Arizona Rep Warren Petersen (LD12) – Always a Champion

Today, May 13, Rep. Petersen received a letter from the Center for Arizona Policy informing him that he received another perfect score in standing up for families, the sanctity of life, and marriage during the last session.  

States Rep. Petersen:

"As you know the family is the fabric of society and, as government leaders, it is incumbent upon us to do all we can to protect the family, life, and the institution of marriage.  Unfortunately these values are under attack.  This next election cycle is an important one.  

"In spite of some disappointments and setbacks, Arizona has made great strides over the last 6 years.  For example we are now the 4th most pro-life state in the union.  This has primarily been due to the fact that we have had a Republican governor, and a Republican legislature whom we have been able to hold to a pro-life, family and marriage platform.  Our State could easily fall into Democratic hands if we don’t all do our part in the next few months.  Not all of us can be elected officials.  But all of us can find a good candidate to support.  All of us can find one person that wasn’t going to vote and get them to the polls.  All of us can put a yard sign in front of our houses.  The primary election is in just over 90 days.  Please do what you can to make sure that we elect people who best represent your values into office."

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ALIS and RTS: Tools for the politically active

by Patrick O’Malley
Precinct Committeeman LD12

This year there are two applications on the Arizona State Legislature website (azleg.gov) that every Conservative should know about. They are the Arizona Legislative Information System (ALIS, pronounced like Alice) and the Request To Speak (RTS) applications. The Progressives are on board and using RTS to out comment Conservatives by two to one, and all of their comments are read as part of Legislative Committee hearings. We need to speak up or our Legislators will be overwhelmed with comments that don’t support our views.

Both applications deal with new bills under consideration by the Legislature. They both let you search for bills of interest to you and see what committees they have to go through to get to the floor. You can mark bills of interest to you and put them in a personal list so you can check on them quickly. 

ALIS vs RTS

The disadvantage of the RTS application is you have to physically go to the State Capitol to create your account, or get somebody to do it for you. After that you can do everything with RTS online.  With the ALIS application you can create an account online and track bills, but you can’t make comments. This article focuses on RTS because RTS does everything ALIS does and lets you make comments that will be read in committee meetings.

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Defending Old Glory – AZ Sen. John Kavanagh Wants Stealing Flag To Be a Felony

Arizona Republican Senator John Kavanagh (LD23) will be introducing a bill during the upcoming Legislative Session that will make stealing the American flag a Class 6 felony.  In the following Fox News interview, Sen. Kavanagh explains that currently, stealing the flag is only a misdemeanor theft, akin to stealing a pack of gum from a convenience store.  When someone steals a flag from someone’s yard, they aren’t just stealing something that doesn’t belong to them.  Not only is the flag a venerated object, but also, when someone displays the American flag, they are exercising their Constitutionally-guaranteed First Amendment freedom of expression. They might be displaying the flag to express patriotism, mourning someone’s death, or as a protest.  This is an important right.  

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Stop the National Popular Vote Compact in Arizona

"Democracy" has a nice ring to it: One Person, One Vote.  However, that’s exactly what the Founders did not want: Majority (aka Mob) Rule.  When Mrs. Powel of Philadelphia asked Benjamin Franklin, “Well, Doctor, what have we got, a republic or a monarchy?” With no hesitation whatsoever, Franklin responded, "A Republic, if you can keep it."  Ours is a Constitutional Republic, but only if we, the people, care enough to participate in keeping it.     

Our presidents are chosen through a combination of a popular vote and the Electoral College that represents the states.  Each state’s entitled allotment of electors equals the number of members in its Congressional delegation: one for each member in the House of Representatives plus two for Senators.  This keeps a handful of the most populous states from dominating all the other states.  For example, Donald Trump won the popular vote in Arizona.  Thus, the Republican party’s 11 Electors will vote for president.  Had Hillary Clinton won the popular vote, Arizona’s 11 Democrat Electors would be voting for president. (In contrast, California has 55 Electors.) See below for two short videos:  Do you Understand the Electoral College? and The Popular Vote vs the Electoral College.

Unfortunately, there is a movement across America that is gaining traction called the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact.  It would distort the procedures of the Electoral College.  It would usher in the very "democracy" that the Founders did not want.  It is unconstitutional.  

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Who Funds Restoring Arizona? Who’s Getting Paid to Stop the Voters?

Who are these heavy hitters that can drop hundreds of thousands of dollars like it’s nothing but loose change falling out of their pockets?   Governor Brewer seems to have a bottomless pit of money she’s using to keep the Medicaid expansion decision away from the ballot box.  So far, the Restoring Arizona PAC has raised $364,000.  The Arizona Business Coalition contributed $234,000.  Arizona for Sensible Health Care Policy, $100,000.  Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Association, $50,000.  Even AARP has gotten into the act with a contribution of $15,000.  

