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Read a good rundown from the Arizona Capitol Times' Caitlin Coakley here on the potential appearance of cracks in what has been a pretty solid wall of Republican majority rule in Arizona state government.
The vitriol between Democrats and Republicans in the Arizona Senate last week at the opening of the special session on extending unemployment benefits was but a sideshow to that perhaps bigger issue: that GOP legislators aren't all in lock step.
It showed when GOP Gov. Jan Brewer called the special session despite several of her party's legislative leaders saying they opposed the benefits extension.
It came clear into the open when both houses of the Legislature recessed quickly Friday without taking any action on the governor's proposal. That's despite Brewer's claim that she went into it thinking she had the votes needed for passage and that she specifically had a deal with Senate President Russell Pearce.
What happens today -- and perhaps continuing this week -- when the Legislature reconvenes will be of high interest in relation to governance of the state.
June 13th 2011 at 13:43 —
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posted to Political Buzz by Christopher Conover
According to a study in The Chronicle of Higher Education 34% of Arizona’s elected lawmakers have a Bachelor’s degree while only 16% of all Arizona residents have a Bachelor’s degree. According to the survey 16% of the Legislature has no college, 41% of Arizona residents never went to college.
The survey also shows that 45% of the Legislature attended a college or university in Arizona. Not surprisingly, most who did go to school in the state went to either ASU or UA.
When compared with legislative bodies across the country Arizona lawmakers are slightly less educated than other groups of state lawmakers. The survey shows that 27% of the Arizona lawmakers have either no college or did not earn a degree. Nationally, that number stands at 17%.
June 13th 2011 at 13:35 —
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posted to Political Buzz by Christopher Conover
State Senate President Russell Pearce (R-Mesa) wants Attorney General Tom Horne (R) to issue a legal opinion on whether or not political action committees involved in recalls can accept corporate contributions.
The request comes as a group is waiting to find out officially if they have enough petition signatures to force a recall of Pearce. Earlier this month, the head of the Arizona Division of Elections wrote that corporations are barred from influencing elections.
Attorney General Horne issued a statement telling Pearce the opinion will come within 30 days and politics will not drive the opinion.
Text of Horne Statement on Ruling Request
“Like all formal opinion requests, this will be assigned to the Solicitor General’s Office, under the leadership of Solicitor General David R. Cole. The Solicitor General’s Office will analyze this question under the law, without regard to politics. A letter will be issued based on the analysis of the Solicitor General’s Office, without permitting politics to enter into the process at any point. The public expects these kinds of questions to be answered on a purely legal basis, without intrusion of politics, and that is what we will do.”
June 10th 2011 at 16:08 —
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posted to Political Buzz by Christopher Conover
During the opening minutes of the Legislature’s special session to deal with unemployment benefits State Senator David Schapira (D-Tempe) introduced a bill to keep state lawmakers from receiving per diem during the special session.
Senator Schapira reasoned that if the Legislature is going to talk about cutting the benefits of thousands of Arizona residents then they should not get per diem. The proposal is co-sponsored by five other Democrats including Senator Paula Aboud (D-Tucson) and Senator Olivia Cajero-Bedford (D-Tucson).
Senator Schapira said if the Legislature gives up per diem that could save the state $4 thousand a day.
June 10th 2011 at 16:01 —
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The complete text of Gov. Jan Brewer's statement Friday on the Legislature's inaction during the first day of the special session on extending unemployment benefits:
PHOENIX - “I didn’t act lightly this week when I called the Legislature into an emergency Special Session. The minor statutory change that I’ve proposed would extend federally-funded unemployment aid for as many as 45,000 Arizona families in need, while keeping nearly $3.5 million a week flowing into the local economy. There is no state cost, and no future state obligation.
“Legislation drafted by my staff, in coordination with lawmakers, was prepared for consideration by the Legislature. I remain hopeful that will still happen. This Legislature owes an ‘up or down’ vote to the people of Arizona on this critical issue.
“I understand that some legislators have concerns about the extension of unemployment aid. They worry about the federal deficit. So do I. But you don’t balance the federal budget by turning your back on Arizonans in their time of need. That’s not principled fiscal conservatism. It’s just cruel. And we are better than this.
“The jobless rate in Arizona remains an unacceptable 9.3 percent, and is significantly higher in many rural areas. Legislation drafted by my team would provide temporary assistance to the unemployed, while requiring that they demonstrate and document their efforts to find work. Long-term, I’m happy to consider additional actions to boost our state economy. But thousands of Arizonans will lose their federal unemployment assistance if we don’t take action immediately. Throwing them a lifeline is the priority.
“So, here is my message to legislators that will return to the Capitol on Monday: Get to work. The people of Arizona, your constituents, are counting on it.”
June 10th 2011 at 15:33 —
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A better scenario could not be produced than the one that has come about for Arizona Week's episode for tonight.
We're tackling the hot topic of extending unemployment benefits in the state, an issue that affects 15,000 unemployed people now and perhaps double that many later this year. Those are people for whom the 79 weeks of state and federal jobless payments have or are about to run out.
Gov. Jan Brewer called the Legislature into special session for today to make a one-word change in state law to allow the benefits to be extended another 20 weeks, at a cost to the federal -- not state -- government of $3.2 million a week.
Legislative leaders acted today as if they had been dragged to their seats, and in fact a number didn't show up for the hastily called session, probably because they had made other plans. The House convened and recessed first, and the Senate, after a good bit of political rancor and rhetoric, recessed a bit later.
Both will be back Monday at 1:30, and that means benefits will run out, on Saturday, for those long-term unemployed.
The good news is that for Arizona Week, we can have a timely and lively discussion of what's happened so far and what might happen next week, without worry that it will be usurped by on-rushing political news.
June 10th 2011 at 12:49 —
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