Arizona Legislative Actions

FIND YOUR STATE LEGISLATORS’ CONTACT INFORMATION
    Do an online search for:  (name of yourstate) legislator contact information
    Arizona legislators

TRACK CURRENT STATE LEGISLATION    

Arizona:

Illegal alien issues:
     Support Sherrif Joe Arpaio in his stand to enforce laws

Community Casino Initiative
    Expansion of casino gaming may be used to curb state budget shortfall
 
New Taxes Proposed
      Arizona Governor Jan Brewer is proposing new state taxes.  Feedback is needed.

Tax Day Tea Parties:

Tucson:

Date: Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Time: 10:00am – 3:00pm
Location: Downtown Tucson, in front of the Joel D. Valdez Main Library
Street: 101 N. Stone Ave. — View Map
City/Town: Tucson, AZ

More events are planned for the immediate future, so stay tuned.

Facebook Group: Arizona Tea Party
Facebook Event: Tucson Taxpayer Tea Party Protest

Phoenix:

Date: Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Time: 5:00 pm
Location: Downtown Phoenix, in front of the AZ State Capitol Building
Street: 1700 W. Washington St. — View Map
City/Town: Phoenix, AZ

Get Involved!

http://www.publiuspundit.com/?page_id=3254

 

 

 

Sovereignty Bill Proposed in Arizona Legislature

February 10, 2009 –

HCR 2024 of the forty-ninth Arizona legislature is a concurrent resolution proposed by 29 Representatives and 1 Senator to re-establish Arizona’s sovereignty over all matters not enumerated in the Federal Constitution.  Citing the Ninth and Tenth Amendments, which limit the powers of the federal government to those spelled out in the Constitution and reserve to the states and to the people all other rights, the proposed bill calls upon the federal government “to cease and desist, effective immediately, mandates that are beyond the scope of these constitutionally delegated powers.”

See full article
See full text of bill

 

 

STATUS OF CURRENT AZ BILLS

HB 2564, the Abortion Consent Act, passed the house 36-19.

HB 2400, the state ban on partial-birth abortion, passed the house by a vote of
37-19.

HB 2286, the charitable tax credit simplification, passed the house 55-1.

HB 2288, allowing the corporate scholarship tax credit to continue
beyond 2011, passed the house 33-23.
 

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Arizona Supreme Court Strikes Down

Two School Choice Programs  

 

PHOENIX – Today the Arizona Supreme Court struck down two school choice programs that were helping Arizona families. The Arizona Scholarships for Pupils with Disabilities Program and the Disabled Pupils Choice Grant Program allowed parents of foster children and parents of children with special needs to send those children to the school that best meets the children’s needs.

 

“This is a terrible result for Arizona students and their parents,” said CAP President, Cathi Herrod. “The Arizona Legislature acted to provide meaningful education options for students who have special educational needs. Today’s opinion from the Supreme Court ignores the needs of students and penalizes parents for choosing religious schools that meet their children’s needs.”

 

Center for Arizona Policy (CAP), along with school choice allies, was instrumental in passing the school choice programs in the Legislature in 2006. In December of last year, CAP attorneys filed a “friend of the court” brief with the Arizona Supreme Court in support of the school choice programs.

 

The Arizona Supreme Court and the U.S. Supreme Court have upheld other school choice programs like these because the private choices of the parents determine which school will receive the tuition money and the ultimate beneficiaries are the students. Today’s decision goes against that line of decisions and concludes that the Arizona Constitution provides “a clear prohibition against the use of public funds to aid private or sectarian education.”

 

“The Court’s decision ignores the previous rulings that the private choices of parents nullify any constitutional concerns about the use of state money to fund private education,” Herrod explained.

 

The case is Cain v. Horne, CV 08-0189. The opinion is available online. CAP’s amicus brief is also available online.  

CAP is a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting and defending the family by influencing policy, communicating truth, and empowering families to promote timeless values.

Center for Arizona Policy is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.

