause) — because they chose to show courage in the face of an extreme tragedy, which is that 11 days ago, six people — three educators and three babies, nine years old — were murdered senselessly due to gun violence.

They chose to lead and show courage to say that a democracy allows for places where the people’s voice will be heard and honored and respected.  And they understood the importance, these three, of standing to say that people will not be silenced; to say that a democracy hears the cries, hears the pleas, who hears the demands of its people who say that children should be able to live and be safe and go to school and not be in fear.  (Applause.)


They said, “We understand, when we took an oath to represent the people who elected us, that we speak on behalf of them.”  It wasn’t about the three of these leaders; it was about who they were representing.  It’s about whose voices they were channeling.  (Applause.)  Understand that.  And is that not what a democracy allows?  (Applause.)

A democracy says you don’t silence the people.  You do not stifle the people.  You don’t turn off their microphones when they are speaking — (applause) — about the importance of life and liberty.  (Applause.)  That is not what a democracy does.  (Applause.)

And understand — so, they turned off the microphones.  They tried to tell them to sit down and be quiet.  But they understood that the voices must be heard.  

So think about this: In order to make sure the voices were represented in that place where elected leaders are supposed to lead in a democracy, these leaders had to get a bullhorn.  (Applause.)  They had to get a bullhorn to be heard.  (Applause.)

Well, you know what?  That happens in a democracy too.  (Applause.)  That happens in a democracy too.

If the students’ demand, if the moms’ demand, if the people’s demand is not being heard by those who should listen and care and contemplate and reflect and think about “Maybe I should give this a moment to listen, give it a fair chance to be heard.  If I feel like I’m so right, shouldn’t I have the courage to debate it?”  (Applause.)

 Make your case.  Make your case.  You don’t turn off the microphones.  

 And then they do that, and then guess what?  Because you know what?  Can’t have those voices in that room challenging notions about who should say what and when and where.  “Let’s expel them.”


Can you imagine?  “Let’s get rid of them entirely.”  “Let’s remove them, not only for that moment, but remove these people who have been elected to represent the people.  And let us decide who should represent the people.”  

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  That is not a democracy.

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  What is that?  That is not a democracy.  That is not a democracy.  

You can’t walk around with your lapel pin — (applause) — and you’re not representing the values that we hold dear as Americans.

You can’t walk around and talk about protocol.  Protocol and procedures were devised to require and allow and encourage debate and discussion and, yes, dissension.  (Applause.)  But these so-called leaders tried to shut it down instead.  

But we’re not having that.  (Applause.)  We’re not having that.  

And so, the thousands of young leaders who descended on the capitol and continue to organize, continue to require that the voices be heard — because let’s understand: The underlying issue is about fighting for the safety of our children.  (Applause.)  Saying that, you know, our babies are going to school — it’s been years now where they’re taught to read and write and hide in a closet and be quiet if there’s a mass shooter at their school; where our children, who have God’s capacity to learn and lead, who go to school in fear if their back is to the back of the door, that they don’t know what might be coming through the door.  

Our children are being traumatized by this fear.  Parents are wondering and asking and praying every time they send their child to school or take their child to school that their baby might come home safe.  Think about the underlying issue.

You know, some things are up for partisan debate.  Sure.  And they will, because that is also a sign of a democracy.  But on the issue of smart gun safety laws, background checks — (applause) — background checks.

The policy is really pretty straightforward.  It’s to say, you might want to know before someone buys a gun whether they’ve been found by a court to be a danger to themselves or others.  You just might want to know.  (Applause.)  You might want to know if someone has shown themselves to be violent before they can go and buy a gun.  You just might want to know.  It’s reasonable.  

The mayor talked about red flag laws.  When we know and when a community or a family knows, shouldn’t we listen?  Shouldn’t we listen?

 Assault weapons — these are weapons of war.  These are weapons that were designed to kill a lot of people quickly.  No place on the streets of a civil society.  (Applause.)
     
Part of the underlying point is: Let’s not fall for the false choice, which suggests you’re either in favor of the Second Amendment or you want reasonable gun safety laws.  We can and should do both.  (Applause.)  Don’t fall for the false choice.


So the underlying issue is one that we are witnessing over and over again.  This community experienced it firsthand just 11 days ago.  I have been to Atlanta, I have been to Buffalo, I have been to Highland Park and Monterey Park, just in the last several months.  

