Millions of people on both sides of the political aisle have been disenfranchised this year at the whim of a handful of virtually unaccountable Arizona lawmakers, who chair committees in both the House and Senate. Never before, due to the failure of leadership in both chambers, have committee chairs done more to block the people from their seat at the legislative table.
Petty, vindictive, arrogant, paranoid and self-serving decision-makers, carefully selected by Gowan in the House, and Biggs in the Senate, have left millions of people, and their chosen representatives out of the lawmaking process by choosing to kills bills before they ever receive a fair hearing. On the other hand, bills that further diminish the public’s power and access seem to be granted unlimited lives as they are resurrected time and time again.
While politicians on both sides of the aisle rail against each other and the special interests they represent, few on either side of the aisle consider the needs of the people when lobbyists craft and promote the bills lawmakers sponsor. There are too few representatives who work with every day people to develop legislation that addresses their needs.
Here is how it works
“There are many legitimate concerns about the corporate nature of our society and the undue strength corporations exert over the American political system.” ~ Genetic Literacy Project
The Speaker of the House David Gowan and Senate President Andy Biggs assigned lawmakers to chair committees. Some of those assignments are not so much based on experience and knowledge as much as they are made on whom can be counted on to forward the “leaders’” agendas. Those agendas are not conservative or liberal; they are centered on securing continued power by granting favors and protection to the deep pocketed interests.
Those interests range from the chambers of commerce, wealthy individuals to the ASBA. Occasionally their interests and the people’s interests are aligned. Not often enough. The special interest groups have lobbyists. The people do not.
Once the chairs are in place, bills are assigned to the committees by Gowan and Biggs. The type and number of committees to which a bill might be assigned in based primarily on whether the “leaders” want a bill to survive. All bills must go through the Rules Committee, and are heard by at least one other standing committee. “No assignment” is swift death, and “triple assignment” is certain death.
No matter how long and hard the people work with their representatives on crafting their legislation, if the right lobbyists want it dead – it will be aborted at the earliest stage. The people’s policies will never get a fair hearing or an up and down vote. Their work product will sit in the “leaders’” drawers. The “leaders” will earn favors from lobbyists and the lawmakers will earn scorn from the people.
Just as telling as what bills die, are those that make it through. Cases in point:
HB2577 was assigned to the Commerce, Transportation and Infrastructure, and Rules committees. The bipartisan bill was brought by Rep. Richard Andrade (D- LD29). Andrade, a certified locomotive engineer with BNSF Railway, won support for his bill from Republican lawmakers due to national security concerns, “the safety of our communities and railroaders who operate trains, which transport hazardous material,” according to Andrade.
“The railroads have been pushing for Positive Train Control, PTC. PTC is a tool which should be used to assist train crews when operating trains,” Andrade told the ADI in an email. “With technology, comes reduction of crews, meaning 1 man crews. Trains used to have 5 crew members and now operate with only 2, much of it having to do with technology. The reason I want to address this issue was an incident in 2013, a train operated by a single crew member and that was carrying crude oil derailed in Lac-Mégantic, Quebec. Forty-seven people tragically lost their lives, and the town’s center was destroyed. There have been incidents here in the US when a conductor working with an engineer saved their own lives and prevented further destruction when trains derailed. This issue is currently being addressed in Congress, but as you may well know, we can address issues quicker at the state and would reinforce our Congressional leaders who are working on this issue as well.”
Rep. Warren Peterson “held” the bill in the Commerce Committee. The people were denied an opportunity to fair hearing and an up and down vote.
HB2403, sponsored by Rep. Vince Leach, which was originally proposed last year, was “crafted specifically to help a Phoenix lawyer and real-estate investor avoid paying $146,100 in county fees,” according to the Arizona Republic. This year, it sailed through the Government and Higher Education Committee, chaired by Rep. Bob Thorpe, and Rules committees in the House. It also sailed through the Finance Committee in the Senate.
“Most of Arizona’s 15 county treasurers oppose the law and have dubbed it “Howard’s Bill” after Phoenix lawyer and investor Wayne Howard, who sought to change the law last year after being quoted a cost of $146,100 to record almost 3,000 deeds in Pinal County,” reported the Arizona Republic.
Whichever way you feel about either of the two aforementioned bills, there is no denying that the bills’ assignments were crucial. Andrade’s bill was assigned to Peterson’s Commerce Committee. Peterson, a well-respected fiscal conservative, is not known for being conservative when wielding his power. In other words; he kills bills in an arbitrary manner. Leach’s bill was assigned to Thorpe’s committee. Thorpe, who like Peterson is well-respected, is not quick to kill bills and according to other lawmakers, will work with them to make their bills better able to survive the process.
There are a few committee chairs that are deeply committed to the people. In the House, those chairs like Justin Olson, Brenda Barton, Kelly Townsend, Bob Thorpe, and Sonny Borelli, have reputations for working with members on both sides of the aisle and rarely refuse to schedule bills. Only senators David Farnsworth, Judy Burgess, and Steve Smith have been judicious in the treatment of bills. The Senate, a haven for crony capitalists and the bureaucrats with whom they have a symbiotic relationship, offers the everyday people little hope for change.
Notorious naysayers
There are chairs in both chambers, who work almost solely for the crony capitalists and/or the bureaucrats with whom they have a symbiotic relationship. In the House, chairs Paul Boyer, Doug Coleman, Heather Carter, Kate Brophy Magee, Frank Pratt, and T.J. Shope can be counted on to do the bidding of the big boys. Eddie Fransworth can be counted on to be arrogant, and Warren Peterson can be counted on to be arbitrary .
In the Senate, Bob Worsley, Steve Pierce, Jeff Dial, Adam Driggs, Karen Fann, Debbie Lesko, and John Kavanagh have carried the water for the special interests.
Remember who your friends are
The legislative session is thankfully coming to a close. Various special interest groups will deliver their “report cards,” which include grades on lawmakers’ performance. Some of those groups may share some of your values, and some will not. Some of those groups use clear and understandable metrics upon which they base their “grade.” Others groups appear to manipulate metrics that favor their pet politicians.
Almost all of the “report cards” will ignore the fact that while your representative may have tried to represent you, their efforts were limited by “leaders.” Remember that when deciding whether your representative served or failed to serve you. However, “leaders” are selected by membership. Your representatives selected Gowan and Biggs. Remember that too.
The truth is that the candidates with the largest megaphones – the ones with lobbyist/corporate support – will sway the low information voters. As a result, the politicians fear the lobbyists more than they fear the voters. So next time you want to write a check out to a candidate – don’t. Save your pennies, find other like-minded individuals and hire yourself a lobbyist. If they don’t represent your interests, you can ask for your money back, you can’t do that with a vote.