Posted by Carolyn Classen It was like a sudden death attack on January 31, 2014 when Gannett Publishing shut down the online Tucsoncitizen.com. There was no warning to our paid Administrator /Sports Editor Anthony Gimino or us twenty-some bloggers/citizen journalists. It just happened and all we got was a curt email from Jessie Menard … Read more
By Craig McDermott, cross-posted from Random Musings
…At least until the inevitable appeal by the Republican political leadership…
In a curiously-worded ruling, the Arizona Court of Appeals blocked the hugely increased campaign contribution limits passed by the legislature in HB2593.
At least, they're blocked for state-level candidates.
Under the provisions of HB2593, limits on individual contributions to a political candidate were raised from $450 (local and county races), $440 (legislative races), and $912 (statewide races) to $5000,
and aggregate limits, the total that an individual may give to
candidates and political committees that give to candidates went from
$6390 to no limit.
The ruling from the Court is more than 30 pages long, but the "money" line (so to speak 🙂 ) is the last one –
Posted by AzBlueMeanie:
I posted about this last year, AIRC Update: Tea-Publican deadbeats sue the AIRC with your tax dollars to overturn Prop. 106 that created the AIRC, and They're baaack! Tea-Publican lawsuits against the AIRC.
The Arizona Capitol Times (subscription required) reports today, 3-judge panel to hear 2nd redistricting challenge:
Three federal judges have been appointed to hear a constitutional challenge to the state’s redistricting commission process.
The Republican-controlled Legislature led by Senate President Andy
Biggs and House Speaker Andy Tobin filed suit in federal court in June
2012.
They argued that the U.S. Constitution gives state Legislatures the
right to regulate congressional elections and that voter-approved
Proposition 106 in 2000 took that power away. The law created the
Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission to draw district maps.
The three judges were appointed Monday by Alex Kozinsky, chief judge
of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. They are Senior Circuit Judge
Mary Schroeder and District Judges Paul Rosenblatt and Murray Snow.
By Craig McDermott, cross-posted from Random Musings
This week at the legislature started quietly – everybody knew stuff
was happening, but it was all out of public view. No one knew when the
stalemate over the state's budget was going to break, just that it was
going to happen soon.
Turns out "soon" meant "Tuesday".
Some of Tuesday's events -
…The Republicans scheduled a House Appropriations Committee meeting
for early Thursday (8 a.m., HHR1) to consider the House's version of a budget
in the form of strike-everything amendments to the package of budget
bills passed by the Senate.
…House Speaker Andy Tobin
(R-Paulden) then adjourned the session of the House until Thursday, in
an apparent attempt to gain an edge in the fight over the budget and
Medicaid restoration.
…Arizona Governor Jan Brewer called them all into a special session to force the passage of a budget and Medicaid restoration.
…And the tea party types EXPLODED –
Antenori and Gould are former legislators; Biggs and Tobin should be.
Posted by AzBlueMeanie:
There is very little that Governor Jan Brewer and I have ever agreed upon during her long political career. But I have to grudgingly admire her latest tactical move and give her props to call a special session to pass her budget over the Tea Party minority obstructionists. This is exactly what I would have done. Well played. Gov. Jan Brewer calls lawmakers into surprise special session:
Fed up with weeks of debate and delay on her top
legislative priority, Gov. Jan Brewer called lawmakers into an
unprecedented special session late Tuesday, bypassing the leadership of
her own party to push through Medicaid expansion and the 2014 budget.
The governor’s surprise move comes after House Speaker
Andy Tobin, R-Paulden, adjourned until Thursday, stalling efforts by a
bipartisan House coalition to pass Brewer’s 2014 budget and Medicaid
expansion.
Many legislators were on their way home when Brewer called
key lawmakers to a meeting in her offices, where the special session
plans were organized. They agreed to unseat the speaker and Senate
president, if necessary, to get Medicaid expansion and the budget
passed.
Brewer issued a special session proclamation at 5 p.m.,
and by then Democrats and the expansion-friendly Republicans were
already gathering on the House floor.
Proclamation for Special Session Governor Brewer Calls Special Session for Budget-Related Matters