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Grand Canyon Chapter Arizona Bill Tracker

May 4, 2012

"I can no other answer make, but, thanks, and thanks."
- William Shakespeare

Dear Conservation Friends,

Well, it is over, after 116 days and a plethora of bad bills, many of which passed, the Arizona Legislature called it a day and adjourned sine die. We will not miss the 50th Legislature as the negative impacts of its actions will be felt for years to come.

This week legislators added to the damage by referring HCR2004 to the ballot. It is a proposed constitutional amendment asserting state sovereignty over just about everything, including federal public lands. Can we trust the Arizona Legislature with the Grand Canyon? I think not. In reviewing all they put on the ballot, a NO vote is warranted for nearly everything.

They also passed the electronic billboard bill, HB2543. It is a long-shot, but we are asking the Governor to veto this bill -- again.

SB1332, the other bad public lands bill, is also on the Governor's desk. We are asking her to veto it as well. She has a mining/water bill on her desk that we are asking her to veto too. See below.

The budget did nothing to advance environmental protection, but it could have been worse. It consolidated the State Parks funds, similar to a bill vetoed earlier in the session, but it made the new consolidated fund subject to legislative appropriation, so there are still no guarantees that the dollars you spend visiting parks will actually stay with parks. On the other hand, at least State Parks get to keep those dollars this year and that should mean most parks stay open. Speaking of State Parks, there is a new director. Unfortunately, he does not have any parks experience, supports two of the three really bad copper mines being proposed in Arizona, and now is being investigated by the attorney general.

That brings us to another note about the budget. There was an attempt to get a special deal in it for the Curis in-situ copper mine in Florence. No language was ever made available, but you can bet it was not in the public's interest. We will be watching for it if there happens to be a special session on state trust lands. (I think it is highly unlikely there is a special session, however.)

This is the last legislative update for the session, but look for our Environmental Report Card in the next two weeks to see how your legislators fared. We will also send some periodic messages on important issues, including ballot measures, during the interim.

I cannot thank you enough for reading these updates for the last 17 weeks, taking actions by either email or phone or both, and caring so much about Arizona. Yes, it was a tough session, but because of you we still have the Land Conservation Fund to help protect Picture Canyon and lands around the McDowell Mountains and more. The Goldwater Institute did not get its "second bite at the apple" relative to challenging our Renewable Energy Standard. We still have strong energy efficiency measures in place that will save us all money, plus reduce pollution now and in the future. Thank you, and thank you.

For more information on bills we tracked, just click on Legislative Tracker.

If you no longer want to receive these updates, just zap me an email or unsubscribe by clicking on "Manage Preferences" at the bottom of the message.

Warm regards,

Chapter Director
Sierra Club -- Grand Canyon Chapter
(602) 253-8633
http://arizona.sierraclub.org 

TAKE ACTION! Protect Our Public Lands! Ask Governor Brewer to Veto SB1332. 

SB1332 federal lands; conveyance and taxation (Melvin, Allen, Griffin, et al. ) is similar to HCR2004 mentioned above and it certainly contains the same sentiments. It demands that the federal government extinguish title to all public lands in Arizona and transfer title of those lands to the state. This bill is contrary to both the U.S. and Arizona Constitutions.

Besides, even if it was constitutional, the state cannot properly fund and care for its state park system or fund the State Land Department, how could it ever manage these lands?

Our public lands belong to all Americans, including future generations, not the Arizona State Legislature.

Please ask Governor Brewer to Veto SB1332 and to protect public lands!
 

 TAKE ACTION! Say No to Light Blight from Electronic Billboards.
Ask Governor Brewer to Veto HB2543.

HB2543 NOW: state highway; signage; nonprofit museum (Carter, Williams, Nelson) would explicitly authorize electronic billboards and negate a court decision that limits them. In November 2011 the Arizona Court of Appeals ruled that electronic billboards along state and federal highways violate the Arizona Highway Beautification Act. Electronic billboards contribute significantly to roadway blight, are a huge distraction for already distracted drivers, use a lot of energy, and emit a considerable amount of light upward.


Ask Governor Brewer to Veto HB2543! 

 TAKE ACTION! Mines Seeking Exemptions from Water Protections.

Mines already have grandfathered rights to pump massive amounts of groundwater and are exempt from numerous provisions of our important environmental laws, but this year they are seeking even more.

SB1417 mining operations; long-term storage credits (Griffin, Stevens: Jones, et al) is special legislation for Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc., the world's largest publicly traded copper company. It allows the company to accumulate long-term storage credits for Central Arizona Project water, while still pumping groundwater in the Tucson Active Management Area. In other words, this bill will allow Freeport-McMoRan to become a water broker and sell the credited water for development.


Ask Governor Brewer to Veto SB1417 and Oppose allowing mines to be water brokers! 

TAKE ACTION! Tell Senators Kyl and McCain you Oppose Promoting Dirty Coal!

And in the U.S. Congress - The Navajo-Hopi Little Colorado River Water Rights Settlement Act (S. 2109), sponsored by Senators Kyl and McCain, includes unnecessary, unfair and damaging provisions that would commit the federal government and the tribes to a long term coal-burning future.

The bill unconscionably makes the settlement of long-standing claims over water rights concerning the Navajo Nation and Hopi Tribe dependent upon the renewal of leases for the Navajo Generating Station (NGS), and specifically includes a 34,100 acre-feet per year allocation of water for the NGS, a coal burning power plant located on the Navajo Nation near Page. 

Additional provisions prevent the tribes from realizing their water rights unless lease renewals for coal and the power plant facilities are negotiated to the satisfaction of the power plant and coal mine owners.


Tell our Senators you oppose this effort to promote more pollution from dirty coal!