P.L.A.N. Update - Sine Die on the Horizon‏

Counting the Days

This week the Senate President extended the deadline for conference committee deliberations to April 29. This is a sign that Sine Die may follow soon after. As defined in the Arizona Legislative Manual, "adjournment sine die, literally adjournment 'without a day,' marks the end of the legislative session and terminates all unfinished business because it does not set a time for reconvening."

So far during the 2nd Regular Session, 1223 legislative bills have been introduced, 115 approved by the legislature and 98 transmitted to the Governor. Of those 98, Governor Brewer has signed 58 bills and vetoed 3. Once a bill reaches the Governor's desk, she must either sign the bill, transmit the bill to the Secretary of State without signing it or veto the bill. During session, the Governor has 5 days to act; following sine die, she has 10 days. Status of bills is posted at http://www.azleg.gov/FinalDisposition.asp.

While the legislature is still in session, it may override the Governor's veto with two-thirds of the members in the House and the Senate voting in favor of the bill. Three-fourths of both chambers must approve the vetoed bill if it contains and emergency clause or if the measures increases revenue to the state.

Transmitted to the Governor

HB 2479: Foreclosure Deeds; Buyer Identification (Rep. Bill Konopnicki, R-Safford) received final Senate approval on Monday and was transmitted to the Governor for her approval. This bill will make it easier to contact owners of foreclosed properties that have fallen into disrepair. Phoenix favors this measure.

Other Bills Of Interest

HB 2246: Regulation of Fireworks (Rep. Andy Biggs, R–Gilbert) permits the sale of consumer and display fireworks. This bill is similar to one that was vetoed by Governor Brewer last session. Other than the local preemption from regulating display fireworks, the city is concerned that more people could be physically harmed by these devices and that the state fire marshal, who is tasked to adopt and enforce rules related to the storage of fireworks, is not funded sufficiently to enforce the proposed law. HB 2246 is ready for Third Read in the Senate.

HB 2338: Yellow Lights; Duration; Photo Enforcement (Rep. Frank Antenori, R–Tucson) calls for the Arizona Department of Transportation to establish a yellow light duration standard that a community must adopt if it is to operate red light photo radar systems. Federal standards already exist that Phoenix has applied to our traffic signals. The city is working with the bill sponsor and others to address concerns about the bill. HB 2338 is ready for Third Read in the Senate.

SB 1070: Immigration; Law Enforcement; Safe Neighborhoods (Sen. Russell Pearce, R – Mesa) proposes numerous changes to laws dealing with immigration. Some of these changes include:

• prohibiting local governments from adopting policies that restrict or limit their law enforcement officers from enforcing federal immigration law;
• establishing a crime for willful failure to carry/complete an alien registration document;
• requiring law enforcement officers to attempt to confirm the immigration status of a person they come in contact with whom they reasonably believe is an alien who is unlawfully in the United States; and
• makes it a class one misdemeanor for a driver to impede traffic while in the act of offering work to a nearby pedestrian, or for the pedestrian to enter the vehicle.

The bill is ready for Third Read in the Senate. The city is studying the bill to determine how it would impact Phoenix Police operations.

Source: P.L.A.N.