 You know, and — and the thing is is that it’s not like we’re trying to figure out how we should deal with a policy around smart gun safety laws.  The ideas are there.  The issue, which gets back to these three, is that we need leaders who have the courage to act — (applause) — at state houses and in Washington, D.C., in the United States Congress.  (Applause.)  Have the courage to act — (applause) — instead of the cowardice to not allow debate and to not allow a discussion on the merits of what is at stake.

Courage.  You can’t call yourself a leader if you don’t have the courage to know what is right and act on it, regardless of the popularity of the moment.  (Applause.)

So I’m going to close with this point.  I do believe that every generation has its calling, that there are moments in time that find you and require and depend on your leadership.  And so, in particular to all the young leaders here, this issue is going to require your leadership.  It is.

I spent time as the United States senate- — senator in the United States Congress.  Before that, I was an attorney general, leading the second-largest Department of Justice in the United States.  I’m now Vice President of the United States, and I’m telling you — (applause) — and I’m sharing that with you — I’m sharing that with you, the young leaders here, to tell you we need you.  We need you.  

Every movement — every movement, in my perspective, that has been about progress in our country was led by the young leaders, like John Lewis and Diane Nash and you.  (Applause.)  The Justins.  (Applause.)  Every one of them.

And so we are going to be depending on you, in solidarity with the work we will all do in our respective positions, to lead.  

You speak with such clarity.  You speak by telling the truth through a lived experience.  Your voices are part of the conscience of our country.  

When we need, in these moments in time, people who have something in them that is about empathy, about care, about a sense of responsibility for their brother and sister, we need you all.  And your leadership in this movement is going to impact people that you may never meet, people who may never know your name, but because of your leadership, they will forever be benefited.  

So I say all that to say: We will not be defeated.  We will not be deterred.  (Applause.)  We will not throw up our hands when it is time to roll up our sleeves.  (Applause.)  We will fight.  We will lead.  We will speak the truth.  We will speak about freedom and justice.  (Applause.)  And we will march on.  (Applause.)

     All right.  (Applause.)

What's worse, craven or depraved?

Actually, it doesn't matter.

Both the House Republican caucus in Tennessee and Greg Abbott, the governor of Texas qualify.

First, the House Republican caucus in Tennessee -

From BBC:

Lawmakers expelled: What to know about the 'Tennessee Three'

Tennessee's House of Representatives has expelled two Democratic lawmakers for leading gun control demonstrations from the House floor.

Republicans accused three Democratic representatives of bringing "disorder and dishonour to the House".

Expelling lawmakers from their elected positions is an exceptionally rare move in state legislatures.

Thursday's votes made the expulsions even more controversial when House Republicans chose to expel two black representatives but not the third Democrat, a white woman.

BBC has a pic of the behavior that so bothered the TN House GOP -

I wonder what the two who were expelled have in common, other than being Democrats? (That's a rhetorical question.)

If only they resembled the TN House GOP member as seen in this group photo -

OK, this isn't really a group photo of the TN House GOP caucus.  Though it could be.  There's a certain similarity in pigmentation and susceptibility to an increase in temperature.  Actually, this pic is from the National Weather Service.

Still, as bad as the GOP caucus in the TN House was, Governor Greg Abbott of Texas may have been worse.  His response upon seeing the public lynching in TN was "hold my beer."

From the Austin American-Statesman -

Gov. Greg Abbott announces he will push to pardon Daniel Perry who was convicted of murder

Less than 24 hours after a jury in Austin found Daniel Perry guilty of shooting to death a protester, Gov. Greg Abbott announced on social media Saturday that he would pardon the convicted killer as soon as a request "hits my desk."

The unprecedented effort, which Abbott announced to his 1 million followers on Twitter, came as Abbott faced growing calls from national conservative figures such as Fox News host Tucker Carlson and Kyle Rittenhouse, who was acquitted in the shooting deaths of two Wisconsin protesters in 2020, to act to urgently undo the conviction. 

Using his position to aid and abet murder?

Worse.

Legislative schedule - week starting 4/9/2023

I thought that this post was easy last week when only the Appropriations committees could meet for new consideration of bills (the full chambers and the Rules committees of the respective chambers can still meet, but they can only consider bills that were already heard in committee).

The lege has made this even easier though - the Appropriations committees aren't scheduled to meet this week, though that could change on short notice.

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, 4/10 

-

Senate Transportation and Technology meets at 2 p.m. in SHR2.  No bills on the agenda just one presentation.  From the agenda - "Project Programming, Greg Byres, Arizona Department of Transportation Deputy Director/State Engineer"

On Tuesday, 4/11 -

Nada scheduled.