A quick look at the Arizona Business Coalition reveals that the contact is Glenn Hamer, who also happens to be the president and CEO of the Arizona Chamber of Commerce.  Both organizations share the same address.

The Arizona Chamber is a proud supporter of the Common Core standards. 

Chamber members include corporate heavyweights like APS, SouthWest Gas, SRP, and Banner Health, Wells Fargo Bank, American Express, and Hensley Beverage Company.   Let’s see.  Hensley…. Now here’s a familiar face! 

And who is The Summit?  Well, that’s Chad Willems’ company, a paid political consultant.  He has been paid $158,000 to stop the voters from having a say in whether or not they want to expand Medicaid in Arizona.  

Against this Goliath of big money stands a small army of "We the People" conservatives who refuse to roll out the welcome mat to Obama’s HealthCare in Arizona.  

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Jim O’Connor Announces Run for State Party Chairman of the AZGOP

I have tremendous respect for Jim O’Connor.  In the following press release, you will read about Jim’s role in renouncing the National Popular Vote.  I was one of the people he patiently educated regarding its problems.  Ultimately, a group of us were able to convince our Senator, Sylvia Allen, to back away from supporting it.  Jim is true to the Republican platform and has provided leadership in other areas as well, including the passage of HB2088, which protects students against surveys that gather private, personally identifiable information.  He advised his representative in LD23, Heather Carter, "Our 444 Precinct Committeemen are reflecting the opinions of the 70,000 registered republican votes in our district overwhelmingly protecting the rights of parents and children. Please represent these and other republicans who desire to restrain government overreach."  She voted in favor on reconsideration.  Mr. O’Connor has stood firmly in support of legislation that honors parental authority and rejects federal control of education in Arizona.

PRESS RELEASE

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Has YOUR Legislator been Endorsed by Pro Common Core, Anti-Parent “Stand for Children”?

Stand for Children/Arizona has just endorsed 26 candidates for the Arizona Legislature in the Primary Election on August 30.  “Stand for Children Arizona does not take its endorsement process lightly.  These candidates have been fully vetted to make sure they currently agree with, and will stay true to a majority of Stand’s policies and educational priorities that we believe will bring the quickest results." 

 A review of Stand for Children/Arizona’s website indicates that this group proudly supports the entire Common Core agenda, aka Arizona’s College and Career Ready Standards, including AzMerit.  

Stand is proud to have defeated a litany of anti-Common Core legislation, as well as other bills that parents have fought for, including the defeated SB1455.  This bill would have acknowledged that parents know more than the State about what’s best for their own children.  These parents wanted to opt their children out of the unvalidated, secretive AzMerit.  Stand would have none of it.  See "Top Legislative Results."   

Parents and their children suffered verbal and emotional abuse at the hands of school administrators, teachers, other parents, and other students for daring to opt out of AZMerit.  Remember?  See Sen. Allen calls for schools to respect parents over assessment concerns, The Schools’ War On Arizona’s Children: Part 1, The Schools’ War on Arizona’s Children: Part 2 Online Charter Schools The Schools’ War on Arizona’s Children: Part 3 Emotional Child Abuse.

Voters should be wary of groups that "sound" wonderful.  Scratch the surface, and you discover how pro-Statist and anti-Family they truly are.   Expect More Arizona is another such group.  See Is Expect More Arizona in it for the Money?    

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Jimmy Lindblom and LaCinda Lewis Endorsed by Pro Common Core, Anti-Parent “Stand for Children”

Stand for Children/Arizona has just endorsed Jimmy Lindblom, who is running for a Senate seat against Warren Petersen in LD12, and LaCinda Lewis, who is competing against Eddie Farnsworth  and Travis Grantham in the House.

 A review of Stand for Children/Arizona’s website indicates that this group proudly supports the entire Common Core agenda, aka Arizona’s College and Career Ready Standards, including AzMerit.  

Stand is proud to have defeated a litany of anti-Common Core legislation, as well as other bills that parents have fought for, including the defeated SB1455.  This bill would have acknowledged that parents know more than the State about what’s best for their own children.  These parents wanted to opt their children out of the unvalidated, secretive AzMerit.  Stand would have none of it.  See "Top Legislative Results."   

Parents and their children suffered verbal and emotional abuse at the hands of school administrators, teachers, other parents, and other students for daring to opt out of AZMerit.  Remember?  See Sen. Allen calls for schools to respect parents over assessment concerns, The Schools’ War On Arizona’s Children: Part 1, The Schools’ War on Arizona’s Children: Part 2 Online Charter Schools The Schools’ War on Arizona’s Children: Part 3 Emotional Child Abuse.

Voters should be wary of groups that "sound" wonderful.  Scratch the surface, and you discover how pro-Statist and anti-Family they truly are.   Expect More Arizona is another such group.  See Is Expect More Arizona in it for the Money?    

 

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