Posted by AzBlueMeanie:
I posted about this previously, Arizona's Neo-Confederate dead-enders and secession:
Remember the "Checks and Balances in Government" citizens initiative aka
the "nullification" initiative from a nutty Scottsdale millionaire
businessman, Jack Biltis, that failed to qualify for the ballot due to
an insufficient number of signatures last year? Businessman spends $1.2 million to put nullification measure on ballot.
Biltis has decided to bypass the expense
of another initiative effort and to take the easy route of getting his
fellow Neo-Confederate dead-enders in the legislature to repackage his
"nullification" initiative as a constitutional amendment referred to the
ballot by the Arizona legislature. SCR1016
is sponsored by the usual suspects, Sen. Rich Crandell (R-Heber), Sen.
Judy Burges (R-Sun City West), and cosponsors Sen. Cap'n Al Melvin
(R-Saddlebrooke), and Rep. Brenda Barton (R-Payson).
The ballot measure would amend the state
Constitution to allow the state to reject any federal action the public
deems to be a violation of the US Constitution by passing an initiative,
referendum or bill, or by using any other legal remedy. The proposal
also prohibits the state from using its employees or resources to
enforce or cooperate with a federal action that’s rejected by the
people.
The Neo-Confederate dead-enders are one chamber of the Arizona legislature away from putting this nullification and secession measure on the ballot, and Gov. Jan Brewer will not be able to veto it. The Arizona Republic reports in Today at the Capitol:
Arizona voters could vote on another state-sovereignty issue next
year, even though they rejected a similar measure four months ago.
Senate Concurrent Resolution 1016 would bar the state, county and
local governments from using any manpower or financial resources to
comply with federal orders that lawmakers deemed unconstitutional. It's
similar to the sovereignty issue that voters decided last November, when
they rejected Proposition 120 by a better than 2-1 ratio. That ballot
measure declared Arizona sovereign over most of its it land, water, air
and other natural resources. Sen. Ed Ableser, D-Tempe, said the measure
only provokes unwarranted fear of the federal government.
SCR 1016 passed 16-12, with Republicans in favor and Democrats
opposed. If the House approves the measure, it will appear on the
November 2014 ballot.
This measure is unconstitutional and unenforceable at law. This is a ridiculous waste of time and resources.
As Jon Stewart quipped, Arizona is "the meth lab of democracy." Arizona is destined to be the butt of jokes for late night comedians so long as the inmates run the insane asylum. The Arizona Republic's E.J. Montini writes today The Late-Night Comedians Relief Act.