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2011 General Session Legislative Reports    May 17, 2012
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Pachyderm Coalition Republican Legislator Rankings

Legislative Actions as of 5/9/2011

Last Updated 5/13/2011

 

 

Narrative (current):

 

We did an overview of the session from a Pachyderm Coalition rating perspective. Of legislation that passed the legislature, we supported 129 bills and opposed 16 for a percentage of 89%. When these were adjusted by the weights assigned to the bills, the percentage was slightly higher at 93% which meant that we were more successful, on average, with the bills that were more important to us. Also, there were 38 bills we opposed that did not pass in the legislature. The average scores of the legislators were good this session which reflected passing a good budget and probably also increased party discipline due to having larger majorities. The performance of Senators compared to Representatives, overall, was very comparable.

 

This year, we decided that it was important to add one more important player in the legislative process to our ratings: the Governor, Jan Brewer. We calculated her score after the session ended. After the governor decided which bills sent to her desk would become law and which she would veto, we applied our scoring to the Governor’s actions. For all bills sent by the legislature to the Governor, we considered signing the bill or allowing it to become law without signing would be considered as a YES vote while a veto would be considered a NO vote. The Governor either signed or vetoed all bills from the Regular Session – she did not allow a bill to become law without her signature. Signing a bill we positively weighted would increase her score and vetoing it would reduce her score. For negatively weighted bills, signing decreased her score and vetoing increased her score. As with the legislators, she was rated only on the actions she could take in the legislative process by a specific, recordable action. For the legislators, it is votes. For the Governor, it is allowing bills sent to her to become law or to veto them. Of the bills we were tracking, the Governor’s vetoed 20 bills we supported and 1 bill we opposed. She signed 109 bills we supported and 15 bills we opposed.

 

Governor Jan Brewer’s Pachyderm score is 56.7 which we label as Republican. This is substantially below the average scores of Republican Senators and Representatives at 81.3. It is, in fact, below the score of ANY Republican legislator – the lowest is 60.6. Governor Jan Brewer is the lowest scoring Republican in the state’s legislative process.

 

Narrative (from 5/3/2011):

 

We have done a final review of the bills. Some bills were added to the evaluation. Since the votes had already been cast, we gave (+1) or (-1) weights to them since the legislators had not been apprised of our position; they would have gotten weighted more heavily if we had added them before they were voted on. The sponsor weights were given greater weight to give proper credit to the bill sponsors. We try to weight the bills as early as possible in the session, but sometimes we miss a few bills. We tracked over 300 bills this session. Next year, we will give the bills we catch after they are voted on greater weight if we think that the Reagan Republican position on which was to vote should be obvious.

 

There was not a large change in the scores overall, but there were some shifts in ranking for the House of Representatives.

 

As was done last year, the legislators’ final scores are also being shown as a percentage converted to a 0-100% scale. Our standard scores go from -100 – 100%. Many people have indicated that they like to look at the scores that way, so that is provided next to the standard score for our final report. The conversion is done by adding 100 to the standard score and then dividing by 2. Keep in mind that the numbers are rounded, so you might get a slight difference sometimes if you calculate the percentages out. This gives the score as a percentage based on a 0-100% scale, but there is no impact on the rankings.

 

We had a lot of Republicans legislators getting high scores. We are grateful for having so many conservative Republican legislators. Please congratulate (or otherwise acknowledge) your legislators on their scores. Of course, as with any evaluation that ranks people, there will always be some ranked near the bottom. We encourage Republicans in those legislative districts to review their legislator’s voting record carefully and talk to their legislator about his/her votes.

 

Another feature that will be coming out soon in a subsequent update is a Pachyderm Score for the Governor based on the bills she signed and vetoed. The Governor’s veto power makes her an important part of the legislative process, and this is the first time we will rate a Governor using this system.

 

Narrative from 4/27/2011:

 

This was frenzied activity during the last week as the legislature adjourned. Keep in mind that the legislature worked “late” last week on Wednesday to end the session and ended up working until after 5 am Thursday. This was not even a full week, but the House had 134 recorded votes and the Senate had 120 recorded votes. For a forty hour work week, that is an average of about one recorded vote every 17 minutes in the House and one recorded vote every 20 minutes in the Senate. In addition, there were innumerable discussions, caucuses, voice votes, and negotiations. In the week before that, the recorded vote count is 125 in the House and 87 in the Senate, so the final week came on top of a very busy prior week. We can only hope that legislators were able to carefully consider each of these votes before casting them. With bills recently amended, “hope” rather than “expect” is, unfortunately, probably more realistic regarding the previous sentence.

 

The Legislature has once again shown that, if it weren’t for the last minute, nothing would get done!

 

With all of the last minute activities which often resulted in bills getting amended, we are still reviewing the bills for amendments and may make modifications to weights of the bills or add new bills. Therefore, while there are no more votes being cast, our evaluation is not yet finalized for this general session.

