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This week, the Joint Legislative Budget Committee (JLBC) issued a budget update. The latest budget data shows that while fiscal year 2010 revenues declined for a third year in a row (which has never happened in state history), fourth quarter revenues grew by 1 percent over last year. This is the first positive year-over-year gain since the first quarter of FY2008, nearly three years. Click on the underlined link for more information.
Source: P.L.A.N.
New Laws Take Effect Next Week
When the dust settled on the 49th Legislature Second Regular Session this past April, a total of 338 bills had been signed into law. Most of those will take effect next week on the "general effective date," July 29, which is the 91st day after adjournment of the session. (Others have specified effective dates or an "emergency clause" so the bill took effect immediately upon signature by the Governor). You will find the new laws on the Legislature's website.
City staff compiled a report after the 2010 regular session describing many aspects of the Legislature's work this year. The report does not cover all 338 of this year's new laws, but rather summarizes the bills on which the Phoenix City Council took a position. This final report was completed before voter approval of Proposition 100, the one-cent temporary sales tax. Click HERE to access the entire report.Source: P.L.A.N.
Time to Get Involved!
As residents of Arizona we have have many opportunities to participate in state and local government. One vital role of citizens in government is to volunteer as a board or commission member for the State or at the local level for the city of Phoenix. People on these panels provide advice and guidance to policy-makers on a wide variety of issues, and get the opportunity to meet people and make professional and other connections.
State Board or Commission
The Governor's Office provides an online application for residents interested in participating on a state board or commission. There are over 300 active state boards and commissions in Arizona with gubernatorial appointees. These boards cover topics from education to the environment. More information about how to become a member of a state board or commission is available at http://azgovernor.gov/bc/BCinfo.asp.
Phoenix Board or Commission
If service at the local level is more appealing, Phoenix currently has more than 60 Boards and Commissions, found at http://phoenix.gov/phxd/bdcomm/index.jsp, whose members are appointed by the Mayor and city council members. Learn how to apply to serve on a board or commission at http://phoenix.gov/CITYGOV/bdcomm.html#HOW. An online application is available at http://phoenix.gov/EMAIL/appbdcom.html.
Source: P.L.A.N.
City Champions & Friends
Each year, the League of Arizona Cities and Towns, an organization that represents the interests of the state's 91 municipalities before the Legislature, acknowledges those legislators who went above and beyond to advocate for issues of importance to cities. Whether it was protecting revenue sharing or fighting to preserve local control, the following Phoenix legislators were recognized as city "champions" or "friends":
CHAMPIONS
Sen. Barbara Leff (LD 11 - North Central Phoenix/Arcadia)
Sen. John Nelson (LD 12 - West Phoenix)
Sen. Rebecca Rios (LD 23 - Southwest Phoenix)
Sen. Debbie McCune Davis (LD 14 - Central Phoenix)
Rep. Chad Campbell (LD 14 - Central Phoenix)
Rep. Adam Driggs (LD 11 - North Central Phoenix/Arcadia)
FRIENDS
Sen. David Braswell (LD 6 - North Phoenix/Moon Valley)
Sen. Linda Gray (LD 10 - Northwest Phoenix)
Rep. Nancy Barto (LD 7 - Northeast Phoenix)
Rep. Tom Boone (LD 4 - Northwest Phoenix)
Rep. Martha Garcia (LD 13 - West Phoenix/Maryvale)
Rep. David Lujan (LD 15 - Central Phoenix)
Rep. Eric Meyer (LD 11 - North Central Phoenix/Arcadia)
Rep. John McComish (LD 20 - Ahwatukee/South Phoenix)
Rep. Kyrsten Sinema (LD 15 - Central Phoenix)
Rep. Anna Tovar (LD 13 - West Phoenix)
Rep. Steve Montenegro (LD 12 - West Phoenix)
These and 30 other legislators from around the state will be recognized at the League's annual conference in August. Please help us thank these hometown heroes for all they do for Phoenix and communities throughout Arizona.
Source: P.L.A.N.
Proud to Serve My Country
My parents taught me what it means to be of service to others. And they taught me that, other than family, perhaps nothing in life is more important.