All contributions are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law

 

PROPOSED CHANGES TO IRS CODE RELATED TO HOME EDUCATION
For details on individual bills, do a bill search at < http://thomas.loc.gov  >. Be sure to select the “111th Congress”.

As of January 26, 139 bills have been proposed between the House and Senate with changes in the tax code,  on 1/22/09, Georgia’s Senator Chambliss introduced a proposal  for “abolishing the Internal Revenue Service, and enacting a national sales tax to be administered primarily by the States.” –bill S.296.

See all the bills related to the tax code.

S.83

: . . . to expand the Coverdell education savings accounts to allow home school education expenses, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen Vitter, David [LA] (introduced 1/6/09) Cosponsors (0)

S.100 : . . . to provide a tax deduction for itemizers and nonitemizers for expenses relating to home schooling.
Sponsor: Sen Vitter, David [LA] (introduced 1/6/09) Cosponsors (0)

S.101 : . . . to allow expenses relating to all home schools to be qualified education expenses for purposes of a Coverdell education savings account.
Sponsor: Sen Vitter, David [LA] (introduced 1/6/09) Cosponsors (0)

PROPOSED LEGISLATION TO MAKE NUMEROUS AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION

There may be more proposals to come, but the below is  current as of 1/26/09. Note: The fact that there are few or no cosponsors to the bills doesn’t mean much at this point — this is only the beginning of 1st session of the 111 Congress)

For details on individual bills, do a bill search at < http://thomas.loc.gov  >. Be sure to select the “111th Congress”.

H.J.RES.2 : Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States regarding presidential election voting rights for residents of all United States territories and commonwealths.
Sponsor: Rep Christensen, Donna M. [VI] (introduced 1/6/09)
Cosponsors (2)

H.J.RES.4 : Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States regarding health care.
Sponsor: Rep McCollum, Betty [MN-4] (introduced 1/6/09)
Cosponsors (0)

H.J.RES.5 : Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to repeal the twenty-second article of amendment, thereby removing the limitation on the number of terms an individual may serve as President.
Sponsor: Rep Serrano, Jose E. [NY-16] (introduced 1/6/09)
Cosponsors (0)

H.J.RES.6 : Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States relating to voluntary school prayer.
Sponsor: Rep Emerson, Jo Ann [MO-8] (introduced 1/7/09)
Cosponsors(0)

H.J.RES.7 : Proposing an amendment to the Constitution to provide for a balanced budget for the United States Government and for greater accountability in the enactment of tax legislation.
Sponsor: Rep Emerson, Jo Ann [MO-8] (introduced 1/7/09)
Cosponsors (0)

H.J.RES.8 : Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States authorizing the Congress and the States to prohibit the act of desecration of the flag of the United States and to set criminal penalties for that act.
Sponsor: Rep Emerson, Jo Ann [MO-8] (introduced 1/7/09)
Cosponsors (1)

H.J.RES.9 : Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to abolish the electoral college and to provide for the direct popular election of the President and Vice President of the United States.
Sponsor: Rep Green, Gene [TX-29] (introduced 1/7/09)
Cosponsors (0)

H.J.RES.11 : Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to provide that Representatives shall be apportioned among the several States according to their respective numbers, counting the number of persons in each State who are citizens of the United States.
Sponsor: Rep Miller, Candice S. [MI-10] (introduced 1/7/09)
Cosponsors (3)

H.J.RES.13 : Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States relating to limitations on the amounts of contributions and expenditures that may be made in connection with campaigns for election to public office.
Sponsor: Rep Kaptur, Marcy [OH-9] (introduced 1/8/09)
Cosponsors (1)

H.J.RES.14 : Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to limit the number of consecutive terms that a Member of Congress may serve.
Sponsor: Rep Platts, Todd Russell [PA-19] (introduced 1/8/09)
Cosponsors (0)

H.J.RES.15 : Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to authorize the line item veto.
Sponsor: Rep Platts, Todd Russell [PA-19] (introduced 1/8/09)
Cosponsors (0)

