Legislature should focus on putting books in schools, not guns
After failing last year, tea party lawmakers again push for guns on campus

STATE CAPITOL, PHOENIX – Democratic Senator Steve Gallardo, along with fellow Democratic legislators, the Coalition to Oppose Guns on Campus and the Arizona Students Association will hold a press conference Monday, Feb. 6 at noon on the House Lawn to show opposition to SB1474, which would allow the carrying of a concealed weapon on public university and college campuses.

The Coalition to Oppose Guns on Campus is comprised of the following groups:

Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence
Arizonans for Gun Safety
Students Against Guns in Education (SAGE)
Faiths United to Prevent Gun Violence in Arizona (including the Arizona Ecumenical Council, Church Women United of Arizona, Health Ministries Association/Faith Community Nurses of Arizona, United Methodist Women of the Desert Southwest Conference)
Graduate and Professional Student Association (ASU)
Graduate and Professional Student Council (UA)
Campaign to Keeps Guns Off Campus

MEDIA CONTACT:
Aaron Latham
Director of Communications and Policy Advisor
Arizona State Senate Democratic Caucus
602-926-4471
alatham@azleg.gov

This event is sponsored by the national ALECexposed coalition.
Thank you!

Arizona ALEC Exposed
The main goals identified for the ALEC Exposed events in Arizona are to:
1) 1) Expose ALEC’s national and state infrastructure and to highlight the undue influence that ALEC has in the Arizona legislature.
2) 2) Identify ALEC sponsored legislation that has directly impacted and harmed Arizonians.
3) 3) Involve the progressive community in Arizona in pushing back on the far reaching influence that ALEC has on Arizona’s political landscape and on the policy decisions that influence has on the Arizona legislature
4) 4) Focus state and national media coverage on ALEC’s oversized role in the corporate control of our democracy.

In response to meeting these goals, state and national advocacy organizations will hold a community event on the evening on Tuesday, November 29th, at the South Mountain Community College in Phoenix; and then to hold a Voices of Arizona press conference on Wednesday, November 30th, either on the lawn of the Arizona State House, or inside if the weather is inclement.

Tuesday, November 29th
Arizona Community Event
South Mountain Community College
7050 S. 24th Street, Phoenix, Arizona
602-243-8000
Contact: Barbara Kutnick
602-243-8284 (office)
Program
6:00 pm – Welcome – Catered buffet style dinner will be provided
6:15 pm – Welcome and Introductory remarks by Hon. John Loredo
6:20 pm Video Presentation provided by Cuéntame and Brave New Foundation
6:30 pm Interactive Panel Presentation on the American Legislative Exchange Council
Panelist will focus on ALEC’s undue political influence on a national and state level, and the role that ALEC plays in the Arizona Legislature. Panelist comments will be brief, and then the panel will be open for community participation.
Moderated by Doug Clopp – Common Cause
· Lisa Graves – Center for Media and Democracy
· Marge Baker – People for the American Way
· Hon. John Loredo
· Sheri Van Horsen – President, AFSCME Local 3111
· Rebekah Friend – Executive Director AZ AFL-CIO
· Joe Thomas -Arizona Education Association
· Erika Andiola – Promise Arizona
7: 15 pm -Given all that we have learned about ALEC’s undue influence, coordinated infrastructure, and power; how can states like Arizona fight back? How can a progressive agenda be advanced successful?
o Comments provided by Randy Parraz, Co -Founder and President of Citizens for a Better Arizona.
7:25 – Community Break out discussion
Panelists and participants will break into small groups focused on specific policy areas that ALEC model legislation is affecting adversely. For example: Immigration, Labor, Public Education, Voting Rights, Environment, and Campaign Finance Reform.
8:30 – Community Report Back
9:00 pm – Adjourn

Wednesday, November 30th
11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Press Conference – Voices of Arizona
Arizona State House
Master of Ceremonies – Hon. John Loredo
· Immigration Rights activist – Dream Act- AZ SB 1070
o Erika Andiola – Promise Arizona
· Private Prisons
o Caroline Isaacs – American Friends Service Committee
· Public Education advocate – Possibly asking the AZ Teacher of the Year
o Erin Kirchoff is a Middle School Theater Teacher in the Kyrene School District
· Labor -
o Rebekah Friend , AZ AFL-CIO will introduce Cindy Chacon, and Frank Piccolli, AFSCME 2960
· Voter ID
o Lilia Alvarez
· Small Business advocate –
o Todd Landfried, Arizona Employers for Immigration Reform
Faith Leader

I’m pleased that so many progressives in AZ, and across the country, are aware of ALEC now. I saw several comments on Facebook this morning where people correctly identified ALEC as the originator of SB1070 rather than Russell Pearce. This is a good start but Pearce is still regularly identified as the “author” of the bill in MSM reports though I doubt he’s authored anything in his life. He couldn’t even write his own racist tirades on his website. He lifted them from white supremacist sites. And the majority of bad laws coming out of the AZ legislature (and state legislatures in other red states) are equally unoriginal. I think this should be thrown in politician ALEC members’ faces at every opportunity. “You’re so unoriginal.” Followed by a sigh and a wry shake of the head.