I grew up in the sixties. It was a decade defined by political turmoil and Woodstock. I didn’t go to Woodstock. Instead, my best friend and I enlisted in the United States Marine Corps soon after graduating from high school. That was in April of 1968. Just four months later, I was through boot camp and infantry training and was on a military transport to Da Nang, Vietnam. Shortly thereafter, I was made a squad leader.
On the evening of April 6th of 1969, the squad leaders were called together and told that we would be doing a sweeping operation south of Marble Mountain. Da Nang had taken some artillery fire believed to be coming from that area and it needed to be stopped.
We began our mission the next morning, under beautiful blue skies. After nearly completing the mission, several of my fellow Marines went down. We took no gunfire, but there were land mines and booby traps, seemingly everywhere. After evacuating my fellow Marines, we continued our mission. We then hit another area of land mines. We lost a total of six Marines that day. While rushing to provide assistance and to reassign weaponry, a land mine exploded beneath me.
Although my active military service ended that day, I will never forget the young soldiers of my youth, including my best friend who joined the Marine Corps with me and was killed on a forgotten hill in the demilitarized zone in August, 1969. Many are gone now. Sadly, Vietnam veterans are dying at a faster rate than the veterans of previous wars. In so many ways, their sacrifices continue.
As we celebrate this Fourth of July, let's take a moment to pause and remember the sacrifices of the men and women in uniform who have fought and continue to fight for the freedoms we enjoy today. It is because of these men and women that our country, founded on the principles of freedom, liberty and justice, will be celebrating its 234th anniversary.
I hope everyone has a safe and happy Fourth of July. God Bless America.
Respectfully,
Rick Romley
Source: Rick Romley for County Attorney
Voter Registration Deadline
To be eligible to vote in the August 24 Primary Election, voters must register by July 26. Early voting begins July 29.
Direct Democracy 101
This November, Arizona voters will have the opportunity to decide up to ten ballot questions. Our state Constitution provides two different paths for an issue to get on the ballot: the first, a referendum, is an issue passed by the Legislature as a concurrent resolution and submitted to the Secretary of State; the other, an initiative, is an issue proposed by citizens who gather signatures on petitions that are submitted to the Secretary of State. When our constitution was drafted, the citizen initiative and referendum process was an important element that is not included in most other state constitutions. You can find all the guidelines for the initiative and referendum process in the Arizona Legislative Manual.
All changes to the State Constitution must be approved by a vote of the people, but not every ballot measure is a constitutional amendment. One of the key differences between our Constitution and our statutes is that the Legislature can change a statute on its own, except that since passage of the Voter Protection Act in 1998, the Legislature cannot change a voter-approved statute unless the change "furthers the purpose" of the original ballot item and the change is approved by three-fourths votes in both the state Senate and House.
This year the Legislature referred nine items to the ballot. Petitions supporting a single additional ballot initiative, Prop. 203, were filed with the Secretary of State. Secretary Ken Bennett's Office is now busily evaluating petition signatures, a time-consuming process that we expect to wrap up during the first week in August.
What You'll See This Fall
The ballot is typically arranged so that proposed constitutional amendments are numbered consecutively beginning with the number 100; proposed initiative measures amending state statutes are numbered consecutively beginning with the number 200; measures amending state statutes referred by the Legislature are numbered consecutively beginning with the number 300; and county and local issues are numbered consecutively beginning with the number 400. The numbering is based on the order in which the referendum or initiative petitions were filed with the Secretary of State. The Secretary of State Web site displays the Ballot Measure List.
At this time, no constitutional amendment initiatives were brought forward by petitions and seven constitutional amendments were referred by the Legislature (One of those measures, Prop. 108 - Right to Vote Secret Ballot, was determined this week to violate the "single subject" rule of the Arizona constitution and therefore it will NOT appear on the ballot this fall):
- Health Care Services (Prop. 106)
- Preferential Treatment or Discrimination Prohibition (Prop. 107)
- Hunting and Fishing (Prop. 109)
- State Trust Lands (Prop. 110)
- Lieutenant Governor (Prop. 111)
- Initiative Petitions (Prop. 112)
There is one proposed initiative measure amending state statutes: Arizona Medical Marijuana Act (Prop. 203);
and two measures changing state statutes referred by the Legislature: The Land Conservation Fund (Prop. 301) and Early Childhood Development and Health Programs (Prop. 302)
We'll all see and hear more about these measures in the weeks to come!
Source: P.L.A.N.
