Russell Pearce recall reimbursement bill introduced again
Published: January 23, 2013 at 9:27 am
Russell Pearce (Photo by Ryan Cook/RJ Cook Photography)
A bill introduced by an ally of former state Sen. Russell Pearce would set the stage for reimbursing the Mesa Republican for his spending in the November 2011 recall election that ousted him from the Legislature.
The bill introduced by Republican Rep. Steve Smith of Maricopa proposes to change state law to provide for paying campaign expenses of elected officials, starting with those in recall elections held in November 2011.
Similar legislation failed near the end of the 2012 legislative session.
Pearce’s spending of $261,000 came from donations from individuals and political committees, not from his own money, according to The Arizona Republic.
The Arizona Constitution requires the Legislature to enact a law for payment of public officials’ “reasonable special election campaign expenses.”
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2 Responses to “Russell Pearce recall reimbursement bill introduced again”
January 23rd, 2013 at 12:30 pm
Just when you thought the Republican legislature had regained its composure they again show they are bat-**** crazy.
January 24th, 2013 at 10:12 am
Smith wants taxpayers to pay for Pearce’s failure to beat the recall successfully? Pearce calls himself a fiscal conservative. If he doesn’t speak out and put a stop to this taxpayer subsidized cronyism he is nothing but the deadbeat hypocrite that a majority of the voters thinks he is (Fiesta Bowl, triple pensions, anti-clean elections, not extending Federal unemployment checks to Arizona unemployed, etc. etc.)