Blogislature: The Range: The Tucson Weekly's Daily Dispatch, Tucson Weekly

Brewer Wasn't Kidding, Vetoes All the Non-Budget Bills

Bethany Barnes — Thu, 23 May 2013 17:19:10 -0700

If Senate President Andy Biggs, R-Gilbert, was wondering whether or not Gov. Jan Brewer was bluffing about her bill moratorium he got his answer.

Brewer vetoed five bills the Senate sent to her desk Thursday.…

Lawmaker Threatened Over Medicaid Expansion

Bethany Barnes — Thu, 23 May 2013 16:30:14 -0700

Emotions are running high at the Arizona Legislature now that the Medicaid expansion debate has become the House of Representatives’ problem.

A caller left State Rep. Kate Brophey McGee, R- Phoenix, a threatening voicemail and House security is investigating.…

Brewer Calls Medicaid Vote "The Single Most Critical Policy Issue That Has Faced Our State in Years"

Jim Nintzel — Thu, 16 May 2013 21:35:59 -0700

Gov. Jan Brewer's statement on tonight's Senate vote to expand Medicaid:

I thank the Arizona State Senate for acting in bipartisan, courageous and collegial fashion today to approve the single most critical policy issue that has faced our State in years: the restoration of our Medicaid program in accordance with the wishes of Arizona voters.

Now, I look forward to a similarly lively and productive debate in the Arizona House of Representatives.…
[ Read more ]

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Budget Bills and Medicaid Expansion Pass Senate

Jim Nintzel — Thu, 16 May 2013 21:14:00 -0700

It appears that Sen. Al Melvin left his fireworks in his other pants. The Arizona Senate passed the budget bills tonight in a relatively quiet third-read session and has adjourned until next week.…

Sen. Melvin on Medicaid Expansion: "We're Not Going To Roll Over and Play Dead on This"

Bethany Barnes — Thu, 16 May 2013 20:32:00 -0700

Sen. Al Melvin is promising GOP fireworks when the Arizona Senate goes to a third read vote on the budget, which was amended—against Senate President Andy Biggs' wishes—to include Medicaid expansion.

A GOP-led roll call vote on all of the Medicaid bills that would have put senators on the record for supporting or opposing the amendments was thwarted and followed by a hasty recess.…

AZ Legislature: Budget Showdown Set for Thursday

Bethany Barnes — Wed, 15 May 2013 19:40:00 -0700

The 10 budget bills barreled through the Senate Appropriations Committee Wednesday, paving the way for a lengthy Senate floor debate on Thursday. Many of the bills saw a 3-6 party line vote, with Democrats complaining about the scant amount of time they had to review the GOP's $8.8 billion plan.…

Election Bills Moving in AZ Legislature

Bethany Barnes — Wed, 15 May 2013 14:00:00 -0700

The elections omnibus that bizarrely emerged along with 10 budget bills passed out of the Senate Appropriations on a 3-6 party line vote.

"There's a shocker, people."…

Health and Welfare Budget Bill Slides Through Senate Approps Committee

Bethany Barnes — Wed, 15 May 2013 12:30:00 -0700

The Senate Appropriations Committee approved the health and welfare budget bill on a 6-3 party line vote.

Democrats expressed concern about the hasty budget.…

Sales Tax Might Be Close to Simplifying — Again

Bethany Barnes — Wed, 15 May 2013 09:10:56 -0700

Rep. Debbie Lesko, R-Glendale, who has been leading the charge on the effort to simplify Arizona’s sales tax, said she’s done negotiating with cities and contractors on the bill.

Lesko said she thinks they’ve hit on a plan that will work and expects things to move quickly.…

Brewer: "It's The Beginning of the End" of the Session

Bethany Barnes — Tue, 14 May 2013 16:06:00 -0700

Senate President Andy Biggs, R-Gilbert, is taking the budget into his own hands.

The Senate released a budget made up of 10 bills addressing the budget Tuesday.…

Paranoia Runs Deep: Agenda 21 Hearing Highlights

Jim Nintzel — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 16:45:01 -0700

Here's a collection of the highlights from hearing on UN Agenda 21 at the Arizona Legislature last week. It's a sad display of lunacy and fear of change.…

Female Veterans See Red Over Terri Proud's Remarks on Women in Combat

Bethany Barnes — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 09:15:00 -0700

A former Tucson lawmaker just hired to coordinate a female veterans’ conference isn’t sure women belong on the front lines, at least partly because combat is no place to be dealing with menstrual cycle issues.

Terri Proud, a one-term state representative, was recently hired as an administrative assistant with the Arizona Department of Veterans’ Services at a salary of roughly $40,000, said Arizona Department of Veterans’ Services spokesman Dave Hampton.…

Effort To Restore Heritage Fund Dead for the Session

Kyle Mittan — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 12:00:00 -0700

It looks as if the chance to restore Heritage Fund dollars to state parks and transit services is dead for the year.

But Tucson Rep. Ethan Orr said he would continue to work to restoring the Heritage Fund, despite the House Appropriations Committee’s recent decision to not hear House Bill 2594.…

Tucson Lawmakers' Bill to Boost Mental Health Services Dies

Bethany Barnes — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 13:30:00 -0700

A bill that aimed to give Tucson a sense of closure after the January 2011 shooting died last week and there have been no shortage of reminders for Tucson about community violence in the days following.

A heap of records came out of the Pima County Sheriff’s Department on Wednesday; former mayoral candidate Shaun McClusky is garnering national attention for attempt to curb community violence by handing out shotguns in high-crime neighborhoods; and on March 22 the University of Arizona had its own shooting scare.

