Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Rep. Bruce Wheeler (D-LD 10) wrote this op-ed for the Arizona Daily Star in support of Governor Jan Brewer's Medicaid (AHCCCS) restoration plan. Guest Column: Governor's AHCCCS plan provides critical coverage, keeps tax dollars here:

Arizona's Legislature has a momentous opportunity this year. We have the unprecedented ability to provide access to health coverage for nearly 400,000 Arizonans, many of whom are the most vulnerable among us.

Very few legislators will ever ha...

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

The Birthers-Birchers-Secessionists of the Tea Party, i.e., the GOP insane clown posse, held a rally yesterday in opposition to Governor Jan Brewer's Medicaid (AHCCCS) restoration plan. "Fringe" describes the unhinged from reality circus clowns who came up with this "genius" (sic) plan. AHCCCS might drop coverage for childless adults:

Thousands of Arizonans receiving health care through Medicaid could be thrown out of that program under one alternative offered by opponent...

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Updating an earlier post, Update on the City of Tucson's legal challenge to consolidated election dates.

The City of Tucson filed a special action for declaratory and injunctive relief on October 10, 2013 in the Pima County Superior Court, City of Tucson v. State of Arizona et al. (Case No. C20126272). The City of Phoenix was permitted to intervene as a plaintiff. The case is assigned to Judge James E. Marner. Oral Argument on Plaintiffs’ Complaint for Special Action ...

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

I posted about this a couple of weeks ago. Election 'reform' bills stalled in the Arizona legislature. The election 'reform' bills are still stalled in the Arizona legislature, and now the Tea-Publicans are looking for creative ways to get around the logjam. The reforms under consideration are unnecessary or counterproductive. As I detailed in an earlier post, the Arizona legislature fails to consider real solutions to the problems with our elections.

The Arizona Capito...

by David Safier

The whole country is on edge about violence in schools these days. So when Yuma Republican Senator Don Shooter barged into a charter school to dress down his grandson's teacher, was told by an employee at the front desk he had to wait because the teacher was in class, disregarded the employee, walked into the classroom and, "visibly angry," confronted the teacher in front of her students, it's cause for alarm. Shooter was a potential assailant acting in an aggressive manner that ...

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Time once again for The Farley Report from Sen. Steve Farley (D-LD 9):

Excerpt from the Senate Rules:

RULE 27

Length of Session

A. Except as provided herein, regular sessions shall be adjourned sine die no later than Saturday of the week in which the one hundredth day from the beginning of each regular session falls. The President may by declaration authorize the extension of the session for a period of not to exceed seven additional days. Thereafter the session can be e...

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

I caught the European news on one of the PBS channels the other day and they did a report on a massive measles epidemic in Wales in Great Britain. The most important factor in this measles epidemic is that people had stopped immunizing their children against measles over the years. Measles outbreak in Wales soon to hit 1,000 - Daily Post North Wales:

Officials warned the outbreak could soon become the biggest in UK and Ireland for a generation, and may hit 1,000 cases by...

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

I almost spit out my coffee when I read this headline -- I thought I was reading the satirical "The Onion," but nope, it is the Arizona Capitol Times (subscription required). Al Melvin exploring campaign for governor:

Sen. Al Melvin, R-SaddleBrooke, has formed an exploratory committee to run for governor.

In a press release posted on the blog Sonoran Alliance, the three-term senator said his motivation for exploring the race sprang from his frustration with a lack of pr...

By Craig McDermott, cross-posted from Random Musings

This coming week at the lege is shaping up to be another exercise in "hurry up and wait".  According to sources who may not have much more specific information than me, word is that the budget is basically done, with minor differences remaining to be bridged, and that the delay is due to ongoing wrangling over Medicaid expansion.

It's gotten so slow at the Capitol that even the usual horde of lobbyists isn't blanketing the complex anymore....

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Rep. Steve "Secession" Smith (R-Maricopa), an acolyte of disgraced recalled Senate President Russell Pearce and crazy Uncle Joe Arpaio, led an evil plot to legislatively "amend" the constitutional provision for recall in Arizona's constitution without voter approval. Stevie Secession actually got his evil plot approved by a vote of the Tea-Publican House. But it thankfully has died -- for now -- in the Senate (it's never over until sine die). GOP defections kill bill to c...

