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Representatives scramble for leadership posts in both parties

By dmc-admin

Published: August 4, 2006 at 1:00 am

House Speaker Jim Weiers is facing challenges from both ends of the House Republican caucus, a situation brought on because lawmakers were kept out of the loop on major issues, says one of his challengers.
“He’s alienated both sides of the caucus,” Rep. Bill Konopnicki, R-5, said. “People felt like they were left out last session.”
Mr. Konopnicki, who is largely considered the de facto leader of caucus’ moderate members, said many lawmakers felt their voices were stifled by Mr. Weiers, who he says guided public policy last session by politics, not prudence.
However, Mr. Weiers says he stands up and fights for everyone’s views, regardless of how he feels personally.
“Do I agree with every member down here, and does every member agree with me? No,” he said. “But I do agree that they have opinions and the right to have those opinions heard and I try to work as hard as I can to make those opinions as vocal for those members as I can, even when I disagree with them.
“That’s my job,” Mr. Weiers said.
Rep. Andy Biggs, R-22, is also challenging Mr. Weiers for the House’s top spot. He says he would make sure budget negotiations are “transparent,” allowing membership to know what is going on.
“If I were elected speaker,” he said, “I believe I have the capacity to communicate with the members clearly the progress and goals, as well as the setbacks.”
Mr. Biggs is one of the more fiscally and socially conservative legislators and was one of only a handful of Republicans to vote against portions of the budget in 2005.
Both he and Mr. Konopnicki were elected in 2002 and are term-limited in 2010. Various members have expressed a concern that time is running out for the largest freshman class in Arizona history – a total of 33 new representatives were elected that year – and that it will be shut out of leading the body.
Mr. Weiers, who is in his second stint as speaker, having held the post from 2001-02 before serving the next two years in the Senate, says his track record and experience are exactly the reasons he should be re-elected as speaker.
“What I have, a lot of people don’t, and that’s experience,” he said. “I don’t know where running for speaker is any different than a member running for the House. The same arguments they use with their constituents are the same points I make to the people I’m asking to support me.”
Three vying for majority leader
Much the way nature does, politics abhors a vacuum. With Majority Leader Steve Tully, R-11, not returning to the Legislature, two lawmakers have thrown their hats in the ring to replace him and a third is considering doing so.
Rep. Tom Boone, R-4, says he will “bring focus and intensity” to the job and would be vocal in promoting issues important to Republicans. He says that some key issues were brushed aside midway through the last session.
“The primary job, in my opinion, is advocating for the caucus,” he said.
Mr. Boone was chairman of one of the House’s two Appropriations committees the past two years and said that gives him familiarity with the budget and the negotiating process.
Like Mr. Boone, Rep. Laura Knaperek, R-17, also cited her experience with the budgeting process, except for 2003-04 when she wasn’t in the Legislature. She has served on an Appropriations Committee every year since 1995, holding the vice-chairmanship in the 1999-2000 term and the chairmanship the following two years. She says she would bring a “more holistic” style of leadership.
“I want to be a helpful majority leader and help people get their bills through,” she says. “I don’t want to tie up the regular bills with the budget. That’s not how you make good public policy.”
Seriously considering entering the race is Rep. Marian McClure, R-30, who says she is waiting until after the Sept. 12 primary elections to make a decision. She said running to replace Mr. Tully was “in the back of my mind” all session.
“I truly believe that I sort of hit my stride this year and I could work with all the factions [of the caucus],” she said.
Two Republicans are gunning for the majority whip position, Reps. John Allen, R-11, and John McComish, R-20. Mr. Allen sought the job two years ago, but was defeated by Gary Pierce, R-19, who is leaving the Legislature to run for the Corporation Commission.
Change for the Democrats?
Assistant Minority Leader Linda Lopez, D-29, has said she will try to defeat Rep. Phil Lopes and become the leader of the minority caucus. She said he has shown an unwillingness to compromise that has kept Democrats away from the bargaining table, harming the process of making public policy.
“I truly believe the state benefits when we work together,” she said.
Mr. Lopes says the Democrats have been harmed by the refusal of Republican leadership to involve the minority party, especially in developing the budget.
He says the best way to unify the caucus and be more effective is to have consistency in leadership. When he was elected to the post two years ago, he ran intending to serve as leader for six years.
“When you ask yourself about what the effects are of term limits, one is continuity and the lack of it in the membership,” he said. “So, since we’re not going to change term limits, what can we do to mitigate term limits? It seems to me that one of the things we can do is have a bit more tenure in leadership than we have now.”
No one has officially declared a candidacy for the vacated assistant leader job, but Rep. Steve Gallardo, D-13, said he will give serious thought to it once the primary elections are over.
“I am definitely interested in one of the leadership positions,” he said. “I’ve been approached by many members to look into it and I probably will run.”
Current Minority Whip Pete Rios, D-23, said he hoped to serve in the same position next term. No challengers have come forward for the whip post.

ARIZONA LEGISLATIVE REPORT

Representatives scramble for leadership posts in both parties

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