Just in time for April Fools Day – Another Special Session

posted by Craig McDermott

In a development that surprised very few observers, on Friday, Arizona's governor called an 8th Special Session of the 49th Arizona Legislature.

The subject of the special session won't be penny-ante issues like the state's budget mess, or the failing state education system, or the vanishing soclal safety net, or any of the other dozens of issues facing the state (water?  energy?).

Nope, Jan Brewer has called for a special session to address what is possibly the most pressing issue of this or any other day –

Federal health care reform that will help people obtain and retain medical insurance that is both adequate and affordable.

She wants permission to use ever more scarce state resources to sue the federal government over its recently enacted health care reform, a reform package that has incensed Republicans across the U.S.

There seems to be two likely reasons for the Governor's zeal about representing the state in court –

1. Terry Goddard, the Arizona Attorney General, declined to do Brewer's bidding; and

2. Brewer faces a primary in her bid for an elected term on the 9th floor, and is trying to out-wingnut her Republican primary challengers.

No bills have been posted as yet on the lege's website, nor has any committee or floor action been scheduled.  The tentative schedule seems to be to convene the special session on Monday with the bill "work" to take place on Tuesday and Wednesday, followed by adjournment on Wednesday or Thursday.

The session will be a "show" session – all votes will be along party lines, and anything passed will be all but meaningless because it won't take effect until 90 days after the session ends (say…early July).  By then, Brewer will be in the middle of a knock down/drag out primary season that may end with her being a lame duck.

They can get around the 90 day period by attaching an "emergency clause" to a bill, but that would take a 2/3 vote to enact.  That's not going to happen; they may not even be able to muster a quorum. 

Stay tuned.  I don't expect this special session to be all that interesting, other than producing a few quotable gems of the "Oh those crAZy Republicans!" variety, but things could change.

Later!