Update: Neoconfederate insurrectionists in Arizona Legislature are destroying Arizona

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

I have already told you about our de facto governor, Sen. Russell Pearce, and his attempt to revive the long since discredited "nullification" theory to effectively secede from the United States. Neoconfederate insurrectionists in Arizona Legislature revive discredited 'nullification' theory. But the Looney Tunes insanity doesn't stop there, oh nooo.

Proponents, including Gov. Jan Brewer and many GOP lawmakers call their effort renewed federalism and cheer the push to reassert "states' rights" — cracker code for Neoconfederate racial segregation, as it has always meant. For example —

Arizona already has garnered international headlines with some of its "states'-rights" efforts, most notably last year's passage of SB 1070 and its recent introduction of legislation that purports to strip illegal immigrants' U.S.-born children of their citizenship under the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and to create a two-tiered birth-certificate process. Arizona taking up fight to limit federal government authority:

But there are a slew of other bills pending at the Arizona Capitol that also seek to directly or indirectly challenge the authority of the federal government.

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Bills before the Legislature include:

- SCR 1016, which proposes a convention to amend the U.S. Constitution so that any increase in the federal debt would require approval from a majority of the states. Arizona is one of six states that has introduced such legislation. The resolution was advanced out of the Senate's federalism committee Thursday.

- SB 1433, which creates a 12-member committee that could "vote by simple majority to nullify in its entirety a specific federal law or regulation that is outside the scope of the powers delegated by the people to the federal government."

- HB 2077, which would require any "federal regulatory agency" to register with the appropriate sheriff whenever its representatives enter one of Arizona's 15 counties. Critics say such a bill could end surprise visits by mine inspectors, Environmental Protection Agency officials and others.

Let's take a closer look at the paranoid right-wing conspiracy inspired "Senate Border Security, Federalism and States Sovereignty Committee," chaired by the anti-intellectual, anti-education, anti-science creationist who believes the Earth is only 6,000 years old, Sen. Sylvia Allen (R-Snowflake). Specifically SCR 1016 calling for a Constitutional Convention on the national debt.

SCR 1016 would make Arizona one of 38 states that would have to call for the convention, which would be tasked with creating a constitutional amendment requiring a majority of state legislatures to approve any plan by Congress to increase the national debt.

Sen. Sylvia Allen said the proposed amendment is intended to check Congress and, by preventing an increase in the national debt, force members to stick to a balanced budget. Republican lawmakers propose constitutional convention on national debt.

Before the Arizona Legislature gets on its high horse and deems to tell the federal government what to do about the federal budget, the Arizona Legislature — which has failed to balance the state budget for more than two years in direct violation of the Arizona Constitution — should get its own house in order first.

The Senate Border Security, Federalism and State Sovereignty Committee endorsed the measure Thursday on a 4-2 vote, following a long and sometimes heated public hearing.

“We have absolutely destroyed our economy and our ability to function,” said Sen. Sylvia Allen, R-Snowflake, the committee’s chairwoman. “We are so close to collapsing." Republican lawmakers propose constitutional convention on national debt.

I agree. Republicans have been destroying our economy with their faith based supply-side "trickle down" economic policies for the past 30 years. And Republicans in the Arizona Legislature are about to double-down on this entirely disproved and discredited economic theory next week with a corporate welfare tax giveaway plan that will only increase Arizona's structural revenue deficit. But I digress.

Before casting his vote for the measure, Sen. Frank Antenori, R-Tucson, read the preamble to the [Declaration of Independence], his voice cracking with emotion. [Apparenly Frank delusionally believes the duly elected federal government is as tyrannical as King George III]. He said a constitutional convention can be a scary proposition – opponents said a convention could result in runaway action beyond its mandate – but he called this a time for bold action.

“Sometimes you have to take that fear and you have to overcome it to do the right thing,” he said.

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Nick Dranias, director of the Center for Constitutional Government at the Goldwater Institute, said states have nothing to lose and much to gain by initiating the process leading to a convention. He said the historical record, including constitutional conventions held by individual states, shows that a national convention would have to stick to the topic approved by states.

“The process is not radical, it will not runaway and it can be targeted to fundamental reforms that are needed to protect our country’s future,” he said.

Lurking behind all of these Neoconfederate "states' rights" proposals is the pain-in-the-ass Goldwater Institute. Mr. Dranias is, of course, full of crap and needs to study the history of the Constitutional Convention.

What Arizona's Neoconfederate Republicans are effectively arguing for is a return to the system of government we had under the Articles of Confederation (1781-1789). The confederation of states under the Articles of Confederation proved to be so unmanagable that a "Grand Convention" was called in May, 1787 to discuss ways to "improve" the Articles of Confederation. Instead, convention delegates worked in secret to entirely replace the failed Articles of Confederation with a new Constitution that provided for a strong central (federal) government. Placing limitations upon what a Constitutional Convention may consider is refuted by the history of the Constitutional Convention.

Even Tea Party types understand that Arizona's Neoconfederate Republicans are too radical even for them:

Members of the Tea Party who crowded the hearing room opposed the idea, saying that government officials can’t be trusted to stick to the national debt.

“We’re dinking around with, pardon my French, a document that was created by Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, Franklin, etc., etc.,” Chet Kite told lawmakers. “You give me a body of leaders that are the equivalent to that and I might support them.”

Thursday’s vote sends the resolution to the floor by way of the Rules Committee. Both houses of the Legislature would have to approve it, but the measure wouldn’t need the governor’s signature.

Contact your state legislators to object to these bills and to stop the crazy train that is destroying Arizona.

UPDATE: From the Arizona Daily Star Legislator would let Arizona nullify fed laws it finds invalid:

Other pending legislation seeking to challenge or limit federal authority:

• SB 1308 and HB 2562 setting up interstate compacts to honor each other's birth certificates, segregating children who are considered U.S. citizens from those who are not;

• SB 1309 and HB 2561 defining Arizona citizenship, part of the move to deny U.S. citizenship to children of illegal immigrants;

• SB 1328 saying Arizonans do not have to comply with a federal law or rule if they allow a federal employee or member of Congress not to comply;

• SB 1391 creating an interstate firearms freedoms act guaranteeing the right of citizens to bear arms free of federal regulation;

• SB 1393 declaring the state has exclusive right to regulate carbon dioxide emissions;

• SB 1394 protecting the right to emit carbon dioxide from human-caused activity;

• SB 1545 allowing the production of nuclear fuel in Arizona free from federal regulation;

• SCR 1016 requiring approval from the legislatures of half the states to increase the federal debt;

• HB 2077 requiring any federal agency coming into a county to conduct official business to first register with the sheriff;

• HB 2471 barring the appropriation of any state funds to comply with a federal mandate unless the federal government provides a report to show the mandate is constitutional;

• HB 2472 allowing the state to acquire federal property by eminent domain unless the federal government first got legislative permission to obtain the land in the first place;

• HB 2537 permitting the House speaker and Senate president to sue over or defend last year's SB 1070 imposing new state laws on illegal immigration;

• HB 2544 requiring presidential candidates to provide certain proof of citizenship before they can appear on the ballot in Arizona;

• HCR 2015 calling for a constitutional convention to adopt an amendment to require consent of three-fourths of the states to increase federal debt;

• HCR 2022 proposing a constitutional convention to require a balanced federal budget.