HB 2570, by Rep. Ethan Orr (R-Tucson) and Rep. Victoria Steele (D-Tucson) aimed to increase community awareness of mental health issues by taking $250,000 from the general fund to expand the Arizona Department of Health Services’ Mental Health First Aid program.…

Kavanagh Flushes Criminal Penalties in Bathroom Bill

Jim Nintzel — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 14:30:29 -0700

One of the loonier moments of the Arizona Legislature this year involved what reporter Brahm Resnik dubbed the "Show Me Your Papers Before You Pee Act," a bill that Rep. John Kavanagh unveiled last week in what appeared to be yet another effort to lure the Daily Show into opening an Arizona bureau.

Kavanagh is now backing off on the idea of criminal penalties for men who enter the ladies' room and women who enter the men's room, according to political reporter Dennis Welch:

Facing mounting public criticism, Rep. John Kavanagh said he no longer wants to make it a crime for transgendered people to use the bathroom of the opposite sex.…
[ Read more ]

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

The Medicaid Battle Gets Theological

Bethany Barnes — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 13:30:00 -0700

If the first public hearing on Medicaid expansion is any indication, the debate is only going to get more uncomfortable for those on the religious right who oppose Governor Brewer’s plan.

While Brewer has already been trying to court her faith-conscious foes by using pro-life rhetoric in championing her plan, testimony by community members appealing to this crowd came out more as a God-based guilt trip.…

Previous Session's Promise Could Hurt Clean Elections Referendum

Bethany Barnes — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 11:03:00 -0700

The referendum to reroute Clean Elections funding to education passed through the Senate Elections Committee (4-3) despite a slightly new tactic from the opposition.

In addition to saying HCR 2026 is sneaky in its roundabout way of asking voters if they want to keep publicly financing campaigns, those against it say it flouts a bargain brokered in the Senate last year.

Todd Lang, executive director of the Arizona Citizens Clean Elections Commission said having to fight the referendum is frustrating since Clean Elections, the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Sen. John McComish, R-Phoenix, struck a deal last session that the Legislature would lay off Clean Elections — at least this session.…

Brewer's Medicaid Expansion Set For Legislative Hearing Tomorrow

Jim Nintzel — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 13:00:00 -0700

After spending months building up public support, Gov. Jan Brewer unveiled her draft legislation to extend Medicaid coverage to Arizonans below 133 percent of the federal poverty line last week.

The first hearing for the proposal is set for a House Appropriations Committee on Wednesday, March 20.…

Lawmakers Are Taking a Stance on Tucson's Mail

Bethany Barnes — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 17:41:00 -0700

Remember when we told you that Tucson mail was going to hell in hand basket?

Well, Arizona lawmakers are trying to get Congress to do something about it.

House Concurrent Memorial 2007 urges Congress to protest the closure of Cherrybell Mail Processing Center in Tucson, which serves 1.8 million people.
Memorials allow state legislatures to make a statement on something that is outside their jurisdiction.…

Arizona Could Lose $137 Million or Gain $19 Million in Sales Tax Change

Bethany Barnes — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 15:00:45 -0700

Simplifying Arizona's sales tax just got a whole lot more complicated.

While lawmakers worked on sealing the deal on HB 2657's most continuous issue, construction tax, the Joint Legislative Budget Committee ran some numbers.…

It's Her Party, She'll Change Her Vote If She Wants To

Bethany Barnes — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 10:00:57 -0700

The controversial election bill that would turn volunteers who return early ballots into felons almost died in committee, but at the last moment a Republican changed her vote, causing several audience members to gasp.

The vote on SB 1003 was split 4-4 in the House Judiciary Committee when the chair, Rep. Eddie Farnsworth, asked Rep. Doris Goodale, R-Kingman, to change her vote.…

Bill To Block Gun Buybacks Advances

Jim Nintzel — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 12:30:00 -0700

Bethany Barnes of Arizona-Sonora News Service brings us the latest on the effort to ban gun buybacks in Arizona:

A bill that would put a stop to city-run gun buybacks passed through the House on a 36-23 vote on March 7, but not without attempts to exclude Pima County from the ban and accusations of gun fetishes.

HB 2455, sponsored by Rep. Brenda Barton, R-Payson, prohibits the government from destroying a firearm unless it can’t be lawfully sold.…
[ Read more ]

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Referendum To Eliminate Clean Elections Funding Advances

Jim Nintzel — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 10:00:34 -0700

Bethany Barnes of Arizona-Sonora News Service brings us the latest on the effort to eliminate funding for Clean Elections:

A bill that would ask voters if they want to defund Clean Elections in favor of education barely passed out of the House Thursday with a 31-27 vote.

Republicans and Democrats argue that HCR 2026 is designed to deceive voters.…
[ Read more ]

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Understanding The State's Sales-Tax Reform: What's At Stake?

Jim Nintzel — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 14:00:00 -0700

Bethany Barnes of Arizona-Sonora News Service brings us the latest on the complicated efforts to reform the state sales tax:

For a moment it looked like changing Arizona’s complex tax system, at least when it came to construction, might not be possible this legislative session.

While everyone’s still holding cards close to their chest and talks are ongoing, Arizona lawmakers think they’re found a way to simplify taxes for contractors without leaving a gaping hole in every city’s budget.

In the original proposal Tucson estimated it would lose around $7 million, but now it looks like the city could end up making money off the latest plan — something the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Debbie Lesko, R-Glendale, said she is working on fixing.…
[ Read more ]

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Bills To Watch: Health and Safety Audits on the Move

Jim Nintzel — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 09:00:25 -0700

Last year, the Legislature passed an "environmental audit" bill that allows companies that report violations of environmental laws to the government to escape liability. The reports are sealed away from the public and, in most cases, cannot be used in court in civil lawsuits.…