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Legislative Updates 2003

To: Conservation Friends
From: Sandy Bahr, Conservation Outreach Director, Sierra Club
Date: January 17, 2003
Re: Legislative Update #1

Hello my friends! Welcome to a new session of the Arizona Legislature. Thank you for your willingness to be on this list and to make a few (okay, a lot of) calls during the session. We really appreciate it. It makes a difference! If you want to be removed, please just send me a note. If you are still getting this via the mail and you have an email address, I would appreciate it if you could get it to me. It saves paper and dollars.

The prospects for positive environmental legislation this session are somewhat limited, but there is opportunity for renewable energy and efficiency legislation, possibly something limited on medical waste issues, and plenty of opportunities to fight to keep what we have. There are numerous bills already to undercut local control -- from sign ordinances to zoning -- to eliminate the Clean Elections system, and to undercut ballot measures. The biggest battle will be over the budget and keeping programs like the Heritage Fund intact, plus keeping the ability of communities to develop plans like the Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan, making sure the Game and Fish budget gets through, and that the State Parks Board is continued. The Governor's budget does not hit Heritage Fund, but don't count on that from the Legislature.

This session, Representative Tom O'Halleran is holding a series of meetings aimed at educating members about the issues they will address, especially forests and water. He is to be commended for that.

I want to reiterate to you how much of a difference your calls and letters make. Without them we would be in big trouble relative to environmental protection in Arizona. I believe that a phone call is still the best way to contact your legislator. When you call, please let them know you are a constituent, have them take your name and address (your phone number if you want a call back), and then let them know the reason for your call. The second most effective is a personal letter. Again, don't forget to include your name and address. The least effective is email, but if this is all you have time for, please do send an email. Include your name and address, so they know the email is not from someone in Iowa.

Environmental Legislative Day is scheduled for February 4, 2003 from 9am to 2pm. Please mark your calendars. If you plan to attend or your organization needs a table, rsvp by January 27. You can contact me at 602-253-8633 or grand.canyon.chapter@sierraclub.org.

This week, please call the governor and thank her for refraining from a Heritage Fund raid in her proposed budget. It has been awhile. To email her, go to http://www.governor.state.az.us/contact.htm, write to The Honorable Janet Napolitano, Governor of Arizona, 1700 West Washington, Phoenix, Arizona 85007, Phone 602-542-4331, and Fax 602-542-1381.

Okay, now for what's up at the legislature:

Monday, January 20th

House Committee on Transportation at 1:30 p.m. in HHR3
Presentation by the Arizona Department of Transportation
Presentation by the Maricopa Association of Governments

House Committee on the Environment at 1:30 p.m. in HHR4
Presentations on the Water Quality Assurance Revolving Fund and also by Maricopa and Pima counties.

Tuesday, January 21st

House Committee on Public Institutions and Counties at 8:30 a.m. in HHR5
HB2086 lot splits; subdivision trusts (O'Halleran, Carruthers, Hershberger, et al) appears to be a vehicle bill -- that means they could use it later for a strike everything amendment and change the contents of the bill entirely. If not, it is merely a technical correction.

House Committee on Appropriations at 1:00 p.m. in HHR1
HB2248 appropriation of federal monies (Pearce, Farnsworth, Graf, et al) gives the legislature control over federal funds that come to the state agencies. This would affect many of the dollars that Game and Fish receives.

Senate Committee on Government at 1:30 p.m. in SHR3
SB1012 outdoor advertising; regulation (Harper: Bee, Verschoor, et al) pre-empts local control of signs and billboards for any business that has two or more locations. This means they allow cities and counties to continue to regulate the signs for small businesses, but not for the "big guys." We oppose this measure. If your legislator is on this committee, please call and ask him/her to oppose it. The members include senators Tibshraeny, Hellon, Waring, Jackson, Mead, Mitchell, Cheuvront, Garcia, and Harper.

House Committee on Natural Resources, Agriculture, Water & Native American Affairs at 1:30 p.m. in HHR4
Presentations by Tribal members on various issues including natural resources.

Senate Natural Resources and Transportation at 1:30 p.m. in SHR1
Presentations from the Departments of Agriculture and Environmental Quality, also on Water Quality Assurance Revolving Fund and from the White Mountain Apache Tribe.

Wednesday, January 22nd

House Committee on Natural Resources, Agriculture, Water & Native American Affairs at 8:30 a.m. in HHR4
HB2090 state parks board; sunset continuation (O'Halleran) continues the state parks board until 2008. While we would like to see the make up of the board changed, we support continuing it. We support the bill.

Thursday, January 23rd

House Committee on Federal Mandates and Property Rights at 8:30 a.m. in HHR5
This is the reincarnation of the "Black Helicopter Committee," and will be where they work to take away Pima County's ability to move forward with the Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan and limit environmental and other community protections.

Presentation on Property Rights, Constitutional Provisions and Eminent Domain

Thanks! To email senators go to http://www.azleg.state.az.us/MemberRoster.asp and for house members to http://www.azleg.state.az.us/MemberRoster.asp#house. If you are not sure who your legislators are, please go to http://www.vote-smart.org/index.phtml or call the House or Senate information desks. If you're outside the Phoenix area, you can call your legislator's office toll free at 1-800-352-8404. In the Phoenix area call (602) 542-3559 (Senate) or (602) 542-4221 (House). Correspondence goes to 1700 W. Washington, Phoenix, AZ 85007-2890. For more information on legislation go to the web page at www.azleg.state.az.us.

Page updated: 01/17/03

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Sierra Club, Grand Canyon Chapter, 202 E. McDowell Rd, Suite 277, Phoenix, AZ 85004, (602) 253-8633