League of Women Voters

Update: Senate Passes Bill to Hide Dark Money in Local Elections

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Dark Money Vote 3-29-18Update: Arizona lawmakers (again) sided with dark-money special interests instead of voters. The Senate passed HB 2153 by a 17-13 (party–line) vote. The bill now goes to the desk of Governor Doug Ducey to sign or veto.

HB 2153, sponsored by ALEC member Rep. Vince Leach (R-11), blocks local governments from enforcing their own dark money disclosure requirements.

Now’s the time to call his office at 602.542.4331 and tell him to stand with voters, instead of dark-money special interest groups and VETO HB 2153.

One of the worst pieces of legislation ever produced by the Republicans in the state legislature is nearing a vote that would lock away the source of dark money in local Arizona politics.

HB2153, introduced by right-wing Rep. Vince Leach of Saddlebrooke, bans any city or county from requiring nonprofit political groups to identify campaign contributors.

The bill is a direct response to a city charter amendment in Tempe to require such disclosures. 91 percent of Tempe voters said “yes” to the political campaign transparency measure.

Leach’s HB2153 would throw a greater cloud of darkness over dark money political campaign contributions now made in secret by out-of-state contributors and notorious right-winger donors like the billionaire Koch brothers.

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League of Women Voters online Voter Guide to Propositions 205 & 206

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  If you’re uninformed and/or undecided about how to vote for/against Prop. 205, Regulation & Taxation of Marijuana Act, and Prop. 206, the Fair Wages & Healthy Families Act, go online to read more: http://lwvaz.org/wp-content/uploads/2016-LWVAZ-voter-guide-English-with-hotlinks-added.pdf I attended the recent LWVGT  forum on September 17 at the Joel D. Valdez main library on these 2 state-wide … Read more

Endorsements in TUSD Governing Bd. race

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There are 7 candidates seeking 3 seats on the TUSD Governing Bd. Incumbents Mark Stegeman (2 terms), Kristel Foster (1 term), Cam Juarez (1 term) are seeking re-election, being challenged by 4 others: Betts Putnam-Hidalgo (her 3rd bid for a seat on this board), Lori Riegel, Brett Rustand, Rachael Sedgwick.

Who they are: https://blogforarizona.net/whos-running-for-tusd-governing-board-in-2016/

Recently TUSD Kids First endorsed incumbent Stegeman, Putnam-Hidalgo, Rustand. See attachment below.

tkf-endorsements-page-001

Previously, the teachers’ union Tucson Education Association endorsed 2 the 3 incumbents, Kristel Foster and Cam Juarez. More info:  https://tucsonea.org.

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Zona Politics online debate on Prop. 123

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If you haven’t voted early in the upcoming May 17 special election, and plan to do so on Tuesday, here’s the preview of todays’s Zona Politics show with a debate on Prop. 123 between Jason Freed and Morgan Abraham.  Freed is in favor of the Proposition, as President of Tucson Education Assn.  and Morgan is the Chair of No on Prop. 123 campaign and the President of the Pima County Young Working Democrats.  Host Jim Nintzel on Zona Politics is the Senior Writer of the Tucson Weekly.

Zona Politics with Jim Nintzel airs at 8 a.m. Sunday on the CW Tucson, Channel 8 on Cox and Comcast and Channel 58 on Dish, DirecTV and broadcast. You can hear the show on KXCI, 91.3 FM, at 5 p.m. Sundays or watch it online at zonapolitics.com. 

Proposition 123 is the education funding amendment, and is supposed to put $3.5 billion in K-12 schools in Arizona.

http://www.tucsonweekly.com/TheRange/archives/2016/05/13/zona-politics-a-prop-123-debate-and-a-review-of-the-legislative-session

 

Morgan Abraham, Chair of No on Prop. 123 committee
Morgan Abraham, Chair of No on Prop. 123 committee
Jason Freed, President of Tucson Education Assn.
Jason Freed, President of Tucson Education Assn.

 

 

 

 

 

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Green Party of Pima County urges “no” vote on Prop. 123

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Green Party of Pima County – Vote “No” on Prop. 123 on May 17thlogoRL

“Proposition 123 does nothing more than reward bad behavior, abuse of power and corruption at the State Level. It literally allows politicians, already legally determined to be withholding money from schools, to mortgage our future educational dollars without thought of any future need beyond 10 years.
First, proposition 123 does not pay the full amount the courts have already ruled is due the schools pursuant to proposition 301 which voters passed in 2000. Secondly, the Arizona State Land Trust Fund, whose interest of typically 2.5% annually, already earmarked for education, has been targeted for a raid by state pirates and politicians. The land trust funds principal will be tapped to the tune of more than 6% per year, depleting the funds principal and depriving AZ students and taxpayer’s of any form of educational security. This approach to funding literally robs future generations of money for our schools, in order to pay current educational debt that was already withheld by the governor and his majority. Might this also trigger land sales by the state to replenish a diminished land trust, benefiting developers heretofore unknown?
We, the members of the Green Party in Pima County, say the risk to our environmental sustainability and our way of life is too great, and our reward to our children and teacher’s is non-existent. Prop. 123 does not provide enough financial resource to fix the under-funding problems and poor teacher pay already in existence. In fact, the state has a budget surplus of nearly $1 billion which could be used to fund schools immediately. The state has not done so.
When faced with overwhelming evidence of incompetence, at best, and corruption, at worst, an informed electorate must act to solve problems, and correct inequities. Preserve our Land Trust, and let’s fight for what we approved in proposition 301.
Vote “No” on Prop. 123. 
Vote “Yes” for our environment and future generations of students.”

1st GPPC Representative Josh Reilly

GPPC Chairperson Mike Cease

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