As the majority party in our state legislature continues to try to exceed their own absurd behavior from the 2023 session, lets take a moment to learn a few tidbits.
DID YOU KNOW?
A bill sponsor can only be in a conflict of interest situation if less than 10 people will benefit from a law or change in law. In other words, if more than 10 people stand to benefit from legislation she/he proposes, than it is not a conflict of interest.
DID YOU KNOW?
There is no current licensure required in Arizona for genetic counselors. SB1043 was passed last week to establish licensure requirements, regulations and standards. The bill received a final YES vote in the senate and is on its way to the House to begin the process again. The only NO senate votes were from 7 republicans. Sen. Kavanagh was a YES vote.
DID YOU KNOW?
Arizona has 101 different specialty license plates? $17 of the $25 special plate fee goes to the organization or charity requesting the special plate. There are 5 new special plates bills waiting for a vote in this session. John Kavanagh is promoting the special plate for the National Guard. The bill will be heard in Committee on Monday Feb. 5th. The range of organizations runs the gamut from supporting environmental causes to supporting hate groups.
DID YOU KNOW?
Pluto may become our state (dwarf) planet. In 1930 Pluto was discovered at the Lowell Observatory. It was the only planet discovered in the U.S. In 2006 it was demoted to the status of dwarf planet. Its discovery is still to be recognized and HB2477 aims to do just that by making Pluto the state planet. The bill has passed its first committee hearing in the House
After a bill is heard in one or two “content” committees it needs to be heard in the Rules committee. The purpose of Rules is only to see that the bill is written in proper form and is constitutional.
Sen. Kavanagh has 5 bills on the Senate Rules committee agenda this week.
Highlight of 2 of his 5 bills:
SB1022 adds spina bifida to the list of developmental disabilities for the purpose of
receiving services through the Department of Economic Security (DES) Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD). The bill has a large appropriation attached to it in a year the state is hurting for revenue. It's scheduled for Rules on Monday having passed both the Senate Health & Human Services and Appropriations committees. Sen. Kavanagh tried the same bill last year and it had large bipartisan support passing the full senate. It was never granted a Committee Hearing in the House.
GOOD EXAMPLE OF A STRIKER
SB1183 was sponsored by Sen Kavanagh and the original language stated:
IF A VOTER OR ELECTION OFFICIAL, INCLUDING AN ELECTION BOARD WORKER,
AT A POLLING PLACE, VOTING CENTER OR ON-SITE EARLY VOTING LOCATION
OFFICIALLY COMPLAINS OF MORE THAN ONE INCIDENT OF HARASSMENT AT THAT LOCATION, THE COUNTY RECORDER OR OTHER OFFICER IN CHARGE OF
ELECTIONS MAY REQUEST THAT A PEACE OFFICER BE DISPATCHED TO THAT POLLING PLACE, VOTING CENTER OR ON-SITE EARLY VOTING LOCATION AND REMAIN AT THAT LOCATION DURING ITS HOURS OF OPERATION.
The bill was assigned to the Elections Committee then withdrawn. It was heard in the Judiciary Committee where a striker amendment was added. The amendment completely changed the intent of the bill. The bill now modifies the definition of prohibited weapon to include brass knuckles and classifies the manufacturing, possessing, transporting, selling or transferring of brass knuckles as a class 1 misdemeanor. It's scheduled for Senate Rules on Monday.
note: yes, you read that correctly, the bill went from elections to brass knuckles....
Rep. Chaplik has one bill making it to the Rules Committee this coming week.
HB2632 outlines delivery requirements for a hearing notice regarding a county zoning violation. The bill unanimously passed out of the House Government Committee.
Comments