 

The budget bills were also added to the evaluation which resulted in significant improvements in Republican scores since all of the bills passed on party line votes. We do not give sponsor weights to budget bills since they are generally worked out by leadership, and the person listed as the sponsor is not really the author of the bill in the same way most other bills are introduced.

 

Because of the large number of bills being tracked, we are seeing a “compression” effect where scores are closer than they would be if fewer bills were tracked. This makes the rankings as well as the scores important for determining overall performance of legislators. We are considering raising the bar on the Groupings for next year by increasing scores for all Groups except Reagan Republican to provide greater clarity and differentiation since the scores are so compressed together.

 

As always, we are interested in feedback from fellow Republicans. We especially welcome information concerning bill amendments that you think should affect the weight assigned to a bill.

 

 

Grades can range from +100% (supports Republican principles) to -100% (opposes Republican principles)

 

Ratings will be updated on a weekly basis.

 

Please refer to our FAQs section located after the strike all bills. It responds to some of the questions we have been getting regarding the grades assigned.

 

Rank for legislators with the same Grade is determined by bill sponsorship and votes cast. For example, a legislator with 3 committee votes would get a better rank than one with 2 committee votes if they have the same Grade.

 

Legislators are assigned to a Group based on their latest rating.

Over 90 is a Reagan Republican.

Over 75 is a Pro-Freedom Republican.

Over 50 is a Republican.

Over 25 is a Big Government Republican.

Over 0 is a Bipartisan Republican.

Zero or less is a RINO (Republican In Name Only).

 

All grades shown are cumulative grades as of the date indicated.

 

Senators

 

Rank

Legislator

Leg Dist

Latest Grade

Percentage

Group

1

Steve Smith

23

93.2

96.6

Reagan Republican

2

Rick Murphy

9

92.4

96.2

Reagan Republican

3

Russell Pearce

18

91.1

95.5

Reagan Republican

4

Andy Biggs

22

89.8

94.9

Pro-Freedom Republican

5

Don Shooter

24

87.2

93.6

Pro-Freedom Republican

6

Gail Griffin

25

87.1

93.5

Pro-Freedom Republican

7

Ron Gould

3

87.0

93.5

Pro-Freedom Republican

8

Scott Bundgaard

4

84.1

92.0

Pro-Freedom Republican

9

Sylvia Allen

5

84.1

92.0

Pro-Freedom Republican

10

Lori Klein

6

84.0

92.0

Pro-Freedom Republican

11

Frank Antenori

30

83.4

91.7

Pro-Freedom Republican

12

Al Melvin

26

82.6

91.3

Pro-Freedom Republican

13

Nancy Barto

7

79.6

89.8

Pro-Freedom Republican

14

Steve Yarbrough

21

76.4

88.2

Pro-Freedom Republican

15

Linda Gray

10

75.5

87.7

Pro-Freedom Republican

16

Adam Driggs

11

73.6

86.8

Republican

17

Michele Reagan

8

73.0

86.5

Republican

18

Steve Pierce

1

72.2

86.1

Republican

19

John Nelson

12

70.2

85.1

Republican

20

Rich Crandall

19

65.1

82.6

Republican

21

John McComish

20

60.6

80.3

Republican

 

Notes:

 

1) Senators who left office during the calendar year who were rated on at least one floor vote:

 

Legislator

Leg Dist

Latest Grade

Group

Reason Left Office

N/A

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2) Senators who were appointed during this calendar year:

None

 

3) There are no vacant Republican seats.

 

 

 

Representatives

 

Rank

Legislator

Leg Dist

Latest Grade

Percentage

Group

1

Judy Burges

4

95.7

97.8

Reagan Republican

2

Steve B. Montenegro

12

92.3

96.1

Reagan Republican

3

David M. Gowan Sr.