On Wednesday, 4/12 

-

Senate Education meets at 2 p.m. in SHR1.  No bills on the agenda; just two presentations.  From the agenda - "K-12 Per Pupil Funding - Joint Legislative Budget Committee Staff" and "FY 2022 School District Spending - Office of the Auditor General."

Guessing that charter schools won't be mentioned, unless the staffers from JLBC and/or OAG wish to confess to having knowledge of a ploy to siphon public monies away from public schools and into private pockets.

Maybe one of the committee's Democrats should read the Miranda Warning to the presenters before they speak.

On Thursday, 4/13 -

Nada scheduled.

Well, we have the first official Democratic primary for Congress. Actually, we have two.

And it's still early.

On 4/4, Phoenix City Council member Yassamin Ansari formed a committee for a run at replacing Senate candidate Ruben Gallego (D) in CD3.

On 4/5, State Senator and former chair of the AZ Democratic Party (ADP), Raquel Teran formed one for a run at the same seat.

It's widely expected that Laura Pastor will jump into the race, too.

On 4/6, a name who's a bit of blast from the past, former ADP chair and 2012 candidate for Congress, Andrei Cherny formed a committee for a run at the CD1 seat held by ethically challenged R David Schweikert.  He joins current State Rep. and doctor. Amish Shah in the race.

I do expect there to be Democratic primaries in R held districts CD2 (Northern AZ) and CD6 (in Southern AZ), so 2024 should be a popcorn-riffic year.

And I haven't even discussed the many Rs who will run for the U.S. Senate, none of whom has formed a committee as yet.

At the AZ Lege, some folks are setting things up for it to become an example of "what's old is new again"

And, for once, I'm talking about the Rs' desire to return society to the 1930's or earlier (you know, times of massive corruption, massive breadlines, and massive lynchings).

Nope, I'm talking about how certain former members of the legislature are seeking to return there.

I've already written about the candidacy of former Senate president Steve Yarbrough in his quest to return to the lege, this time in the House.

It's still early, but Republican former rep Walt Blackman has formed a committee for a return to the House from LD7.  In 2022, he ran for Congress and lost in the primary. -

Republican Vince Leach is looking to return to the Senate from LD17 -

He's not exactly a good public servant, but he lost a primary fight with the wildly controversial Justine Wadsack, the current state senator from that district and someone who laughs at sane when she sees it in her rearview mirror.

Also having a committee is former legislator Bob Stump, but I'm not sure that he's running - it's a *very* old committee and isn't set up for his current district.

The committee is set up for LD9 but he lives in LD27.

Republicans take a dim view of dissent...unless it agrees with their talking points

From Knox News (TN) -

Tennessee three: What to know about the House Democrats targeted for expulsion by Republicans

In the wake of protests calling for gun reform at the state Capitol, Tennessee Republicans are seeking to expel three Democratic members of the House for "disorderly behavior" after they led protest chants from the floor of the chamber.

The protests came in the wake of the deadly Covenant School shooting that killed six people, including three children.

On Thursday, the three House Democrats approached the podium between bills without being recognized to speak, a breach of chamber rules. With a bullhorn, Reps. Gloria Johnson of Knoxville, Justin Jones of Nashville and Justin Pearson of Memphis led protestors in the galleries in several chants calling for gun reform.

The protests were peaceful, unlike the January 6th insurrection.  Which may be what has ticked off the Rs.  

Maybe if the Democrats in question and targeted by the Rs ire had threatened violence, been stone bigots, and aided and abetted treason.

Then they'd be embraced by the Rs.

Manhattan DA's office states the obvious.

From ABC, dated March 31 -

Manhattan DA's counsel says House GOP collaborating with Trump

The counsel for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg on Friday urged House Republicans to denounce former President Donald Trump's attacks on Bragg's office, saying they are collaborating with him to undermine his criminal probe.

"You and many of your colleagues have chosen to collaborate with Mr. Trump's efforts to vilify and denigrate the integrity of elected state prosecutors and trial judges," the attorney for Bragg said in letter to Reps. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio., Bryan Steil, R-Wis., and James Comer, R-Ky. The three are chairmen of House committees probing the DA's investigation into Trump.

I would have used the word "collusion" but that word has already been used with Cheeto.

State Rep. Amish Shah files for a run for Congress

Dr. Amish Shah, a Democratic State Representative from LD5 has formed a committee with the FEC for a candidacy for Congress.

He's not running for Ruben Gallego's soon-to-be vacant seat, but is challenging the unethical David Schweikert instead.  In 2022, Schweikert won re-election by a little over 3K votes over Jevin Hodge, a Democrat with lots of energy but almost no name recognition.  He's vulnerable.

