2020
AZ Legislature Flash Bulletin
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AZ LEGISLATURE - 2020
54th Legislature - Second Regular Session
Week 20
Today's Focus: Wrapping up
WEEK OF: May 24, 2020
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For
Calls to Action
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scroll down.
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“NOT WITH A BANG BUT A WHIMPER.”
T.S. Eliot’s
The Hollow Men
provides a caption for the end of this Legislative Session. By all portents, it appears that the Session will finally end this week. Last Thursday, the House of Representatives voted to adjourn “Sine Die,” that is, to end this Regular Session. The Senate likely will accept this proposal, barring the unexpected. (Back on May 7, the Senate already voted to recess and notify the House of its intention to adjourn Sine Die.)
The Senate is not quite finished passing laws, but it appears that we are nearly out of danger. The Senate’s agenda for Tuesday, May 26, includes some 28 non-controversial bills on a “Consent Calendar." With few exceptions, those bills already passed the House either unanimously, or with only a few Representatives opposed.
It was possible last week that the House would pass many harmful Senate anti-democracy and other bills and send them to the Governor. But it did not happen. The damage was limited to just one new House bill,
HB2912
.
HB2912
would eliminate the right to sue businesses for negligence that causes employees and patrons to contract COVID-19. According to the House attorney, that provision may be unconstitutional. Moreover, the bill would make it harder to recover damages even for “gross” negligence (a higher standard of care). The bill also would prevent criminal prosecution and withdrawal of licenses of businesses that flaunt the Governor’s COVID-related Executive Orders. In an attempt to make it easier for businesses to reopen,
HB2912
would have protected bad actors, and endangered public health. Thankfully,
HB2912
appears headed for a cold shoulder in the Senate. It is not on the Senate calendar (at least yet), and, in the opinion of at least one legislator, there are not the votes needed to pass it.
Despite passionate speeches from some legislators and power struggles within the Republican caucuses and between the Senate and House, the fireworks appear to have been replaced by resignation. We appear headed for adjournment Sine Die, although “it will not be over until it’s over.” If all ends this week, we will have avoided a massive onslaught on values we hold dear. The focus will shift to changing the complexion of the Legislature in November, to prevent further erosion of our values.
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WHAT'S NEXT: 2020 SPECIAL SESSION …
For both public health and economic needs resulting from the pandemic, the Legislature will need to reconvene, likely this summer, in an important Special Session. We will monitor and report.
… AND BEYOND - BAD PENNIES.
The Senate President has discussed plans for prioritizing, in the 2021 Legislature, the bills that were not passed in the 2020 Session due to the pandemic. After the August primary elections, she will establish committees to plan the bills and approach for the 2021 Regular Session that will start in January. And, in October, she will prompt re-drafting of 2020 bills to be reintroduced and given priority in the 2021 Session. Unstated is her assumption that Republicans will retain control of the Legislature. Not only will we see again many bad bills that died this year due to the pandemic, but, also, those bills will be front-loaded and fast-tracked in early January. Thus, we have two options: either change the composition of the Legislature in November, or prepare for more anti-democratic and regressive laws next year.
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CALLS TO ACTION
✔︎ PROMOTE THE PERMANENT EARLY VOTING LIST (“PEVL”)
.
For years, the Republican-dominated Legislature has added law after law making voting more difficult. While their justification has been the myth of “voter fraud,” others see these laws as resulting in voter suppression, especially of segments of society that are more likely to vote Democratic. Now, with the pandemic, we in Arizona are faced with the likelihood that citizens who don't vote by mail will not vote, due to fear of contracting the virus at the polls - not to mention the laws that now make in-person voting more difficult.
Accordingly, it is extremely important to get as many voters as possible on the PEVL. The first step is to ensure that you and your family members are on the PEVL.
If unsure whether you are on the PEVL, check your ballot-by-mail status
HERE
.
If you are
not
on the PEVL, you may request it
HERE
OR
HERE
.
For an excellent piece, “Debunking the Voter Fraud Myth,” by the Brennan Center for Justice, click
HERE
.
✔︎ JOIN A VOTER EDUCATION AND GET-OUT-THE-VOTE (“GOTV”) EFFORT.
Despite a current voter registration disadvantage, and numerous voter suppression efforts, we have strong opportunities to gain in the 2020 elections. Arizona is “purple,” and is in the process of turning “blue.” Our U.S. congressional delegation is majority Democrat - 5 out of 9 U.S. House members, and one of two U.S. Senators. We have a very strong opportunity to increase that to two Senators by electing Mark Kelly. In 2018, Arizonans reduced the reactionary majority in the Arizona House to a paper-thin margin, 31-29. If we flip even just one seat in the House, it will be earth-shaking, because the majority party will no longer be able to act as if it alone matters; Republicans will be forced to negotiate with Democrats on legislation, or no legislation will pass. (Tie votes do not pass bills.) Our Arizona assets include many attractive state and local candidates, increased awareness and activism, the tremendous need for improvement in the economy and public health, and fatigue with federal dysfunction and division.
Look for notices from Stand Indivisible AZ about opportunities to participate in a new citizen-driven renaissance in Arizona.
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OUR SOURCES INCLUDE:
Arizona Legislature,
azleg.gov
,
CEBV/Iyer AZ Legislature Weekly Update, UUJAZ/VUU/Schneider Arizona Legislative Alert, Save Our Schools Arizona Legislative Updates, Sierra Club Grand Canyon Chapter Legislative Updates, Arizona League of Women Voters, Arizona Capitol Times, and many more.
THANK YOU FOR BEING PART OF THE SOLUTION!!
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