Arizona Capitol Times Your Inside Source for Arizona Government, Politics and Business

You wouldn’t naturally expect people to become angry before a state commission redraws Arizona’s legislative and congressional districts, but thanks to the trending wave of dysfunction, that’s exactly what has happened.

For years, Arizona was touted as a good place to move for asthmatics and others who suffer from respiratory illnesses. Unfortunately that is no longer the case.

I’d like to set the record straight due to the political intrigue and misinformation that have been ascribed to the recent special session on continuing the federal Extended Benefit (EB) Program until the end of the year in Arizona.

Senate President Russell Pearce characterizes the massive recall effort against him as a product of liberal citizens who unpatriotically share zero interest in his politics, which is seemingly limited to the topic of curtailing illegal immigration by any means necessary. 

Rather than respond to Henry Grosjean’s commentary (Brewer was right to veto health insurance bill, 5/27) in-kind with an ad hominem attack on his intelligence, I will respond to his claims and why the governor’s veto of SB1593 was a mistake that will have adverse consequences for the 1.3 million Arizonans with no insurance today, and for the thousands of small businesses being crushed under the weight of ever-increasing premiums.  

While the recently completed legislative session earned headlines for the passage of a sweeping economic competitiveness package, another new law that will help Arizona’s taxpayers and employers went largely unnoticed.

As the recall threat against Senate President Russell Pearce heats up, Arizona voters may be joining their counterparts in the rest of the country in looking to kick out an elected leader. Activists in Wisconsin are seeking to remove 16 state senators, Miami-Dade County kicked out its mayor and the mayor of Omaha, Neb., just barely survived a recall vote.

Arizona’s medical marijuana law continues to pay out. The payoff isn’t so great for sickened would-be patients and convalescing recreational users, as it is for journalists and attorneys.

I suspected Gov. Jan Brewer would veto SB1593 and applaud her for doing so.

This bill was yet another example of a misguided Legislature embracing a feel-good piece of legislation that was promoted by health insurance reform advocates, such as Dr. Eric Novack.

Sheriff Joe Arpaio is dangerous. He needs to go.

Arpaio’s suggestion that he knew nothing of the gross mismanagement by his underlings like Dave Henderschott is not credible. Arpaio surrounds himself with sycophants like Henderschott who share Arpaio’s disdain for anyone who would criticize the office. Arpaio cannot now distance himself from these decisions.