"We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope." ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.
January 17, 2014
Dear Conservation Friends,
The Governor kicked off the legislative session with a State of the State address that made no mention of accomplishments or priorities related to environmental protection. That is likely because her administration has presided over weakening environmental protection programs by:
- appointing individuals to the Arizona Game and Fish Commission who have instituted regressive wildlife management and created the ultimate good ol' boy network;
- defunding the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality and Arizona Department of Water Resources and turning them into little more than permit mills for industries such as mining; and
- harming our State Parks by slashing necessary funding and totally eliminating the voter-approved State Parks Heritage Fund -- dollars that were used to fund community parks, trails, and environmental education, as well as protect natural areas and cultural sites.
For awhile, it looked like there would fewer bills this session, but no more. The House has introduced more than 500 bills with more to come. The Senate deadlines are coming up, so we will see how that goes, but senators have already introduced 150 bills. Among those bills are attacks on solar energy programs, citizen initiatives, and more to generally continue a race to the bottom.
This week, please contact members of the House Committee on Federalism and Fiscal Responsibility and ask them to vote no on HB2014!
HB2014 ballot measures; proposition 105 disclosure
(Ugenti) requires that any campaign literature, publicity pamphlet, and
the ballot contain language that says the measure can "never be changed
in the future" except via a three-fourths vote of the legislature that
furthers the purpose or by referral to the ballot. There are several
inaccuracies in this brief statement, including that the measure can be
changed by referring the change to the ballot. Referring a measure to
the ballot changes nothing. The change must be APPROVED BY THE VOTERS. Using the word "never" is also misleading as a
measure can clearly be changed under the conditions mentioned. HB2014
will not better inform voters, but is clearly intended to confuse, erect
additional impediments, and to discourage citizen initiatives.
Conserve Arizona – Water, Wildlife, and Wildlands Mark your calendar for Environmental Day at the Capitol
credit: Sandy Bahr |
On February 18, 2014, environmental advocates from around the state, new and experienced, will be gathering at the Arizona State Capitol to meet with state legislators to express support for rivers and streams, clean air, land conservation, and more. Come be part of one of our teams!
Environmental Day at the Capitol Tuesday, February 18, 2014 8:30 a.m. – 2 p.m. Arizona State Capitol Old Senate Chambers, 2nd Floor 1700 W. Washington, Phoenix
Everyone will be paired with an experienced leader and will be meeting with his or her own legislators, whenever possible. You can come for an hour or two or stay all day. It is a great opportunity to learn more about the legislative process and the issues and to make a difference. Our featured speaker is Mayor Doug Von Gausig from Clarkdale who will be discussing "Why do I care about the Verde River?"
To R.S.V.P., just click on RSVP Environmental Day and fill in your information.
If you have questions or would like to get more involved with planning, contact Sandy Bahr at (602) 253-8633 or sandy.bahr@sierraclub.org.
To find our more about the bills we are tracking, click on Legislative Tracker. Below is the committee agenda for this week.
If you no longer want to receive these updates, just zap me an email or unsubscribe by clicking on "Manage Preferences" at the bottom of the message.
Remember, if you want to use the "Request to Speak" system this session to sign in on bills, you will need to set up a new account. Please contact me if you are interested in doing that.
Thank you for taking action and for caring about Arizona's environment.
Warm regards,
Chapter Director Sierra Club – Grand Canyon Chapter (602) 253-8633 http://arizona.sierraclub.org
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Coming Up This Week at the Legislature
Monday, January 20th
Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday
Tuesday, January 21st
Joint Meeting of Senate and House Committees on Appropriations at 9:00am in House Hearing Room 1
Presentations
- Executive Budget Proposal by Governor's Office of Strategic Planning and Budgeting
- Joint Legislative Budget Committee Baseline by JLBC
House Committee on Agriculture and Water at 2:00pm in House Hearing Room 5
Presentations
- Mike Lacey, Deputy Director, Arizona Department of Water Resources
- Jason Baran and Staff, Salt River Project
House Committee on Federalism and Fiscal Responsibility at 2:00pm in House Hearing Room 1
House Committee on Government at 2:00pm in House Hearing Room 4
Wednesday, January 22nd
Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Rural Affairs at 9:00am in Senate Hearing Room 109
- Presentation: Arizona Game and Fish Department
Thursday, January 23rd
Most of the Thursday agendas have not yet been posted, so stay tuned for an interim update.
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