By Craig McDermott, cross-posted from Random Musings
As usual, all info gathered from online sources such as the website of the Arizona Legislature, and subject to change without notice.
This is likely the last week with a full committee schedule, though committees will still meet on occasion with permission of the leadership of the appropriate chamber. Strke-everything amendments, or "strikers" are running wild as legislators try to keep favored pieces of legislation alive.
While a number of very ugly bills are facing committee consideration this week, and others are expected to reach the floor later in the week, the worst item could be a presentation before Sylvia Allen's committee in the Senate on Thursday.
All posted full floor calendars can be found here.
House committee agendas can be found here.
Senate committee agendas can be found here.
All legislative bills/proposals can be found here.
On the Senate side of the Capitol –
- Natural Resources and Transportation will meet on Monday at 2 p.m. in SHR109. Looks quiet so far.
– Judiciary will meet on Monday at 2 p.m. in SHR1. Something other than quiet. On the agenda: HB2006, allowing firearms within game refuges (sorta defeats the whole "refuge" thing, but I digress); HB2102, requiring proof of citizenship/"lawful presence" before a license or fingerprint clearance card can be issued to a person; HB2484, taking the power of county supervisors to make appointments to fill legislative vacancies and giving it to the precinct committeemen (PCs) of the same party and district as the vacating legislator; a proposed striker to HB2064, solving the nonexistent "problem" of Arizona's courts using the laws of other countries when handing down decisions. Interestingly, the language of the striker exempts corporations and other business entities from its restrictions.
– Education will meet on Monday at 2 p.m. in SHR3. On the agenda: HB2301, mandating how school districts spend education money, but "allowing" them to take money away from books and other classroom material needs to cover shortfalls in other areas; HB2706, enacting school vouchers under the name "Arizona empowerment accounts." There is a proposed amendment for this bill, but it doesn't actually seem relevent to the bill. Not sure what is going on there.
– Banking and Insurance will meet on Tuesday at 2 p.m. in SHR3. There are two bills on the agenda, both regarding workers' comp. I don't understand them, but if they are coming from this legislature, they're probably bad news for working people.
– Appropriations will meet on Tuesday at 2 p.m. in SHR109. The agenda is short, but bad. On the agenda: HB2154, relating to the privatization of correctional health services; HB2707, a "TABOR" type of bill, lowering the state's expenditure limit; and HB2718, the lege's $5 million gift to Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu (maybe leading to a new state motto – "Millions for Babeu, but not one penny for transplants!!").
– Public Safety and Human Services will meet on Wednesday at 9 a.m. in SHR3. On the agenda: HB2675, adding to the list of acts that qualify as unlawful use of food stamps. Used to be much worse – as crafted by sponsor Rep. Jeff Dial, it also would have required that food stamp cards be made in a bright orange color with the words "Government Food Stamp Card" in large black lettering. That part was amended out in the House.
– Government Reform will meet on Wednesday at 9 a.m. in SHR1. On the agenda: HB2002, barring school districts from spending money to join an association that attempts to influence an election; a striker to HB2064, relating to barring the use of laws from other countries when courts hand down decisions (may not be considered – this hasn't been assigned to this committee yet, and may not be. It is on the agenda for Judiciary earlier in the week); a striker to HB2177, relating to "presidential election; birth certificate," (no text available as yet, but that sounds like a birther bill); HB2501, mandating that rules, laws, and ordinances related to zoning, permits, and licenses be interpreted in the manner most beneficial to applicants in zoning, permit, or license matters; HB2644, barring municipalities and counties from accepting federal money for projects if that money is conditioned giving preference to union labor in the project; and a striker to HB2701 relating to "elections registration," no text available as yet, but when this bunch starts messing with elections, Arizona ends up on the losing end of an expensive lawsuit.
– Commerce and Energy will meet on Wednesday at 9 a.m. in SHR109. Looks long, but relatively quiet.
– Water, Land Use, and Rural Development will meet on Wednesday at 2 p.m in SHR3. Looks quiet thus far.
– Healthcare and Medical Liability Reform will meet on Wednesday at 2 p.m. in SHR1. Looks quiet thus far.
– Economic Development and Jobs Creation will meet on Wednesday at 2 p.m. in SHR109. Looks quiet thus far.
– Finance will meet on Thursday at 9 a.m. in SHR1. On the agenda: a striker to HB2289, titled "county supervisorial district redistricting committee" (no text available as yet, but keep an eye out for this one – when the lege starts messing with county operations, somebody, maybe a LOT of somebodys, is about to get screwed over); and HB2636, creating a flat income tax by reducing the tax rate to the lowest rate, removing deductions and exemptions that tend to be used by the poor and middle class, and locking in deductions and exemptions that tend to be used by the wealthy.
– Border Security, Federalism, and States Sovereignty will meet on Thursday at 9 a.m. in SHR109. As far as bill consideration is concerned, it looks quiet thus far. However, there is one presentatiion on the agenda with the minimalist title of "Border Security." Last week, this same committee was supposed to hear from Glenn Spencer, the leader of the hate group "American Border Patrol." After some public criticism was brought to bear on the idea of the Arizona legislature lending a platform to such a group, Spencer was "uninvited."
I'm not sure, and it will take some phone calls to find out with any certainty, but this may be a move to bring him back in a low-profile way. One thing that I *am* certain of is that such a move wouldn't be surprising.
No Senate Third Read (final passage) calendar has been posted for Monday yet; their COW calendar for Monday is here
On the House side of the Capitol –
– Rules will meet on Monday at 12:45 p.m. in HHR4. Rubber stamp – no real discussion or debate will take place.
