Quick Takes

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Friday is the deadline for most Senate bills to get public hearings in Senate committees and House bills to get hearings in House committees. (Most bills will die if they haven't had a committee hearing by Friday. . . but beware the dreaded "strike everything amendment.")

So I have been busy trying to keep up with bill tracking and committee hearings, OK?

I was reminded that I have not posted The Farley Report for the past two weeks. As Steve Martin used to say, "Excuuuuse me! I forgot." Here are the links to the last two Farley Reports:

• The Farley Report : 2-14-12
• The Farley Report : 2-7-12

The Arizona Supreme Court, in a supreme act of cowardice, relied on the "political question" doctrine to allow the legislature to effectively eviscerate citizens initiative mandates that the legislature refuses to fund, i.e., Healthy Arizona (the tobacco litigation fund expansion of AHCCCS coverage), Prop. 204 (2000), and undermine the mandates of the Voter Protection Act, Prop. 105 (1998). What part of "mandate" do they not understand? Arizona Supreme Court allows cuts to AHCCCS to stand. There are "death panels" alright, run by our Tea-Publican Arizona legislature and Gov. Jan Brewer.

Speaking of ignoring citizen initiative mandates, our Tea-Publican legislature wants you to enact a sub-minimum wage for workers under age 20. The only reason youth unemployment is so high is because they cannot be exploited by employers, don't you know. Insider: Minimum wage may shrink for some. House Concurrent Resolution 2056 would allow employers to drop the minimum wage — currently $7.65 an hour — by $3 for any part-time worker employed for 90 days or less. It would apply to any worker under age 20. A second provision would drop the minimum wage for anyone — part time or full time — who works for tips. It would drop the wage to $2.13 an hour or the federal minimum wage for tipped workers plus 40 cents, whichever is greater. Since voters established the state minimum wage, voters must approve any change. You know what to do.

Jan Brewer's Boss Tweed's bill to end the civil service merit selection system and return to the spoils system of political patronage was approved by the House Employment and Regulatory Affairs Committee on a strike-everything amendment to HB2571 by a 6-3 party line vote, after only four hours of testimony and debate Thursday night. The Tea-Publicans are going to ram it through and jam it through the legislature despite concerns about the legislation from some Tea-Publican members. Over worker objections, Brewer’s ‘personnel reform’ advances.

Our lawless Tea-Publican legisalure wants to violate the Arizona Constitution (again) by exercising a veto power over policy decisions by the Arizona Corporation Commission. Ignoring a threatened lawsuit, a House panel voted Tuesday to approve HB 2789, designed to overturn a ruling by the state Court of Appeals that the five-member panel has exclusive authority to require utilities to produce some of their power from renewable sources. It also would throw into question a separate commission ruling forcing utilities to conserve energy. Bill gives legislators veto over ACC decisions.

The Arizona bill to restrict recall elections by requiring partisan primary elections failed by a vote of 3-6 in committee on Thursday. Political tidbits. It will be back.

Democratic Rep. Richard Miranda of Phoenix (Dist. 13) is stepping down from the state Legislature for health reasons effective February 20. The Arizona Capitol Times (subscription required) reports that Miranda said he would be spending his time recovering from his health issues. Sen. Steve Gallardo, D-Phoenix, said that he would be reaching out to Maricopa County supervisor Mary Rose Wilcox to try and persuade her to pick Martin Quezada to replace Miranda in the House. Richard Miranda resigns from House.

Mikel Weisser, a teacher and Democratic activist, is running for Congress in the heavily conservative District 4. Democrat running in Arizona's District 4. Weisser said he is running as a "protest candidate."

Tucson physician Manuel "Manny" Arreguin, who is best known for delivering babies and has no experience in politics, is running in the Democratic primary for Congress in the new CD 3 represented by Congressman Grijalva. He was a Republican but switched parties 2 1/2 years ago because he was "frustrated with what was happening with the GOP here." Must be a trend, because that's the same thing David Crowe, the other candidate in this primary, has said. Why don't these guys try to fix what is wrong in the GOP instead? Arreguin praised Grijalva's leadership but said it's time for "a new generation of well-credentialed leaders." Challengers always say that. Democrat Arreguin to run against Grijalva in CD3 .

Another political newcomer with no political experience, Nomiki Konst, is running in the new CD 2 for the Giffords seat. Konst, 28, a former University of Arizona student who founded an organization dedicated to civil discourse, is the third Democrat to announce she's running for CD2. Konst said Congress needs more young representatives with fresh ideas. She knows people will say she's too young and too inexperienced — and they'd be right. The candidates in the field so far are state Sen. Sen. Paula Aboud and state Rep. Matt Heinz. State Rep. Steve Farley and Green Valley pecan farm owner Nan Stockholm Walden are expected to enter the race. Ron Barber, who is running in the special election for CD 8, has not yet declared his intentions regarding the new CD 2. Former UA student, 28, runs for CD2 seat.