April 14th Letter to Constituents

Sorry for the delayed post but things have been a bit hectic here. This is a copy of a letter I authored on April 14th.

Dear Friends,

There are several interesting things going on today at the Capitol such as the final vote on SB1157 which would make trespassing by illegal aliens a felony.

We (representatives) after being divided into groups of about 10 or so are being called into the Speaker’s conference room to go over this session’s budget proposal that leadership has authored. The make-up of the groups is well-planned so that strong legislators are sprinkled lightly into those that “go along” with leadership or those who trade votes for committee assignments or something similar. Ugh! This is the first time that the majority of us have seen the numbers this session. This is not the same procedure that took place last year and I do not like the way this is unfolding. I went to lunch last week with about 12 other legislators and no one had any insight on the budget…all of us found that very disturbing. Without keeping members in the loop as the budget develops it slows down the process as we all put on the brakes while digesting the information.


I have included an attachment that provides insight on some of the bills we are addressing at this time, FYI.

I would also like to call your attention to an article in today’s issue of the Mohave Daily News that addresses the potential developments in Mohave County and the unknown water supply. Please call or email the Arizona Corporation Commission with any questions or concerns you may have…they are very interested in public comment.

In other water news, I am proud to say that my HB2382 passed out of the House and Senate with only 2 no votes by the entire legislative body. This bill addresses the current statute that says that unused prescription medication is to be disposed by flushing the medication down the toilet. ADEQ, among others, had real concerns about the ongoing contamination of our waters. When the governor signs my bill, modeled after legislation in numerous states across the country, hospitals, doctor’s offices, and long-term care facilities such as nursing homes and hospice facilities will be able to participate in a program that allows for the recycling of individually packaged prescription medications.

Well, after about 30-45 minutes of debate, SB1157 has passed and will be transmitted to the Governor.

On another note, kudos to Darla Elliot, the warden of the Kingman State Prison and to her hard-working dedicated staff. I had the pleasure of touring the facility this past weekend and was impressed with many aspects of the facility including the professionalism of the staff, the cleanliness of the buildings, the organization apparent in every part of the structure, etc. There is a great debate between the effectiveness of private prisons vs. state-run facilities and I appreciate the opportunity to examine both.

The Mohave County Central Committee meeting held in Kingman on Saturday morning provided much information on a variety of subjects including how one’s identity is confirmed when mail in ballot have been received at the elections office. Noreen Thomas was recognized by the officers as well as the audience for her great labor of love for the Republican Party.

Also this weekend I attended Congressman Trent Franks’ townhall in Kingman and as always learned a lot about what is going on currently at the Nation’s Capitol. Congressman Franks answered all questions posed to him by the audience, most of which focused on the country’s unsecured borders.

Last night, Senator Kyl and author/talk radio host Laura Ingraham were in town to raise money for the Pat Tillman Foundation and Frank and I had an enjoyable evening under the stars, listening to them talk about the bravery of our soldiers as they face daily challenges in Iraq.

I am heading into the Speaker’s office so I will sign off now.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve you…it indeed continues to be both a blessing and an honor.

Most respectfully,


Trish Groe AZ State Representative, District III 602-926-5408 Office 800-352-8404 TollFree 602-417-3103 Fax