TRUE COLORS

We see their true colors shining through…

The true colors of the Arizona legislative majority party were shining through in all their glory last week.

Many “culture war” bills are progressing through the legislative process.

Elections

• HB2852 would have Arizona exit ERIC (Electronic Registration Information Center). Membership in ERIC allows states to check if voters have reregistered in other states and tracks voters who have died. Not all states participate and republican dominated states have been exiting ERIC making their own rules to purge voter rolls.

• HB2393, sponsored by Rep. Kolodin, allows political parties to choose their nominee for president according to their own confidential voting process. Bill passed out of the house and is progressing through the senate.

• SB1158 prohibits the exclusion or removal of a candidate for U.S. President from the general election ballot based on a claimed violation of the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.  Passed the house and is progressing through the senate.

Guns

• SB1198 prohibits universities and community colleges from preventing permitted concealed carry on a campus. When the bill was heard in the House both Rep. Nguyen and Kolodin were disrespectful, rude and hostile to a Moms Demand Action member testifying against the bill in committee.

Last week  members of the Arizona Students’ Association, during their Advocacy Day, made an appointment with Sen. Kavanagh to discuss the bill and how it adversely impacts safety on campus. Sen. Kavanagh was crass to the students assuring them that the Young Republicans, a conservative student group, would support the bill.

Anti-Trans

• SCR1013, Senator Kavanagh’s Resolution aimed at transgender students, was killed on it’s final vote in the senate and does not go to the house. Kavanagh’s two separate anti-trans bills, one on pronouns and the other or school facilities' use passed the senate and are progressing in the house. These are bills which, if passed by the house, will go to the governor and can be vetoed.

Anti-woke

• SB1005 wages war on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) programs. It prohibits state agencies, including schools, to require employees take DEI instruction.

And here’s the bill crafted with our own Alex Kolodin in mind! SB1471 sponsored by Sen. Anthony Kern would require the Bar and Supreme Court to dismiss, without comment or investigation, all complaints made against an attorney who is a member of the Bar if:  the complainant alleges that the attorney has violated a rule of professional conduct or has engaged in other conduct warranting discipline; and the complainant does not have an attorney-client relationship with the attorney or another substantial nexus to the attorney's alleged violation or conduct. The bill passed the Committee of the Whole on Thursday and will be up for a floor vote on Monday.  The column from the Arizona Mirror gives a good recap of Kolodin’s part in the issue.   Link

Next week will be a short 3 day week in the House of Representatives as 17 members take a trip to Israel.

The senate should be business as usual.