Did You Know?

The Arizona Legislature has introduced upgrades to its Web site that allows computer users to view live and archived committee meetings and floor sessions within 24 hours.

Computer users have been able to view live proceedings since the late 1990s. But for the first time, the Web site will feature an archive of all proceedings. Most committee meetings and floor sessions from the current session will be posted to the Internet.

Sick And Tired

FYI, earlier last week I posted that I would be in Oro Grande today for a rural development conference. I am not there. I am at home, in bed, with, according to my great local doctor, some kind of virus. Fever, body aches, chills...the whole works. Though I am going to make the treck to Phoenix tomorrow for the JCCR meeting so that I can make sure the SLIF (State Lake Improvement Funds) monies are approved by the committee for a local project in Lake Havasu City.

Update: The JCCR Committee approved the Arizona State Park's board request for SLIF monies to complete several projects at Lake Havasu State Park's existing facitities.

63rd Annual Republican Picnic

63rd Annual Republican Picnic
11:00AM - 4:00PM
Location: Hualapai Mtn Park #1
Tickets $15
Contact Info : Tickets available at Republican Headquarters or Sam's Shooters Emporium

My husband & I will be traveling from Lake Havasu City, if anyone needs a ride. Please email me or call my office to make arrangements.

Congressman Franks Coming to Kingman! Need a Ride?

Congressman Trent Franks will hold a Town Hall Meeting in Kingman on Saturday, August 25th, at 11:00 a.m. It will be held at the Kingman Assembly of God Church, 1850 Gates, Kingman, 86401

I will be traveling from Lake Havasu to attend this townhall. If any of you readers from Lake Havasu would like to attend and would like to ride together, email me or call my office and I will get back to you to make arrangements.

The Mohave County Republican Picnic is the next day and I will make the same offer for that.

CPS Hearing Rescheduled ~ Now September 18th

This hearing, regarding the deaths of three children, will be open to the public. Details, such as time and location, have not been finalized. I will post information as it becomes available.

DPS Sex Offender InfoCenter

Check out this website! Information is provided for sex offenders with risk assessment scores of Level 2 (Intermediate) or Level 3 (High) on the following website. Copy this link and send it to your loved ones...as they say, "another tool in the toolbox".


https://az.gov/webapp/offender/main.do

JLBC~Monthly Fiscal Highlights

The Joint Legislative Budget Committee (JLBC) has posted its report of monthly fiscal highlights online and they can be viewed by clicking the above title. (I know I keep repeating myself on about clicking on the title for each post, but I have new readers here that are unfamiliar with the wiley ways of the world-wide web.)

Here is a sampling from latest report:

Preliminary June General Fund revenue collections were $1.05 billion, or (5.0)% below June 2006. This amount was $(86.6) million below the monthly forecast based on the recently enacted state budget. For all of FY 2007, preliminary General Fund revenue collections totaled $9.63 billion, or 3.7% above FY 2006. This amount is $(225.8) million below the enacted forecast. Year-end book closing is still occurring, and these preliminary numbers are subject to change.


The June results were below forecast for all the major categories:

• Individual income tax collections were (7.0)% below June 2006 and $(47.3) million below the recently enacted budget forecast.

• Sales tax revenue was (1.9)% below June 2006. Monthly collections fell short of the forecast by $(13.6) million.

• Corporate income tax collections were (11.1)% below last year, and $(22.3) million below the forecast.

The JLBC's Monthly Fiscal Highlights reports also include easy-to-read briefings of the previous JLBC meetings and short summaries of reportings from various goverment agencies. This month's report includes information from 12 different agencies including ADOT, the Department of Education, and AHCCCS...well worth checking out!

Mohave County Sheriff's Office Volunteer Possee

MCSO PRESS RELEASE
August 9, 2007

Sheriff’s Volunteer Posse Celebrates 10 Year Anniversary

The Mohave County Sheriff’s Office Volunteer Posse (formerly known as Sheriff’s Citizen Action Team, S.C.A.T.), celebrates its ten year anniversary this month.

In 1997, shortly after taking office, Sheriff Tom Sheahan saw the need for a well trained volunteer unit to assist deputies with their everyday tasks and created the volunteer unit. From a small group of volunteers to over 50 strong today, the Sheriff’s Posse is an important part of the Sheriff’s Office daily functions. Posse members conduct property checks, vacation watches, transport prisoners and evidence. Additionally, they are called upon to assist with special events, patrol neighborhoods, direct traffic, assist with crime scene preservation and numerous other duties. Posse members receive formal training in an academy taught by Sheriff’s officials and utilize that training everyday. Posse member’s patrol throughout the entire county as needed.

