So how about that ‘loser pays’ attorneys fees and costs?

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Headline from this past Saturday: Arizona lawmaker wants lawsuit losers to pay all costs of the winner – East Valley Tribune:

Rep. Ted Vogt, R-Tucson, would let judges order someone who loses a lawsuit to pay all the costs and legal fees of the winner. He said it's only fair.

The governor and state legislature have lost a series of cases in court this year, most recently in the Arizona Supreme Court which held that the Governor and Arizona Senate acted illegally in removing Colleen Mathis from the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission.

So how about that "loser pays" attorneys fees and costs? Are the losers, the Governor and state legislature, going to pay the attorneys fees and costs incurred by Colleen Mathis and the AIRC? "It's only fair" according to Rep. Ted Vogt.

Press release from the House Democratic Caucus:

Democratic lawmaker asks Governor for costs associated with lawsuits to defend her “extremist agenda”

STATE CAPITOL, PHOENIX – State Rep. Daniel Patterson, D-Tucson (District 29) filed a public records request today with Governor Jan Brewer’s office, asking for an accounting of the taxpayer dollars that have been spent litigating the Governor’s various policy positions and actions.

“This state is in an economic crisis. The Governor’s attention should be focused on creating jobs and the public’s money should be dedicated to schools and kids,” Patterson said.

“In every case below, the Governor and her partisan supporters in the Legislature had ample warning of the cost that would ensue from potential lawsuits. But they moved forward with their reckless and extremist agenda and now it is the taxpayer that is paying the bill,” Patterson said.

A copy of the letter, detailing the specific lawsuits Patterson has asked for information about, is below and attached.

# # #

The substance of the public records request: