Matt Heinz

Council Aide Matt Kopec appointed to LD 9 House seat by Pima County Bd. of Supervisors

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Last Friday January 15,  the PCs (Precinct committee people) in LD 9 selected 3 Democrats to send to the Pima County Board of Supervisors, to choose one for appointment to a vacant LD 9 House seat at today’s regular board meeting.  Victoria Steele, twice elected to that position resigned last week to run for CD 1 House, currently held by freshman Republican Congresswoman Martha McSally. (Steele  faces opposition in the Dem primary on August 30 for that seat from Dr. Matt Heinz, who also served in the Arizona State House.)

The 3 people nominated were:

Pamela Powers Hannley, managing editor (now part time) of the American Journal of Medicine, blogger here at Blog for Arizona and her own blogsite Tucson Progressive;

Matt Kopec, Pima County Dem Party Treasurer and Council aide to Ward 3 Councilmember Karin Uhlich;

and Ted Prezelski, Council aide to Ward 2 Councilmember Paul Cunningham, founder of blogsite Rum, Romanism & Rebellion (inactive), who also ran for LD 28 House in the Democratic primary of August, 2010.  He is the twin brother of former LD 29 House Rep. Tom Prezelski, who served 2 terms in the Arizona State House.

Matt Kopec, Ward 3 Council Aide
Matt Kopec, Ward 3 Council Aide

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LD Precinct committee persons nominate Pam Powers Hannley, Matt Kopec, & Ted Prezelski for appointment for LD 9 House Vacancy

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LD 9 precinct committee people met tonight at the Pima County Democratic Party  headquarters,  4639 E. 1st St. There were 42  PCs in attendance, with 18 proxies of 71 PCs total  in LD 9.  Four Democratic candidates were seeking the appointment for the vacancy created by this week’s resignation by Democrat LD 9 House Rep. … Read more

Progressives Shut Out of Koch Brothers Medicaid Forum

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Loft2013-03-07-2-sm72-sigby Pamela Powers Hannley

Thanks to publicity on this blog, social media, and e-mail blasts, progressives and other Democrats came to the Americans for Prosperity "public forum" on Medicaid expansion last night at The Loft Cinema. Too bad we couldn't get in.

Approximately 20 pro-healthcare reform advocates, plus six journalism students, and two bloggers were shut out of the tightly controlled forum. In addition, City Councilman Steve Kozachik was "uninvited" to participate in the panel. Although public announcements of the event in the Tucson Weekly, the Arizona Daily Star, and the Pima County GOP website didn't say that reservations were required, the only people who were admitted were those who RSVP'd to the Koch Brothers' Americans for Prosperity e-mail blast, linked to this article.

The only two members of Progressive Democrats of American (PDA) Tucson who were admitted are both doctors. (Of course, they were not wearing PDA Healthcare Not Warfare stickers. None of us holding the banner in front of The Loft or trying to distribute Healthcare Not Warfare stickers got in.)

After the jump, read a first hand account by Dr. Eve Shapiro, head of PDA Tucson's healthcare reform issue organizing team, and more about Koz and job creation with Medicaid expansion.

Arizona Democratic Party primary candidates battle to the finish line

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Social media was on fire yesterday, as Arizona Democratic candidates and their surrogates battled it out on Twitter, Facebook, and e-mail blasts.

Although Arizona voters have had nearly a month to complete early mail-in ballots, August 28 is primary election day, and there are several hotly contested Democratic primary races between Blue Dogs and progressives. Some common themes run through these races, most notably the environment, the economy, campaign financing, and women's issues. In addition, some Latino groups are using support for two controversial laws as a litmus test– SB1070, the "papers please" anti-immigrant law, and HB2281, the law targeting Mexican American Studies (MAS).

Race analysis after the jump.