To become a member of the Sheriff’s Volunteer Posse, you may contact Deputy John Slaughter at the Sheriff’s Office, 928-753-0753, extension 4509.

General Fund Appropriations, FY 2007-2008

One thick book in my tall pile of reading is the State of Arizona House of Representatives Summary of Legislation for the Forty-Eighth Legislature, First Regular Session, 2007 Edition. I am attempting to locate an electronic copy of this report and will publish a link to such ASAP.

I am posting as I am reading so bear with me as I want to share this information on how General Fund Monies are appropriated for Fiscal Year 2007-2008....

Okay, I found a new Google feature that allows you to create documents and charts then publish them online. I plugged the information into a basic chart and I think if you click on the title above you will find the information.

Sharp readers will not that the percentages in the right column add up to a bit over 100%. Very crafty! I transposed the numbers as they were published so I have no explanation for this.

Coming Soon: Additional Budget Information and Summaries of New Legislation!

Upcoming JCCR Meeting

STATE OF ARIZONA JOINT COMMITTEE ON CAPITAL REVIEW

Thursday, August 16, 2007

1:30 p.m.
Senate Appropriations Room 109

MEETING NOTICE & AGENDA

- Call to Order
- Approval of Minutes of June 19, 2007.
- DIRECTOR'S REPORT (if necessary)

1. ARIZONA STATE PARKS BOARD - Review of State Lake Improvement Fund Projects.
2. SCHOOL FACILITIES BOARD - Review of FY 2008 New School Construction Report.
3. ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY - Review of Revised Scope of Academic Renovations and
Deferred Maintenance Phase IIB Bond Project.
4. ARIZONA DEPARTMENT OF ADMINISTRATION - Review of FY 2008 Building Renewal
Allocation Plan.

The Chairman reserves the right to set the order of the agenda.
8/8/07

People with disabilities may request accommodations such as interpreters, alternative formats, or assistance with physical accessibility.

Requests for accommodations must be made with 72 hours prior notice. If you require accommodations, please contact the JLBC Office at (602) 926-5491.

ADOT's Current Five-Year Transportaion Construction Program

The Five-year High-ways and Airport Construction Program (2008-2012) is now available for viewing on ADOT's website. Although it makes for slightly dry reading, there is important information to be found. Take time to read the introduction of the report as it thoroughly defines what it process they use, "The Priority Programming Process" and how this process works. The reading at this point is fairly easy and the process makes sense, at least on paper. Further in the report there is a summary of dollars by county and also a bit of financial information on the Hoover Dam Bypass.

At the bottom of page 9 you will find a small chart that list the cities that receive monies under a federal program, 5311, Rural Public Transportation Program. According to the report, the FTA appropriates over $8.3 Million annually to fund rural public transit systems to communities with under 50,000 population. LD III cities listed as participating in the program are Kingman, Bullhead City, and Lake Havasu City.

Page 12 broaches the subject of Aviation needs, how they are identified, then prioritized. The airport project rating system is a weighed scale and points are awarded to the following factors:

• Project is on main runway
• New construction
• Number of aircraft on wait list
• Annual passengers enplaned for scheduled air service
• Annual aircraft operations to capacity ratio

When both highway and aviation project requests have been prioritized and matched with available funding the update is presented to the State Transportation Board for their authorization to release the Tentative Program for review by the public. Public Hearings are then conducted. Hearing locations are established in January and are, according to this report, scheduled for your convenience in Flagstaff, Phoenix, and Tucson. Great...

If this sort of stuff interest you or you just want to see the wheres and hows your money is being spent, click on the title of this post. I was going to say "and research until your heart is content" but following your tax dollar usually just leads to heart-burn. My sympathies.

If you have any questions or comments about how you can become involved in the ADOT Priority Programming Process call:

Dale Buskirk, Director ~Transportation Planning Division ~ (602) 712-7431 or email him at DBuskirk@azdot.gov

Barclay Dick, Director ~ Aeronautics Division ~ (602) 294-9144 or email him at BDick@azdot.gov

If you prefer to call me with your questions, I will call them, ask the questions, and get back to you.

Ciao!

