Legislative Updates 2004

Hi all! The legislative session is shaping up to be long and painful — so far nearly 800 bills have been introduced and we are nowhere near the deadline. A number of favorites from last year (and the year before, and the year before) are back. The League of Cities and Towns continues its quest to make it impossible to do zoning referenda in smaller communities. This year’s bill is nearly identical to the bill the governor vetoed last year with the exception of minor word changes. Look for HB2398 in future updates. There is also an assortment of anti-initiative and referendum bills that if approved will go to the ballot. We think there may be a couple of good water bills this session. None of Representative O’Halleran’s bills have been assigned to committee, however. The Speaker is also refraining from assigning any bills to Rep. O’Halleran’s committee; most of the natural resource bills are being assigned to the Environment Committee. That’s what happens when you have the audacity to question the “leadership.” Don’t forget Environmental Legislative Day on Tuesday, February 10^th!

This week, please call members of the Senate Finance Committee and ask them to oppose SB1082 transportation excise tax; bifurcated election (Verschoor, Anderson, Bee, et al). It provides a the regional transportation plan tax election for Maricopa County in November to extend a ý cent sales tax for 20 years. It requires that it be presented with three questions — yes and include light rail, yes and exclude light rail, or no to vote the whole thing down. Why not an option to exclude freeways? Or to vote on each individual freeway? This is unnecessary and neither promotes regional transportation nor an integrated transportation system. Committee members include Senators Brown, Burns, Cheuvront, Garcia, Harper, Jarrett, Leff, Martin, and Weiers.

Here is what is coming up this week:

Monday, January 26^th

House Committee on Transportation at 1:30 pm in HHR3

HB2507 regional transportation authority; excise tax (Huffman, J. Burns, Cajero Bedford, et al) gives authorization to the Pima Association of Governments (PAG) to ask the voters to impose a sales tax for transportation. It directs them to develop a 20-year regional transportation plan. It is a controversial measure and could mean more Maricopa-style planning for Pima.

House Committee on Commerce and Military Affairs at 1:30pm in HHR5

HB2055 military gunnery range; study committee (Stump, Quelland, Martin, et al) sets up a study committee on encroaching development on the Florence National Guard Gunnery Range. Perhaps this is an opportunity to rein in George Johnson (developer who regularly ignores the law).

House Committee on Environment at 1:30 pm in HHR 4

HB2278 assured water supply certificate; assignment (Hart) allows someone with a certificate of assured water supply to transfer it under certain conditions. And how does this ensure assured water supplies? More paper water?

HB2279 statewide solid waste management plans (Hart) requires the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality to notify solid waste facilities six months prior to changing the statewide plan.

Senate Committee on Finance at 1:30 pm in SHR1

SB1074 transportation excise tax; election (Blendu, Allen, Cannell R, et al) is an emergency measure which requires the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors to call and conduct a county wide special election on May 18 for consideration of continuation of a ý cent sales tax for transportation for another 20 years. The dollars would be distributed as follows: 56.2% for freeways and highways, 10.5% streets, and 33.3% for public transportation.

SB1082 transportation excise tax; bifurcated election (Verschoor, Anderson, Bee, et al) see above.

Tuesday, January 27^th

House Committee on Government and Retirement at 9:00 am in HHR3

HB2137 game and fish commission members (Nelson, Hanson, Jayne, et al) limits game and fish commissioners to two terms. This is the Michael Golightly bill. Some people were ticked off that he was appointed by the governor for a third term.

House Committee on Government at 1:30 pm in SHR3

There will be a striker on SB1022 dealing with legislator; lobbying ban repeal.

Senate Natural Resources and Transportation Committee at 1:30 pm in SHR1

Presentation on cattle disease in Arizona.

SB1005 pesticides; loss report (Jarrett) requires a description of the claim and the extent of the loss if a pesticide application destroys someone’s crop.

SB1061 archaeology advisory commission; continuation (Allen) continues this through 2014.

SB1062 water infrastructure finance authority; continuation (Allen) continues this though 2014.

SB1064 regional haze; penalties (Allen) is purely technical.

Wednesday January 28^th

House Committee on Utilities at 9:00 am in HHR5

HB2158 shooting range preservation (Nelson, Arnold, Hanson, et al) requires Phoenix to include protections from encroaching development for the Ben Avery Shooting Range. It would require a vote of the legislature for the Game and Fish Commission to sell it. The provisions dealing with encroaching development are quite reasonable. We have supported keeping existing ranges as they help limit shooting in the more pristine areas.

Senate Committee on Judiciary at 10:00 a.m. in SHR1

SB1081 animal and ecological terrorism (Verschoor, Allen, Harper, et al) contains vague language and penalties for violent crimes that are already covered under existing laws. It appears to be intended to suppress legitimate advocacy work rather than afford any greater protection to the public or a deterrent. It defines an "animal or ecological terrorist organization" in a manner that could be used to prosecute mainstream environmental groups engaged in nonviolent advocacy work, including lawful boycotts, permitted marches or demonstrations, and shareholders' motions raised at corporate meetings. The Sierra Club has long condemned violence, including that done in the name of protecting the environment. This bill is unnecessary, vague, and quite possibly unconstitutional.

Thursday January 29^th

House Committee on Federal Mandates & Property Rights at 8:30am in HHR5

HB2055 military gunnery range; study committee (see above).

House Committee on Judiciary at 9:00 am in HHR3

HB2220 product liability; food products (Tully, J. Allen) changes the definition of “defective and unreasonable dangerous” to exclude food that is otherwise fit for human consumption. I am guessing this is a fast food protection bill.

Friday January 30^th at 9:00 am in HHR1

Joint Appropriations Meeting

Presentations on State Parks Board and State Land Department Budgets

Thanks again for all you do!

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 http://www.azleg.state.az.us/. To reach the Governor, call 602-542-4331 or toll free 1-800-253-0883. To email her, either click on this link or cut and paste it into your server http://www.governor.state.az.us/post/feedback.htm