By Tom Prezelski

Cross-posted from Rum, Romanism and Rebellion.

Chad,

We have known each other for nearly ten years. In that time you have been my friend, ally, and occasional opponent. Through it all, I have known you to be one of the keenest and most articulate public policy minds in the state. We also share similar taste in music, which just further proves that you must be a genius.

However, I am writing this to ask you not to pursue a run for Governor in 2014.

In Fred DuVal, we have not on...

by David Safier

State lawyers are fighting a court ruling that the state owes our schools $82. Actually, according to the court, the state owes the schools between $189 and $240 million, but it's willing to let bygones be bygones.

In 2000, Arizonans voted to include an automatic inflation adjustment into state funding for education. Then in 2010, Republican legislators decided one way to balance the budget was to ignore the will of the voters -- or, more accurately, to say voters didn't actually...

 by David Safier

It's always better than even money that, when AZ Republicans are accused of making outlandish, even dangerous statements, they actually made them. But being the cautious type, I like to wait for proof.

Here it is. In a legislative hearing on black helicopters the "Agenda 21 UN-Communist Conspiracy," Rep. Bob Thorpe (R-Flagstaff) asked the audience to stay quiet during the hearing by saying, "Please refrain from laughing and clapping, but here in Arizona if you do have your Colt...

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Time once again for The Farley Report from Sen. Steve Farley (D-LD 9):

Some days are tougher than others around here. This is one of them. 

My heart goes out to the victims of the Boston Marathon bombings and their families. We in Tucson know that the pain is immense, but senseless violence cannot stop the human spirit of love and hope. We are with you. 

At noon Arizona time, Speaker Boehner, ex-Speaker Pelosi, Ron Barber, Vice President Biden, Gabby and Mark, and so m...

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

It's official. The Tea-Publican Arizona legislature is about to make idolatrous gun worship the official state religion in Arizona.  You would think the religious community would be upset about this, as should any sane Arizonan.

On Monday the gun worshipers and fetishists in the Arizona House voted for a resolution (postcard to Congress) adopting a Second Amendment absolutist (absurdist) position opposing any new restrictions on firearms. State lawmakers oppose new weapo...

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Election "reform" bills have stalled in the Arizona legislature. SB1003 and SB1261, sponsored by Sen. Michele Reagan, have stalled in the House at her request in an effort to give Latino groups and Democrats a say in the measures and pitch amendments.The Arizona Capitol Times (subscription required) reports Despite changes to election reform bills, Democrats, Hispanics still opposed:

The bipartisan discussions have resulted in agreements for several changes in the bills.

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Tea-Publicans in the Arizona legislature enacted legislation that would declare privately minted gold and silver coins legal tender in Arizona. A version of the bill has passed both the Senate (Senate Engrossed version) and the House (House Engrossed version) and is awaiting concurrence in the Senate, before going to the Governor.

Tea-Publican legislators claimed that the global economy is on the precipice of financial ruin and the U.S. dollar could soon be worth less tha...

By Craig McDermott, cross-posted from Random Musings

Normally, this would be time for the "coming week" post, but there truly isn't much on the schedule right now.  It's subject to change (and probably will change) at a moment's notice, but right now the highlight of the week looks to be the lege's annual House v. Senate softball game on Tuesday.  It is scheduled to take place at the field at SRP's PERA Club in Tempe (1 E. Continental Drive) at 5 p.m.

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Announcement from LD 9 Democratic legislators:

LD 9 DEMOCRATIC FORUM ON EDUCATION

State Senator Steve Farley and Rep. Victoria Steele are hosting a Democratic Forum on Education with DR. DAVID GARCIA, Associate Professor at ASU.

We will have an informal and informative discussion on topics such as the Common Core Curriculum, assessment and the Governor Brewer’s Performance Based Education Funding Plan.

WHEN: Saturday, April 20th 10:00 a.m. to Noon.
WHERE: Arizona Educati...

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Earlier this week the Birther Queen, Sen. Judy Burges (R-Skull Valley), held an "informational hearing," i.e., a wingnut conspiracy theory freak fest on Glenn Beck's "Agenda 21" conspiracy theory, or as sane people refer to it, The Rio Declaration on Environment and Development. The Birther Queen sponsored SB1403 which would have forbid any law in this state that would follow any of the wording of this UN declaration. This is the World Nut Daily "one world order" crowd.

...