On Tuesday, the Republican Committee, in a 15-1 vote, passed a resolution in support of HB2012, known as the Proxy Bill, according to post on MCRC Briefs by Precinct Committeeman Joe Neglia.
At issue is Arizona House of Representatives’ Rules Committee Chair T.J. Shope’s refusal to allow a hearing of HB2012. Proxies are used by the power brokers in both the Republican and Democratic parties to block the efforts and candidates of grassroots’ membership.
“It appears that the grassroots PCs who actually show up at District meetings are strongly in favor of this bill, so let’s not waste this opportunity to speak out loudly and clearly to our state legislature,” wrote Neglia, who called on others to introduce the resolution at their legislative district meetings.
LD26 Republican Committee’s Resolution in support of HB2012:
Whereas, the ongoing extensive, essentially unlimited, use of proxies in political parties undermines election integrity and the principle of “1 person-1 vote”;
Whereas, in American elections, American citizens rightfully get 1 vote, and only 1 vote.
Whereas, likewise, members of the Arizona State Legislature (AZLEG) rightfully get 1 vote and only 1 vote;
Whereas, likewise, as a matter of principle, PCs should get 1 vote and only 1 vote;
Whereas, the Arizona State Legislature, along with the Arizona Governor, rightfully passed a law to end “Ballot Harvesting”;
Whereas, Robert’s Rules of Order states that proxy voting should neither be allowed nor required, as it is “incompatible with the essential characteristics of a deliberative assembly in which membership is individual, personal, and nontransferable”;
Whereas, the status quo essentially amounts to condoning a form of “Proxy Harvesting”;
Whereas, AZLEG HB2012, short of being perfect, goes far in discouraging and minimizing the dangerous abuse of proxy voting by responsibly limiting the use of proxies;
Whereas, HB2012 represents an admirable and remarkable good faith compromise; and
Whereas, the AZLEG House Government Committee already passed HB2012, responsibly limiting the use of proxies, generating momentum for its passage into law; therefore be it
Resolved, that the Legislative District 26 Republican Committee hereby encourages all Republican officeholders in the Arizona Legislature vote to pass HB2012 through the legislative process at any and every opportunity, up to and including making good on HB2012 being signed into law by the Governor, all in the spirit of faithfully serving and representing their constituents.