Coming Soon: Whatever I grab off my huge pile of reading!

New Auditor General Report on Colorado City School District

While in PHX last week I recieved a copy of a letter dated July 31, 2007 sent to Tom Horne, Superintendent of Public Instruction, from Debra Davenport, AZ Auditor General regarding the latest financial status of the Colorado City Unified School District No.14. The letter accompanied a report issued by the Auditor General's office on July, 26, 2007. (By clicking on the title of this post you can access the report on the Auditor General's website.)

Recommendations of the Auditor General's office include the following:

1. The District should improve its financial condition.
2. The District should maintain conflict of interest files.
3. The District should improve controls over purchasing and expenditures.
4. The District should maintain accurate capital assests and stewardship lists.
5. The District's controls over cash receipts and bank acconts should be strenghtened.
6. The District should maintain acurate student attendance records.
7. The District's financial information should be accurately maintained and reported.

These recommendations are based on the following concerns:

1. The District's auditors expressed substantial doubt about the District's ability to continue its operations.
2. The District did not document conflicts of intrest for employees.
3. The District did not always follow competitive purchasing requirements, and therefore, could not ensure it received the best value for the public monies it spent. (CCUD received over $5.1 Million of taxpayer dollars in fiscal year 2006.)
4. The District did not maintain complete complete and accurate capital assets and stewardship lists, and did not always identify items as district property to protect them from loss or theft.
5. Poor cash controls left district and student monies susceptible to loss, theft, or misuse.
6. The District did not always record partial-day attendance correctly, and as a result, may not have received the proper amount of funding.
7. The District did not ensure the accuracy of its cash balances since its records were not reconciled to the County Treasurer's records.

Now, all of this sounds serious, and, well, it is but I have confidence in Peter Davis. Mr Davis, a CPA and owner of Simons Consulting in Phoenix is the receiver hired in December 2005. Davis was charged with bringing the district back into compliance of guidelines prescribed by Arizona law. Mr. Davis is a man of action. Sweeping changes followed his hiring as cell phones, credit cards, and even vehicles were taken away from district staff. He brought new staff aboard, too. I have met Mr. Davis during his many visits to the Capitol and we have spoken at length about the situation he faces so when I saw this report I gave him a call. Davis assures me that all issues mentioned in the Auditor General's report are being recitfied and his response to the report will be forthcoming, probably sometime next week. Look for a paraphrased version of it here.

Catching Up

Last week I was in PHX working from my office at the Capitol, catching up with the Speaker, talking with Russel Pearce, getting to know my new assistant, Christina Miller, who I share with Representative Andy Tobin. Yes, that is right, share! In the Senate members each have their own assistant, but in the House, unless you are leadership you usually have to share.

I am getting ready to attend the Governor’s Rural Economic Conference next week. Ron Walker, the Mohave County Manager and Jonas Peterson, the Deputy Director of the Mohave County Community and Economic Development office are going to be there also. (I sold Jonas and his wife a house when they moved to Lake Havasu and now they attend our church.)

At the end of this month I am participating in the League of Cities & Towns annual conference where the theme is “Today’s Choices: Tomorrow’s Reality”. Kingman Mayor Les Byram is one of the conference planners so I expect him to attend and I believe Charlie Cassens will be there representing Lake Havasu City. Some of the topics being discussed at these events will include: Planning for Future Water Supplies, Planning for Growth at the Local, Regional, and State Level, Impact Fees, Workforce Housing~Inovative Ideas and Solutions, & Transportation~The Road (Rail, Air, & Transit) to the Future. I am looking forward to lively discussions on all of these vital areas and cannot wait to expand upon my knowledge!

The legislature is supposed to be holding CPS hearings at the end of the month, though I think they might be moved into September. The hearings will possibly be open to the public, which is unusual, but I do not think that they are planning on taking public testimony. I will let post the details as soon as Representative Kirk Adams, the chairman of the Government Committee, provides the information.

There is a little talk of special session whether to address the illegal immigration legislation or the unbalanced budget. I do not believe that this will come to fruition and from what I took from my time with Speaker Weier’s last week, he agrees.

Coming Soon: The Auditor General takes a look at Colorado City schools!

The Road to Recovery

This year has been a rough one, though I brought it all on myself. I have not written about my battle with alcohol, my arrest, my legal situation, or the state legislature. Because I desire to write about the latter, I find that I first must address the former.

