Veto the Voter Suppression Act, HB 2305

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Howard Fischer from Capitol Media Services has a decent explanation of the Voter Suppression Act, HB 2305, passed by the Tea-Publican controlled Arizona legislature before sine die. GOP OKs series of changes in election law:

Kill-bill-vol-1Republicans used the final hours of their just-ended legislative session
to push through a series of changes in election laws that could give
them advantages in future elections.

* * *

Among the additions:

• Making it a crime for volunteer
political workers and organizations to collect early ballots from voters
and take them to polling places;

• Increasing the number of signatures that minor-party legislative and congressional candidates need to get on the ballot;


Imposing higher legal standards on voter-sponsored initiatives, making
it easier to throw them off the ballot if they do not strictly comply
with each and every provision of the law;

• Adding some procedural requirements to recall laws.

Let's unpack some of these changes. If you are a member of the Libertarian Party, or the Green Party, or the new Americans Elect Party, you now have a big problem qualifying your candidates for the ballot.

Current law sets the number of signatures a candidate needs to qualify for the ballot based upon the number of registered voters in the candidate's political party. For example, in a Democratic voter registration advantage district, a Democrat may need 385 minimum number of signatures to qualify, a Republican may need only 165 minimum number of signatures to qualify, and minor political parties have a ridiculously low number of minimum signatures to qualify.

Attorney demands federal investigation into Latino voter suppression in Arizona during the 2012 election

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Press release from Arizona attorney Vince Rabago pertaining to a Voting Rights Act complaint to the U.S. Department of Justice regarding voter suppression of Latino voters in Arizona during the 2012 election.

MEDIA RELEASE

ARIZONA ATTORNEY DEMANDS FEDERAL INVESTIGATION INTO LATINO VOTER SUPPRESSION IN 2012 ELECTION: PROVIDES EVIDENCE OF MISLEADING CALLS TO SPANISH SPEAKERS, AND ELECTION OFFICE MISCONDUCT IN ARIZONA

Media Contact: Vince Rabago • (520) 955-9038 • Vince@VinceRabagoLaw.com

(Tucson, Ariz. – June 14th, 2013) Today, Arizona attorney Vince Rabago filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Justice requesting that the agency investigate apparent efforts to unlawfully suppress and intimidate Latino voters in Arizona during the 2012 election.

Rabago, a former state prosecutor, submitted two affidavits signed by voters under penalty of perjury who
received misleading “robo calls”. These Spanish speaking calls told voters to bring their identification documents with them to the polls in order to exercise their right to vote. Both voters receiving these calls are fluent in Spanish and immediately knew the statements were false and misleading. One voter, William Risner, is an election law attorney with extensive experience. The other voter, Dr. Ted Downing, is a former elected state legislator who participated in legislative election law reform efforts in Arizona.

(Update) ‘Omnibus’ voter suppression bill HB 2305 passes the Senate on reconsideration

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

How many times have I told you that it's never over until sine die?

In a late-night final act of betrayal before saying goodbye, the Senate reconsidered the "omnibus" voter suppression bil, HB 2305, and Republican Sens. Steve Pierce, John McComish and Rich Crandall — who had earlier voted with the Democrats to defeat the bill — changed their votes to pass this bill on a straight party-line vote, and to transmit the bill to the governor.

Here is the vote detail on the Motion for Reconsideration:

Member Name Vote Member Name Vote Member Name Vote
Ed Ableser N Nancy Barto Y David Bradley N
Judy Burges Y Olivia Cajero Bedford N Rich Crandall Y
Chester Crandell Y Adam Driggs Y Steve Farley N
Steve Gallardo N Gail Griffin Y Katie Hobbs N
Jack Jackson Jr. N Leah Landrum Taylor N Linda Lopez N
John McComish Y Barbara McGuire N Al Melvin Y
Robert Meza N Rick Murphy NV Lynne Pancrazi N
Steve Pierce Y Michele Reagan Y Don Shooter Y
Anna Tovar N Kelli Ward Y Bob Worsley Y
Steve Yarbrough Y Kimberly Yee Y Andy Biggs Y

 

AYES: 16   NAYS: 13   NOT VOTING: 1   EXCUSED: 0   VACANT: 0

If you read the newspaper this morning, you read that this bill was defeated. Both Howard Fischer at Capitol Media Services AZ
legislature closes out session in flurry, approve sales tax overhaul
and The Arizona Republic Rancorous
session ends with Medicaid and budget approved
reported that HB 2305 was defeated in the Senate.

‘Omnibus’ voter suppression bill HB 2305 defeated in Senate

Posted by AzBlueMeanie: This "omnibus" voter suppression bill has had several iterations over the past few weeks as members tried to settle their differences and piece together a bill they could support, but in the waning hours of this legislative session they decided to go with HB 2305 (initiatives; filings; circulators) and fold SB 1003 … Read more

Not a good day for Arizona’s Planned Parenthood defunding law in the 9th Circuit

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

The San Francico Chronicle reports on today's action in the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, Judges grill Arizona lawyer over anti-abortion law:

Two
federal appeals court judges expressed skepticism Wednesday about an
Arizona law [HB 2800] that disqualified Planned Parenthood and other health
providers that perform abortions from receiving public funds for other
medical services.

Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Judges Marsha Berzon and Jay Bybee grilled attorney Steven Aden during a hearing about the law. Aden, an attorney with the Alliance
Defending Freedom, argued that Arizona had a broad power to determine
that Planned Parenthood, and other organizations targeted by the law,
were not qualified Medicaid providers, allowing the state to withhold
from them Medicaid funds.

According
to the Medicaid statute, anybody eligible for medical assistance can
get it from an organization or person "qualified to perform the service
or services required."

Aden
said since the Medicaid statute does not further define "qualified,"
the state should have broad powers to determine its meaning.