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Legislative Updates 2003"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about
things that matter." To: Conservation Friends Howdy! Thanks for making calls last week on HB2143 environment; cumulative risk and HB2144 environment; citizen suits. Both bills were held in committee and I cannot say whether they will be heard at a later date, but at least the members learned a little more about those issues. Don't forget Environmental Legislative Day on February 4! This week please call members of the House Judiciary Committee and ask them to oppose HCR2017 and HCR2023. Both bills refer to the ballot, measures to place unreasonable restrictions on the initiative and referendum process -- hindering citizens' and grassroots organizations' ability to bring important issues to the voters. Please contact the following representatives: Downing, Gallardo, Graf, C. Gray, Hubbs, B. Miranda, Pierce, Robson, Straughn, Tully, Wagner, and Yarbrough. To email them go to http://www.azleg.state.az.us/MemberRoster.asp?Body=H and then click on their email addresses. For more information on the bills, see below. You might also contact the Government and Retirement Committee about HCR2017 as it is double assigned. Members include: J. Allen, Boone, Chase, Gallardo, C. Gray, Gullett, Hubbs, Huppenthal, Mason, Meza, and Nelson. Here's what's up at the legislature this week: Monday, February 3rd House Committee on the Environment at 1:30 p.m. in HHR4 HB2090 state parks board; sunset continuation (O'Halleran) continues the state parks board until 2008. This was amended in Natural Resources to extend the agency 10 years. We support it. Tuesday, February 4th Environmental Legislative Day on the Senate Lawn beginning at 9:00 a.m. House Committee on Ways and Means at 8:30 a.m. in HHR4 HB2322 sales tax; contractor's solar exemption (Graf, Pearce, Anderson, et al) makes clarifications in the sales tax exemption for solar contractors - both the sale and installation are exempt up to $5,000. We support this. HB2328 income tax checkoff; state parks (Graf, Pearce: Biggs) establishes an income tax check off for a state parks enhancement fund for capital improvements. It is only available to those who file tax forms electronically. We support this. House Committee on Government and Retirement at 9:30 a.m. in HHR3 HB2324 state building; energy conservation standards (Graf: Downing, Jayne, et al) requires the state to reduce energy consumption in state buildings by 10% by 2008 and 15% by 2011. It also requires the purchase of EnergyStar products unless it is shown that they are not cost effective over their lifetime. It also updates the energy conservation standards reference for state buildings. We support this bill. HCR2017 initiatives filing date (Quelland, Allen J, Johnson, et al) moves the date when signatures must be filed from four months before the election to January 2 of the year of the election. This is ridiculous as it gives you a very limited amount of time to gather the signatures and it also gives the legislature a lot of time -- an entire session -- to muck around with your initiative. We oppose this. Senate Committee on Government at 1:30 p.m. in SHR3 SB1186 outdoor lighting standards (Mitchell, Garcia, Giffords, et al) provides for shielding of outdoor lighting and requires that lighting be efficient and effective. We support this. Senate Natural Resources and Transportation at 1:30 p.m. in SHR1 SB1177 air pollution; jurisdiction; Indian lands (Allen: Binder) is a vehicle bill. There will be a presentation by Dr. Wally Covington from NAU regarding forest health. Wednesday, February 5th House Committee on Natural Resources, Ag, Water & Native American at 8:30 a.m. in HHR4 HB2087 state land department administration (O'Halleran, Carruthers: Cannell, et al) appears to make primarily technical changes, but we will keep an eye on it. House Committee on Utilities and Municipalities at 8:30 a.m. in HHR5 HB2119 county island; annexation (Carruthers) says that a county may require annexation of land that is 10 acres or less and that is totally surrounded by land that is part of a city. This is to help address small county islands and the difficulty with planning, zoning, etc. This seems like a good idea. HB2210 municipal annexation; county parks (Gullett, Nelson, Hanson, et al) limits a city or town's ability to annex a county park or other public land unless the supervisors agree to it. We support this measure. The cities ought not be able to cherry pick the county park systems. Thursday, February 6th House Committee on Judiciary at 8:30 a.m. in HHR3 HCR2017 initiatives filing date (Quelland, Allen J, Johnson, et al) See above. HCR2023 initiative and referendum; signature distribution (Farnsworth, Pearce, Johnson, et al) requires citizens working on an initiative or referendum to gather a certain percentage of signatures from five different counties. It requires that signatures from each of these five counties be a total of ten percent of the votes cast for governor in those counties for a statutory change, fifteen percent for a constitutional amendment, and five percent for a referendum. This will create additional hardships for grassroots organizations, citizen groups, and others without enormous resources, as it adds to the expense and time it takes to gather not only the required number of signatures, but also the correct percentages from each of five separate counties. 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: 01/31/03 Back to 2003 Legislative Updates page Sierra Club, Grand Canyon Chapter, 202 E. McDowell Rd, Suite 277, Phoenix, AZ 85004, (602) 253-8633 |