Because my legal situation is yet to be resolved I will write about my arrest once and only once on this blog. I will open the comment section and publish all comments, no matter what your opinion, if they are civil and without profanity, lies will be deleted. Any questions regarding Calvary Center, the rehabilitation center I attended can be answered by their staff at Calvary Center. The toll free number is 866-76-SOBER.

On the evening of March 22, I was arrested in Parker, Arizona for driving under the influence. I was taken to the La Paz County Sherriff’s office. My car was towed and impounded. I thank God that I was stopped and give great thanks that I did not injure others by my appalling behavior. I was released several hours later into the custody of a family member who lives nearby. From what I have been told, this is standard operating procedure for the La Paz County Sherriff’s office.

Approximately one week later I took a leave of absence from the state legislature and entered Calvary Center, a 30-day, faith-based rehabilitation facility located in Phoenix. Although I regret missing time and votes at the Capitol, I am confident that I made the right decision. The staff at Calvary Center taught me the skills I needed to successfully battle my addiction to alcohol and at this time, I am over 4 months sober. If someone you know has a problem with alcohol, drugs, and/or gambling, Calvary Center is the place for them. It costs a fraction of what other facilities charge but the doctors, therapists; the entire staff in fact, is top notch. People from all over the country, from all walks of life comprised the patient population.

Though I focused on my recovery by attending daily mandatory meetings, lectures, group therapy, bible study and work therapy, I was also able to touch base with my colleagues for brief periods of time (by email) in order take part in the budget process. I also was allowed documents pertaining to the state budget along with any priority mail from constituents.

After my rehabilitation I resumed work at the legislature. I reinstated my driver’s license, which had been suspended for 30 days after my arrest, by applying for a 60-day restricted license. This allowed me to drive back and forth to work. 90 days have passed and I now have no restrictions on my license.

No charges have been filed against me yet. I expect charges to be filed any day now. I do not know the reason for the delay. I do not know the gentleman who will be prosecuting my case. Most of what I learn about my case I read in the paper.

At times I feel my life is in limbo, not knowing what the future holds and yes, this is all of my doing. I can’t dwell on this though as it does not make for a very productive day, in fact, it does no good at all. Besides, from the amount of email I get, there are so many others who have taken up this cause. What I know is this…I made a horrible mistake in drinking and driving. I put countless others at risk with complete disregard. I have no excuse. I am sorry for that and sorry for betraying the trust of all who counted on me. I am a Christian and a leader and my behavior has not reflected either. I do not know if I will be able to retain my position. Certainly there are those who desire for me to step down. I will not. This decision is not borne out of pride but of the knowledge that I have been effective as a conservative republican. I stand by my voting record, my awards, and accomplishments. I am not boasting, instead using them as a testament to my effectiveness.

So for now I work, doing the good work I have been blessed to do. I focus on the good in my life and the good I can do for others. I celebrate my good fortune every day which includes my family and friends, my God, my sobriety, and my work. In whatever situation I am learning to be content.

Opinion from AG's Office Requested re: Minimum Wage

Proposition 202 became effective on the first day of the year, and it remains current, valid law (See section 23-363, subsection A, $6.75/hour beginning 1/1/2007).
However, there are many questions surrounding the applicability of the new law.

An opinion from the Attorney General's Office has been requested and is expected to answer the following specific questions:

Will you issue an opinion that responds to the following questions?

Does the new minimum wage law apply to the developmentally disabled workers or is the "special" minimum wage authorized by Section 14(C) of the Fair Labor Standards Act still applicable?

Are there any other federal exemptions that are still in effect, if so, which ones?

The official title of Proposition 202 contained a phrase alluding to the repeal of §23-362, Arizona Revised Statutes, however, the text of the measure contains no such repeal, does this mean that the old statute was not repealed?

If you determine that the old law was not properly repealed, and since the new law contains no express provision for workers with disabilities, can employers still pay "commensurate" wages in accord to the reference to federal law found in the old § 23-362, Arizona Revised Statutes?

Additionally, the Industrial Commission, the entity charged with oversight and rule making associated with the new wage, issued a press release on December 26, 2006 that included the following statement, highlighted in red:

MINIMUM WAGE LAW ON DEVELOPMENTALLY DISABLED, PHYSICALLY-CHALLENGED WORKER PROGRAMS
(Phoenix, AZ) - The Industrial Commission of Arizona (ICA), the agency responsible for implementing changes to Arizona's new voter-approved minimum wage law, is advising employers who participate in special work programs for the disabled to proceed as usual until the agency is able to address concerns about how the new law will apply in these cases. Approved by voters last month, Proposition 202 raises the minimum wage in Arizona to $6.75 an hour beginning January 1st, 2007.