H.J.RES.16 : Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to repeal the sixteenth article of amendment.
Sponsor: Rep King, Steve [IA-5] (introduced 1/8/09)
Cosponsors (0)

S.J.RES.1 : A joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States relative to limiting the number of terms that a Member of Congress may serve.
Sponsor: Sen Vitter, David [LA] (introduced 1/6/09)
Cosponsors (0)

S.J.RES.2 : A joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States authorizing the Congress and the States to prohibit the act of desecration of the flag of the United States and to set criminal penalties for that act.
Sponsor: Sen Vitter, David [LA] (introduced 1/6/09)
Cosponsors (0)

S.J.RES.4 : A joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to abolish the electoral college and to provide for the direct popular election of the President and Vice President of the United States.
Sponsor: Sen Nelson, Bill [FL] (introduced 1/8/09)
Cosponsors (0)

S.J.RES.6 : A joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States relating to United States citizenship.
Sponsor: Sen Vitter, David [LA] (introduced 1/16/09)
Cosponsors (0)

The following are not proposed amendments, but they involve or mention the U.S. Constitution:

 

H.R.450 : To require Congress to specify the source of authority under the United States Constitution for the enactment of laws, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Shadegg, John B. [AZ-3] (introduced 1/9/09)
Cosponsors (1)

S.RES.4 : A resolution expressing the sense of the Senate that the Supreme Court of the United States erroneously decided Kennedy v. Louisiana, No. 07-343 (2008), and that the eighth amendment to the Constitution of the United States allows the imposition of the death penalty for the rape of a child.
Sponsor: Sen Vitter, David [LA] (introduced 1/6/09)
Cosponsors (1)

H.CON.RES.13 : Expressing the sense of Congress that the Supreme Court misinterpreted the First Amendment to the Constitution in the case of Buckley v. Valeo.
Sponsor: Rep Kaptur, Marcy [OH-9] (introduced 1/8/09)
Cosponsors (1)

Speak out for Parental Rights!

PARENTAL RIGHTS ARE AT GREAT RISK IN THE U.S.
The UN Convention on the Rights of a Child (CRC) is a treaty that has already been signed by President Bill Clinton.   All that is needed to ratify this treaty is for 66 Senators to vote to do so.  193 nations around the globe have already ratified this treaty.   The difference between those nations and the United States is that this treaty is simply a recommendation and guidelines they are encouraged to follow, but in the U.S. it creates binding rules of law.  Congress would have the power to directly legislate on all subjects necessary to comply with the treaty.  This would constitute the most massive shift of power from the states to the federal government in American history.

 

Top five things you need to know about the CRC.

1. Its effect would be binding on American families, courts, and policy-makers.
2. The best interest of the child principle would give the government the ability to override every decision made by every parent if a government worker disagreed with the parent’s decision.
3. Parents would no longer be able to administer reasonable spankings to their children.
4. Children would have the ability to choose their own religion while parents would only have the authority to give their children advice about religion.
5. According to existing interpretation, it would be illegal for a nation to spend more on national defense than it does on children’s welfare.
   

SUPPORT THE PARENTAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT
Please visit ParentalRights.org to learn more and find out how you can get involved in supporting the Parental Rights Amendment.

WorldNetDaily has an April 1, 2009 article in which Parental Rights.org founder Michael Farris describes how the US may be subject to international law even if UNCRC is not ratified, and how it may make homeschooling illegal. 

You can contact your member of Congress here.

Write, call or email with a short message urging your member of Congress to
stand  in  support of H. J. Res 97, the Parental Rights Constitutional
Amendment. Encourage them to contact Rep. Pete Hoekstra to add their name to
a list of potential Co-Sponsors.

 

 

Legislative Update – Great News! Arizona Compulsory Education Bill Failswww.afhe.org/news_2009_feb_26_compulsory_bill_fails.html

School Choice Credits
    http://www.azpolicy.org/FMF32709