AZ Majority Party Mantra

The families of disabled children and adults have been held hostage with political finger pointing. On Thursday a special session of the new  Ad Hoc Committee on Executive Budget Mismanagement was held and the governor was blamed for mismanaging funds while the GOP saw no reason to address the problem to find a temporary solution. The objective of the Hearing was only to complain, not find a solution.  For a recap of the issue see the April 3rd AZ Mirror Article.

Dems acknowledge a long term solution needs to be found to address a troubled program to fund disability services but allowing the funding to lapse as early as May 1st is unacceptable. Democrats have tried to bring a temporary funding bridge for a vote but were shut down. The Ad Hoc Committee did not convene to find solutions to the problem but rather to place blame. Parent stakeholders who will be affected by the funding halt were not allowed to testify and democrats boycotted the politically motivated meeting.

There is plenty of “veto bait” on next week’s Rules Committees’ agendas.

The Rules Committee is the last committee a bill must pass before going to the floor for a vote from all chamber members. The function of the Rules Committee is purely to determine if the bill is constitutional and in proper form. The merits of the bill are  not addressed. In passed years bills deemed to pose a constitutional problem were pulled or failed a committee vote. Recently bills certain to undergo a constitutional challenge have been passed, usually on a party line vote. Ater a bill passes out of the Rules Committee it can be put on a COW (Committee Of the Whole) calendar. During COW sessions lawmakers can ask questions to clarify portions of the bill. A voice vote is taken. Bills that pass COW then proceed to a Third Read floor session where the actual vote happens. If the bill passes the second chamber with no new amendments it goes to the governor.

A few bills up for Rules Committee and Floor votes are given below. Request To Speak can be used for bills in the Rules Committee but only comments addressing the constitutionality of a bill have any weight.

Bills to be heard in Rules committee, then most likely on to the floor for a vote.

·       SB1375 allows anyone to download voter registration rolls for free. Currently political parties and PACs can gain access to voter information. Imagine the targeted harassment and confusion some individuals could deploy with this information.

·       HB2154 puts voters on the inactive list if a single election notice is returned as undeliverable. Currently an effort must be made to contact a voter to update their registration.

·       HB2201 gives power companies new protections from lawsuits if their equipment starts a wildfire.  

·       HB2704 gives a large tax break to the new Diamondback stadium. The bill still needs to be passed by both the Appropriations Committee and Rules. The governor has expressed a willingness to allow this huge taxpayer handout. It appears to be a bargaining chip.

 Cuts to Arizona’s federal revenue, proposed by Washington, would further restrict state services due to lack of funding. Handouts like HB2704 only serve to make the pot of available money insufficient to meet state needs.

·       SB1229 is cited as the Arizona Starter Homes Act. It’s complicated. The bill would prohibit and restrict municipalities from having control over the types and designs of dwellings built within their boundaries. While it could lead to more affordable housing it also is another attempt to deny local jurisdictions from making rules in their own communities.

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On the Floor vote calendar

·       SB1164 forces public schools to allow ICE agents into public schools to find undocumented children.

Rep. Alexander Kolodin has declared his intent to run for Secretary of State in 2026. While it is certainly bad news that our LD3 Representative thinks he is qualified to become the State’s next Secretary of State, the good news is that he would not run again to represent LD3 in the House of Representatives.