Arizona House of Representatives

New Democratic Leadership Team at the Arizona State House

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With Democratic House Leader Andres Cano leaving to pursue graduate opportunities at the John F Kennedy School of Government at Harvard, the party caucus in the Arizona Lower Chamber, after nine hours and 11 rounds of voting, has chosen a new leadership team for the remainder of this legislative session. The new Democratic House Leader … Read more

With the Latest Republican Move of the Goal Posts, Arizona House Democrats are Mad as Hell

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Arizona Republicans have demonstrated on numerous occasions with their MAGA extremist-reactionary-discriminatory legislative agenda, devotion to the Big Lie of the 2020 Presidential Election (despite revelations showing these same Republicans not stepping up to the plate to turn over evidence backing up their false claims when given the opportunity,) and unwillingness to negotiate with the Democratic … Read more

Pamela Powers Hannley on ERA

Nevada Becomes 36th State to Ratify ERA. Is Arizona Next? (video)

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Pamela Powers Hannley on ERA
“Arizona, I’m looking at you” to pass the Equal Rights Amendment, says Rep. Pamela Powers Hannley on the occasion of Nevada’s passage of the ERA.

Ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) was proposed in eight states in 2017: Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Missouri, Virginia, Florida, North Carolina and Illinois. On March 22, 2017– the 45th anniversary of Congress starting the ratification process in 1972– Nevada became the 36th state in the US to ratify the ERA.

To make the ERA the next amendment to the US Constitution, we need two more states to ratify it and the Congress to extend the deadline, which they have done before.

On the Floor of the Arizona House on Wednesday, when I announced the ERA’s success in Nevada, I said, “Arizona, I’m looking at you.”

Arizona women deserve equality and equal pay for equal work. We won’t get that until we pass the Equal Rights Amendment because the ERA puts teeth in the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act.

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Pima County Board of Supervisors votes to ban texting while driving

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Pima County Bd. of Supervisors in a unanimous vote (5-0) today passed an ordinance to ban texting while driving a motor vehicle, effective within a month.  The ban however, still allows speaking on a cell phone. Here’s what the ordinance states:

“A person may not, while driving a motor vehicle on a highway, manually manipulate a handheld electronic device for any purpose other than to initiate, receive, or engage in voice communication.”

Penalties:

“A person who violates this section and is not involved in a motor vehicle crash is subject to a civil penalty of one hundred dollars ($100.00), plus any other penalty assessments authorized by law. D. A person who violates this section and is involved in a motor vehicle accident is subject to a civil penalty of two hundred fifty dollars ($250.00), plus any other penalty assessments authorized by law.”

Exemptions are law enforcement and emergency personnel, bus drivers, while on private property, and while the vehicle is stationary.

Several persons (mostly bicyclists) testified in favor of this proposed ordinance brought forth by the Pima County Sheriff’s Dept.  Sheriff Chris Nanos spoke in favor of this proposal, as did LD 9 State Senator Steve Farley, who said he was the first to introduce this type of legislation in the Arizona House of Representatives 10 years ago. Apparently only Arizona and Montana have no state laws against texting while driving. Firefighter Brendon Lyons testified about being severely injured when hit by a “distracted driver” on Oct. 4, 2013. He showed a video of the accident and his long, painful recovery. He also brought in a mounted display of his shattered bicycle. Oro Valley Vice Mayor Lou Waters testified in favor as well, for the sake of “public safety”.

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