Legislative Updates 2004

Hi all! The Legislative Session continues to drag on — there are not that many regular bills left in the pipeline, but resolution of the budget seems far off. On Wednesday, the House Appropriations Committee ensured that we did not go through the session without an attempt to raid the Heritage Fund. (In the history of the Heritage Fund, that’s 1991-2004, there has only been one session where they did not try to swipe these dollars.) Apparently, they just could not resist including a $1.8 million diversion from it to the Arizona Commission on the Arts and the fun they have trying to get various interests working against each other. This is not an appropriate use of Heritage Fund dollars.

While I am optimistic that this proposed House Budget is going nowhere, I think they need to hear from us and understand that this is an important program that provides much needed dollars for wildlife and parks. Please call your House members and ask them to support the Heritage Fund and oppose efforts to divert it, including the proposed Appropriations Committee amendment on SB1411 environmental protection; budget reconciliation which diverts $1.8 million from the Heritage Fund to the Arizona Commission on the Arts. There is also a line item in the striker on SB1402 general appropriations; fiscal year 2004-2005 which includes funding the Commission from the Heritage Fund. We should encourage them to support any amendments which strip out that provision.

Thank you for all your calls and letters on SB1081 animal and ecological terrorism. It did make a huge difference. The governor did veto it. PLEASE CONTACT GOVERNOR NAPOLITANO AND THANK HER FOR VETOING THIS UNNECESSARY AND OVERREACHING PIECE OF LEGISLATION. To reach the Governor, call 602-542-4331 or toll free 1-800-253-0883. Her fax number is 602-542-1381. 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 PLEASE ALSO THANK THE FOLLOWING REPRESENTATIVES FOR VOTING “NO” ON THE BILL IN THE HOUSE: A. Aguirre, Alvarez, Bradley, Burton Cahill, Bustamante, Cajero Bedford, Carruthers, Clark, Downing, Gallardo, Gullett, Hershberger, Hubbs, Huffman, Jackson, Landrum Taylor, Lopes, Loredo, McClure, McCune Davis, Meza, B. Miranda, O’Halleran, Prezelski, Reagan, Straughn, and Tully. Just go to http://www.azleg.state.az.us/MemberRoster.asp#house and click on their email address or give them a call.

HCR2009 initiatives; filing date (Quelland, Biggs, C. Gray, et al) is stalled in the Senate. I do think people were lobbying it this week. I saw Maricopa County Recorder, Helen Purcell and her entourage down at the Senate, plus some of the big business lobbyists are working it. The vote is close on this one, which explains why they skipped it on Third Read last week. The bill refers to the ballot a measure which requires initiative signatures to be filed seven months before the general election ­ currently it is four months. This measure hurts grassroots organizations and further advantages wealthy interests relative to initiatives as the grassroots entities usually need the time to get the signatures, especially as they get more signatures from volunteer signature gatherers. They amended the bill on the floor that pushes back the time when you can begin collecting signatures to 27 months prior to the election. That is a ridiculous and meaningless amendment. Realistically, you do not want to file your petition until you actually know what passed in the previous election. This would further muck up the statutes and create a great deal of confusion on constitutional changes. PLEASE CALL YOUR SENATORS AGAIN AND ASK THEM TO OPPOSE THIS MEASURE!

The proponents of the state trust land package were still making the rounds this week. The 12-page proposed constitutional includes lands swaps — something that voters have rejected five times, the gutting of an important Supreme Court Decision for conservation (competition from conservation for grazing leases), and a giveaway to big utilities via the language on rights-of-way. The proposal conserves a limited amount of land (3% plus or minus) with an opportunity to add about 370,000 acres at full cost.

IF YOU HAVE NOT DONE SO ALREADY, PLEASE CALL THE GOVERNOR AND ASK HER NOT TO CALL A SPECIAL SESSION ON STATE TRUST LANDS AND NOT TO SUPPORT THIS PROPOSED “REFORM”. This is too important of an issue and far too complicated to try and jam through at the end of a long session or to try and pass quickly in a special session. No one wants the alternative fuels of land deals. What is the hurry? We can do a whole lot better — a reform package that provides funding for conservation of these lands and addresses education needs should be considered. Do we really need one that promotes more development more quickly? 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 PLEASE ALSO CALL YOUR LEGISLATORS AND ASK THEM TO OPPOSE DOING THIS STATE LANDS DEAL THIS SESSION.

SB1085 solid waste fees (Allen, Blendu Huffman) was amended in the House to include a one year sunset provision. This bill swipes half of the 25 cent per ton recycling tipping fee, but at least now it will not be a permanent shift of these dollars. The bill is going to conference committee however, so we are watching it. They may try to strip off the sunset.

HB2268 S/E solid waste program penalties (Huffman, Gullett, Hershberger, et al) removes the cap of $15,000 for civil penalties on a solid waste violation if there is imminent threat to public health or welfare or the environment. This bill is also going to conference committee, so we will watch it to see what’s up.

HB2355 NOW: recreational corridors; districts (Biggs, C. Gray, Pierce, Quelland) is the bill to try and get taxpayers to pick up the tab for reclamation of areas along rivers that have been trashed by sand and gravel. It is also a measure to promote channelization so they can more easily develop the nearby land. While it is geared toward a portion of the Agua Fria that is pretty non-functional ecologically, it bears watching. The bill is going to conference committee, so it is entirely likely that shenanigans are afoot.

It looks like HB2549 S/E Healthy Forests and SB1212 S/E Healthy Forests, the logging subsidy bills, and HB2127 S/E Healthy Forests, the measure to promote Firewise communities may be dead. I have heard about little in the way of progress lately.

Don’t forget the Arizona Advocacy Network’s 2004 Legislative Wrap-up Breakfast. Of course, the legislature will not have wrapped up yet, but it should be very interesting nonetheless.

When:          Wednesday, May 19, 2004
                   Buffet breakfast at 8:30 am, Presentations begin at 9:00 am 

Where:         Wyndham Hotel
                    50 East Adams Street, Phoenix

Cost:            $20.00 in advance, $25.00 at the door (includes breakfast)

Presentations include: Chad Campbell, Arizona Advocacy Network Foundation
Measures we can expect to see on the ballot in 2004

Amy Kobeta, Planned Parenthood of Central and Northern Arizona
Women’s issues at the Capitol

Doug Kilgore, Arizona Education Association (invited)
Legislative education issues

Rebekah Friend, Arizona AFL-CIO
Labor issues impacting Arizona’s working families

Tim Schmaltz, Protecting Arizona’s Families Coalition
Winners and losers in this year’s budget  

RSVP by to Ben at bkearl@aznetwork.org/480.235.1069 or Chad at chad@azadvocacy.org/602.481.1966. 

Thanks again for your help and support! 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) 926-3559 (Senate) or (602) 926-4221 (House). Correspondence goes to 1700 W. Washington, Phoenix, AZ 85007-2890. For more information on legislation go to http://www.azleg.state.az.us/ .