– Ways and Means will meet on Monday at 2 p.m. in HHR1. On the agenda: SB1166, exempting certain commercial leases from locally-imposed transaction privilege taxes (TPTs, or sales taxes to the rest of us) – a benefit to corporations that do business with themselves; SB1553, creating school vouchers under the pseudonym "Arizona empowerment accounts"; a striker to SB1585 relating to "revenue allocation districts; authorities," legislative summary here.
– Energy and Natural Resources will meet on Monday at 2 p.m. in HHR4. On the agenda: SCR1024, a postcard to D.C. asserting that the Arizona lege has supreme authority over water resources contained only within Arizona (I call it the "EPA GO AWAY!" resolution); a striker to SB1517, relating to "transmission lines; environmental compatability certificates."
– Education will meet on Monday at 2 p.m or upon adjournment or recess of the floor in HHR3. On the agenda: SB1141, requiring school districts to acquire and maintain proof of Arizona residency of their students; SB1453, a "parents' rights" measure relating to controlling their childrens' exposure to educational subject matter.
– Banking and Insurance will meet on Monday at 2 p.m. or upon adjournment or recess of the floor in HHR5. On the agenda: a striker to SB1567, halving the notice period that insurers must adhere to when unilaterally changing the conditions of a policy; SB1593, allowing out-of-state insurers to sell health insurance policies in Arizona.
– Government will meet on Tuesday at 2 p.m. in HHR4. On the agenda: a striker to SB1157, turning it into a "birther" bill, from Judy "Birther" Burges herself, of course; a same-subject striker to SB1188, giving preference to married couples in adoptions, in such a way that single people will need to jump through serious hoops to adopt and same-sex couples need not apply; SB1286, imposing upon municipalities and counties a 60-day limit to approve/disapprove permit applications, after 60 days, the permit is automatically considered to be approved; SB1322, mandating that Tucson and Phoenix put out to private bid any services provided by them that cost more than $75K; SB1379, limiting the ability of municipalities and counties to regulate the sale and use of fireworks within their jurisdictions; SB1525, restricting municipalities' ability to assess and collect development fees; SB1598, severely limiting municipalities' ability to regulate business or industrial activities within their jurisdictions; SB1282, exempting religious organizations that engage in political activity from having to register as political committees; and SB1610, addressing Arizona's most pressing need, the lack of an official state firearm.
– Environment will meet on Tuesday at 2 p.m. in HHR5. Looks quiet thus far.
– Employment and Regulatory Affairs will meet on Tuesday at 2 p.m. in HHR3. On the agenda: a striker to SB1169, relating to "scope of practice; nursing; abortion." The language of the striker bars the Board of Nursing from determining the "scope of practice" for nurse practioners relating to abortion; SB1609, the Senate's version of public employee pension "reform."
– Military Affairs and Public Safety will meet on Wednesday at 8 a.m. in HHR3. On the agenda: a striker to SB1373, relating to "military affairs; families; funds; omnibus," no text available as yet; SB1495, establish a military force answerable only to the governor and funded with monies siphoned from the Arizona National Guard, which answers to the President of the United States.
– Higher Education, Innovation, and Reform will meet on Wednesday at 9 a.m in HHR2. On the agenda: SCR1005, professing the legislature's adoration of the utter wonderfulness that is private sector post-secondary educational business entitities in Arizona.
– Health and Human Services will meet on Wednesday at 9 a.m. in HHR4. On the agenda: SB1214, an interstate compact/new Confederacy bill for uniting with other states that reject federal health care reform.
- Commerce will meet on Wednesday at 9:15 a.m. in HHR5. On the agenda: SB1365, barring, in the absence of annual written permission, payroll deductions for political purposes aimed at unions in general and teachers' unions in particular.
– Appropriations will meet on Wednesday at 2 p.m in HHR1. On the agenda: a striker to SB1398, relating to "moving violations; assessment; equipment; enforcement," no text available as yet; SB1561, allowing the lege to take and reappropriate, as it sees fit, "non-custodial" federal monies such as community block grants; and SCM1005, a postcard to D.C. asking that Congress pass a Constitutional amendment requiring that the federal budget be balanced.
– Transportation will meet on Thursday at 9 a.m. in HHR3. On the agenda: a striker to SB1200. relating to "driving under the influence;interlock," no text available as yet, but almost certainly intended to weaken the statute regarding ignition interlock devices for those convicted of DUI; and SB1402, establishing a slew of new "special" license plates, including a tea party plate. It also establishes and funds a "tea party committee" that will give grants of money to groups that support tea party "principles." May violate Article 4, Part 2, Section 13 of the Arizona Constitution which requires that pieces of legislation pertain to one subject only. Ask a lawyer about that possiblity.
– Technology and Infrastructure will meet on Thursday at 9 a.m. in HHR1. Placeholder agenda right now with no items on it.
– Judiciary will meet on Thursday at 9 a.m. in HHR4. On the agenda: SB1201, a firearrms omnibus bill, with all sorts of nasty provisions, most recent lege summary sheet here.
– Agriculture and Water will meet on Thursday at 9 a.m. in HHR5. On the agenda: SB1522, relating to harvested rainwater (rainwater that is captured for future use prior to it reaches a ground channel. Pushed by former state senator Carol Springer, lobbying for Yavapai County (she's a county supervisor there), which is looking for a way to supplement its dwindling groundwater supply and opposed by water management professionals.
Monday's House Third Read calendar is posted here.
Other events:
The legislature's "Capitol Events" schedule is here.
The Arizona Capitol Times' Capitol Calendar is here.
Whew! Starting next week, this post shouldn't be so long. 🙂