One of those bills would allow out-of-state insurers to sell policies in Arizona that don’t have to comply with state coverage mandates. But just to make it so Arizona insurers won’t be deprived of being able to collect premiums without delivering actual health care, they also want to waive the requirement that Arizona insurance companies cover a wide range of treatments.

Guess who is a prime sponsor of this? None other than Arizona’s Mostest Pro Lifest Legislator, Nancy Barto. She who called a 2009 anti-abortion measure “the ultimate health care bill for children”. Postpartum, those children better hope that the insurance policy their parents chose is with a company that chooses to cover things like diabetes or cancer should they be diagnosed with them. Because Nancy’s really pro-choice when it comes to what health insurance companies ought to be compelled to do to save the lives of babies she wants women to be forced to have. “I think the market will handle that,” she said Wednesday.

Tuesday night is a reprise of Primary election eve. I’ll be on the panel for election coverage on Channel 12.2 (the weather channel) or Cox Cable 83 from 8 to 9 pm and then we’ll be featured on the regular 10pm broadcast on Channel 12.

If Brewer agreed to another debate it immediately sets up the IOKIYAR Lowered Expectations Mulligan. You know what I’m talking about: When a Republican faceplants in a debate, because he/she is a Republican everyone decides to vastly lower the expectations in the next debate. It happened with GWB in the 2004 Presidential debates. Shoot, Palin got it right off the bat for her debate with Biden in 2008 due to her already demonstrated poor elocution and lack of knowledge of, well, anything. Under the lowered expectations rule all the Republican has to do is not fumble too badly at the debate and the punditocracy will swoon before such a valiant attempt at mediocrity. (Democratic politicians don’t benefit from mulligans or lowered expectations, you understand. One flub and you never live it down. I chalk it up to people having higher expectations of us.)

The low bar for a future Jan Brewer debate has broken a new record for the IOKIYAR Reduced Expectations Mulligan. Terry will win every debate with Jan on the technical merits because he knows what he’s talking about and she’s clueless but Jan will “win” the next one no matter how deplorably she actually does. Her handlers will double down on prepping her and if she burbles out the talking points in anything resembling the English language, there will be swooning en masse.

Which makes you wonder why Brewer’s handlers aren’t jumping at the chance for another debate.

2. Every so often I get a comment to a post I did months ago, probably because the person googled a topic and my post came up. Normally I just approve them and move on, but this poor creature was so upset about a post I did back in January about Rep. Judy Burges and her Birther Bill that I wanted to make sure y’all didn’t miss it.

Quoth Ronda:

NO. YOU SUCK. She is doing a great job and has a right to her opinion without trashy people like yourself making obnoxious comments. Judy…keep up the good work.

Judy sure does have a right to her opinion, Ronda. No matter how ignorant and bigoted it is. I hope you feel better now.

**UPDATE**: I facebooked Ronda and her full name is Ronda Burges-Apolinar. She’s Judy the Birther’s daughter.

Next up, I’ve been asked to encourage y’all to contact Jan Brewer to demand that she participate in debates with Terry Goddard. He wants to do 6 and she intends only to do the Clean Elections one, and you know she’d try to wriggle out of that one if her participation weren’t mandatory. Phone number is 602-542-4331 and you can contact her via email here.

Here’s what I’m sending:

Dear Governor Brewer,

Governor of Arizona is an incredibly important responsibility and this state has problems far too numerous and pressing for you to be avoiding debates with your opponent. If you have time to be interviewed by national cable news networks then you have time to face Attorney General Goddard and let voters know where you stand and how you plan to address issues ranging from education to the economy to public safety.

http://surveys.azcapitoltimes.com/s3/bestofthecapitol

Pro AZ believes to have a healthy Arizona, we must have an equal Arizona.

Pro AZ encourages residents to support local businesses that publicly display their respect for all Arizona communities.

Pro AZ asks local businesses who support an equal Arizona to publicly display this card in their work place.

Here’s the logo that they are asking Arizona businesses (and there are several that have already signed up) to display:

Timmy’s Cat, we promise we’ll get one for you too.