The treasurer for the committee is Heather Mrowiec.

The form filed with the FEC is here.

Legislative schedule - week starting 4/2/2023

This a relatively simple week, so far as this post is concerned.  The deadline for bill consideration by committees has passed.  Most bills are dead, with one rather large caveat/exception - the chambers' respective Appropriations committees can still meet and consider bills and amendments to bills, so no idea is really dead yet.

On that note, many bills and/or amendments cover more than one topic.

The other thing I've been reminded about is that I shouldn't trust the summaries written legislative staff.  In the summary for a striker to SB1102, the "overview" section doesn't even begin cover everything that the proposal would do.  The "provisions" section does, but many people, including me, generally don't read summaries beyond the beginnings, especially if they plan to read the entire bill.

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, 4/3 

-

House Appropriations meets at 10 a.m. in HHR1.  17 bills on the agenda, nine with strikers attached.  Lots of which cover more than one topic including the one for SB1102 which is 40 pages long and adds to the power of legislative leadership and Republican donors.  There's a certain synchronicity to the striker for SB1457, though.  It relates to both firefighters and fireworks.  Still not the same topic, though.

Senate Transportation and Technology meets at 2 p.m.in SHR2.  No bills on the agenda; presentations only.

On Tuesday,4/4 

-

House Rules meets at 9:45 a.m.in HHR4.  45 bills on the agenda.  Many are propaganda/garbage.  As the Rules Committees are little more than rubber stamps for chamber leadership, I generally don't cover them, but this may be a reader's last opportunity to weigh in on a bad bill.

Senate Appropriations meets at 1 p.m. in SHR109.  18 bills on the agenda, one striker.  The striker is to HB2623, it's from Sen. John Kavanagh, and it reads like it was written by an industry lobbyist.

Senate Health and Human Services meet at 2 p.m. in SHR1.  Presentation only; no bills on the agenda.

On Wednesday, 4/5 - Nada scheduled.

On Thursday, 4/6 

-

House Appropriation Subcommittee on Fiscal Accountability meets at 10:30 in HHR3.  Presentations only; no bills on the agenda.

Arizona legislative Republicans respond to the Nashville school shooting in their usual way

Of course, their "usual way" involves craven cowardice.

Before he became president, John F. Kennedy wrote a book, Profiles in Courage.

The library at the state capitol should include its sequel, Profiles in Cowardice; a book not yet written (I think), but when it is, it'll feature every member of the R caucus at the legislature.

My reason for believing that?

The behavior of the legislative Rs in the aftermath of the shooting.

The webpage with archived video of the lege in action (or, more to the point, inaction) is here.

As I haven't yet figured out how to save the video and embed it here, all time references will pertain to videos of the Senate and House floor sessions of 3/28.

In the AZSenate, Democratic Sen. Raquel Teran spoke about the mass shooting (starting at 1:06:45), not asking for any form of gun control that she listed, saying for that each of those, "That ask has gone unanswered."

At 1:10:10, she did ask for one thing -

"I ask this body and this nation find the courage to side with our children, our future generations, and 

not the gun lobby, any longer."

Based on the lack of action from the Republicans in the lege, I'm guessing that ask will go unanswered, too.

Teran

At 1:10:34, Republican Sen. Anthony Kern "rebutted" her statement (not someone most people want fronting for their "purity patrol; he has credibility issues), blaming LGBTQ people for the killing, and at 1:11:18 opining that the reason for the killing was that "we have taken God out of our schools."

So who wants to tell him that the targeted school was a private Christian school.

As bad as the Senate was, the House may have been more brazen in their cowardice.

In the AZ House, at 9:20 of the video, Democratic Rep. Jennifer Longdon moved HB2192.be considered immediately.  (Disclosure time: I lived in Rep. Longdon's district and have voted for her, and am proud of those votes).

Longdon, proposing her motion

The common sense bill would require that all firearms at home be kept under lock and key except when in use or on someone's person.

At 9:47, Republican Rep. Leo Biasucci moved a substitute (replacement) motion.

Biasucci making his own motion

Every R voted for the substitute, killing Longdon's motion.

At 11:27, the House Speaker pro tem instructed his colleagues "If you support the substitute motion to go into the Committee of the Whole for the bills on the calendar, vote yes, if you oppose that motion, vote Aye."

The Republican House Speaker pro tem fixing the vote.  OK, even I thought he misspoke, if only because the vote wasn't in need of fixing.