Steve Pierce

Republican
Candidate for Arizona Senate in Legislative District 1
Phone: (928) 445-7949
Email: contact@electstevepierce.com
Website: www.electstevepierce.com
Twitter: @SenStevePierce
14000 N 7V Ranch Rd, Prescott, AZ 86303.
Age: 62. (06/09/50, Phoenix, AZ).

Arizona since: Birth.

Occupation: Rancher since 1972.

Marital: Married (Joan).

Children: 4.

Religious preference: Christian.

Education: B.S., animal science, UofA.

Political experience: Precinct committeeman; county chairman; state executive committee.

Legis exp: Senate since 2009; Senate president since Nov 2011; majority whip 2009-Nov 2011.

Memberships: AZ Cattle Growers; AZ GOP; AZ Nat’l Livestock Show; Yavapai Republican Committee.

Interests: Gardening, fishing and beaching.

Political influence: My wife Joan. She has always been my closest and most trusted political advisor. We have been married almost 40 years now, and I simply would never be where I am today without her.

Job creation measures: We have made progress on regulatory reform, but there is more to do to help small businesses. We need to create a stronger mechanism for creating openness and accountability in the regulatory process, and we need some measures to prevent the ever-increasing use of fees to pay for things other than for what they were intended.

Top Issues: We still have a long way to go in securing our border and stemming the tide of illegal immigration, so that will continue to be a priority for me. Also, as we have sadly witnessed recently with the Gladiator and Sunflower fires, Arizona desperately needs better forest management. I will continue to work with experts at the local, state and federal level to enhance our watershed and prevent further fires.

Prop 100 sales tax extension: When voters approved the sales tax increase two years ago, they were promised it would only be temporary. Extending it (and presumably extending again after that) because we can’t control spending would not only break that promise, but send the message that Arizona is simply incapable of keeping its fiscal house in order. We fought hard this session to pass a budget that is balanced without gimmicks, holds the line on taxes, and puts money away in a rainy day fund for future budget emergencies. We did this so we wouldn’t have to continue to ask Arizonans to pay more of their hard earned money in a rough economy to fix mistakes of the past.

Illegal immigration: Truthfully, the best thing that could happen in Arizona to help us solve the problem of illegal immigration would be for Mitt Romney to win in November. I hate to get political, but immigration is still a federal issue and this administration, for whatever reason, has been more hostile to our state than any I can remember. The Fast & Furious scandal has had real consequences on our border, federal enforcement of immigration laws has been woefully inadequate, and the multiple lawsuits filed against Arizona over immigration serve only to score cheap political points. It is my hope that the next administration has a better understanding of this issue and has some empathy for how it affects Arizonans.

Background & experience: I have been a rancher for five decades. I learned a long time ago the value of hard work, to not be afraid to get your hands dirty, and how to spot manure.

Pro-life / pro-choice: I am unequivocally pro-life.

One last thing: It has been a tremendous honor to serve as Senate President, and I always enjoy listening to your concerns and ideas. I still believe that honesty is the best policy, and I’ll always be straight with you about what I believe and what I’m trying to do.

Campaign finance: private.