Last week, Arizona employers exempt from minimum wage standards for developmentally- or physically-challenged workers through approved "sheltered work center" programs and community members raised questions about the law. Because the ICA will still be in the process of gathering information from the both the community and employers on the effective date, employers who participate in sheltered work center programs will not be penalized for not paying the new wage. They are being advised to follow current procedure until an advisory opinion can be issued.

We remain in contact with the Solicitor General's Office and hope that an opinion will be issued soon.

North American Union & NAFTA Superhighway

Friends, I just received this invite and wanted to let you know about this meeting. I know it's a long way to travel but since it's in February you can make plans to carpool...and hey, maybe plan to stop by the Capitol for the day!

I wanted to invite you to attend a very informative meeting on the

North American Union & the NAFTA Superhighway.

GOP Legislative District 9 is hosting a meeting on Monday, February 12,

to present information on these two important topics.

The speaker will be Harry Sweeney, former military intelligence specialist,

researcher, analyst, writer, and radio personality.

The meeting will be held at the
Glendale Library main auditorium
5959 W. Brown Street
Glendale, AZ

Brown Street is one light south of 59th avenue and Peoria, off 59th avenue. The auditorium seats 240 people.

We have invited Republican precinct committeemen and women from all over Maricopa county, and have sent invitations to Tom Tancredo, Ron Paul, Virgil Goode, Trent Franks, Jon Kyl, and John McCain. There will also be a large number of people who have no direct affiliation with legislative districts, but who are very interested in learning more about just what is going on in these areas.

6:30 to 7:00 social time, make a donation, find a seat
7:00 - 8:00 Harry Sweeney, plus Q&A session
8:00 - 8:30 Legislators in attendance may speak


Your attendance would be very welcome to us, and very informative to you.

We hope you can attend.

Thank you

Ray Spitzer, Chairman, LD9

Number of Bills Introduced as of Today in the AZ House

As of 5:00 p.m. today, 1/11/07, the total number of introduced Bills,

Memorials and Resolutions is 606:

568 Bills
5 HCM's
33 HCR's

Last year was the highest after the fourth day of session - 688 -- 657 Bills and 31 Memorials and Resolutions

Introduced in one day - today, on Thursday, 1/11/07 - the total number of Bills, Memorials and Resolutions introduced is 396:

358 Bills
5 HCM's
33 HCR's

The total of 396 for one day is the fourth highest ever introduced in one day in the House and is the second highest number introduced in one day for a first regular session.

The highest number of bills introduced in one day was in 1999 - 460 total - 446 Bills and 14 Memorials and Resolutions.

LHC Police Chief to Host Community Forums

Lake Havasu City Police Chief Dan Doyle will host several Community Forums in early January. These forums will be held at local schools and give citizens an opportunity to voice their concerns about neighborhood and city wide quality of life issues.

Community Forums will be held at the following locations on the listed dates:

Tuesday, January 9th 7:00 pm-9:00 pm Nautilus Elementary School, 1425 Patrician Dr.

Wednesday, January 10th 7:00 pm-9:00 pm Smoketree Elementary School, 2395 N. Smoketree Blvd.

Thursday, January 11th 7:00 pm-9:00 pm Jamaica Elementary School, 3437 S. Jamaica Blvd.

Forums will be held in the school libraries.

Citizens are encouraged to attend any of the forums.

Contact: Lieutenant Richie Sloma 928-680-5420

Well-written Illegal Immigration Focused Website

Recommended Reading~

From the website ProtectAZBorder.com newly elected Arizona State Representative John Kavanagh writes:

"In this post 9/11 world, border security has moved beyond issues of rule of law and economics to become a matter of national security and possibly survival.
We must secure our borders now!"
"A citizen's best weapons in this battle are knowledge and political action. This website is dedicated to providing you with that knowledge and helping you to make your voice heard in Washington and Arizona."

The State of Arizona's Homeland Security

Arizona's Own Espresso Pundit has a great article titled "Homeland Insecurity" that provides readers with an unsettling insight into the fairly recently formed state agency that was created by a verbal executive order. Worth reading.