30

91.0

95.5

Reagan Republican

4

David Burnell Smith

7

91.0

95.5

Reagan Republican

5

David W. Stevens

25

90.8

95.4

Reagan Republican

6

Jack W. Harper

4

90.2

95.1

Reagan Republican

7

John Kavanagh

8

89.1

94.6

Pro-Freedom Republican

8

Tom Forese

21

89.0

94.5

Pro-Freedom Republican

9

Justin Olson

19

88.7

94.3

Pro-Freedom Republican

10

Kimberly Yee

10

88.4

94.2

Pro-Freedom Republican

11

Terri Proud

26

88.4

94.2

Pro-Freedom Republican

12

Rick Gray

9

86.7

93.4

Pro-Freedom Republican

13

Michelle Ugenti

8

86.5

93.2

Pro-Freedom Republican

14

Carl Seel

6

86.4

93.2

Pro-Freedom Republican

15

Kirk D. Adams

19

86.0

93.0

Pro-Freedom Republican

16

Eddie Farnsworth

22

85.2

92.6

Pro-Freedom Republican

17

Debbie Lesko

9

84.9

92.4

Pro-Freedom Republican

18

Ted Vogt

30

84.2

92.1

Pro-Freedom Republican

19

Jerry Weiers

12

83.8

91.9

Pro-Freedom Republican

20

Karen Fann

1

83.7

91.8

Pro-Freedom Republican

21

Javan "J.D." Mesnard

21

83.1

91.6

Pro-Freedom Republican

22

Andy Tobin

1

82.9

91.4

Pro-Freedom Republican

23

Brenda Barton

5

82.2

91.1

Pro-Freedom Republican

24

Frank Pratt

23

82.1

91.1

Pro-Freedom Republican

25

Chester Crandell

5

81.3

90.7

Pro-Freedom Republican

26

Steve Court

18

80.4

90.2

Pro-Freedom Republican

27

Steve Urie

22

80.3

90.2

Pro-Freedom Republican

28

Amanda A. Reeve

6

79.8

89.9

Pro-Freedom Republican

29

Peggy Judd

25

78.0

89.0

Pro-Freedom Republican

30

Jeff Dial

20

76.4

88.2

Pro-Freedom Republican

31

Doris Goodale

3

74.1

87.1

Republican

32

John Fillmore

23

73.6

86.8

Republican

33

Heather Carter

7

72.5

86.2

Republican

34

Bob Robson

20

69.1

84.5

Republican

35

Vic Williams

26

69.0

84.5

Republican

36

Nancy McLain

3

68.5

84.3

Republican

37

Jim Weiers

10

67.1

83.6

Republican

38

Cecil P. Ash

18

66.4

83.2

Republican

39

Kate Brophy McGee

11

64.1

82.1

Republican

40

Russ Jones

24

61.8

80.9

Republican

 

Notes:

 

1) Representatives who left office during the calendar year who were rated on at least one floor vote:

 

Legislator

Leg Dist

Latest Grade

Group

Reason Left Office

N/A

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2) Representatives who were appointed during this calendar year:

None

 

3) There are no vacant Republican seats.

 

 

 

 

Average Grades for each Party in each Body of the Legislature

 

If people tell you, “Political parties don’t mean anything,” show them this table!

 

Average Grades

Party

Republican

Democrat

Body

House

81

-38

Senate

81

 -48

 

 

Authorized Absences

 

The President of the Senate and Speaker of the House send members of their bodies to meetings, conferences, and other events to represent the Arizona Senate and House. If these members miss votes while they are away on such an assignment, we do not count any votes they miss. The table below shows absences we have accounted for. Their votes from the start to the end date-times are not counted in our evaluation. Dates are in M/D/Y format and the times are in military time (e.g., 15:00=3:00pm).

 

Member name

start

end

reason

Brenda Barton

3/23/2011 0:00

3/30/2011 0:00

Emergency Surgery

Nancy McLain

3/3/2011 15:00

3/7/2011 13:00

Insurance Policy Conference for Legislators in Washington, DC

 

 

Bills used in Evaluation

 

Summary of criteria used to weight bills:


1) Supports US Constitution
2) Supports Republican Party Platform
3) Supports individual / private sector empowerment over government empowerment
4) Supports national security (including illegal alien issues)
5) Reduces government spending
6) Reduces tax rates in general
7) Will have a significant impact

 

 

 

legislature

Bill number

short_title

weight

Sponsor weight

description

category

explanation

501R

HB2001

community colleges; universities; concealed weapons

8

8

Right of faculty to carry weapon on campus

Gun Rights

Improves campus security

501R

HB2002

school district monies; associations; elections

10

10

Prevents use of taxpayer money to join organizations engaged in lobbying

K-12 Ed

Prevent school boards from using tax dollars to lobby for more tax dollars

501R

HB2003

emergency response services fees; prohibition

7

7

Prevents charging for delivery of emergency services

Govt Admin

Taxes already should pay for this and people do not have a choice in selecting first responders. It is an inappropriate method municipalities are using to collect additional money.

501R

HB2004

commercial mortgage brokers; license conversion

2

2

Allows Administrator to make rules for 1 year on converting real estate license to broker license.

Govt Admin

Puts licensing at discretion of Superintendent without objective criteria.

501R

HB2005

subdivisions; acting in concert

9

9

Puts a time limit on building permit approval process for 10 or fewer lots.

Econ Freedom

Prevents municipal governments from arbitrarily holding up private development projects.

501R

HB2006

firearms within game refuges

9

9

Allows carrying weapons in wild game refuge

Gun Rights

This eliminates a foolish restriction on gun possession that prevents personal protection in those areas.

501R

HB2010

healthcare group; small employers; eligibility

-8

-8

Makes one person companies eligible for state subsidized health insurance.

Govt Admin

State can't afford it.

501R

HB2011

healthcare group; sole proprietors

-8

-8

Makes sole proprietors eligible for state subsidized health insurance.

Govt Admin

State can't afford it.

501R

HB2012

AHCCCS; service providers

-2

-2

Requires at least 2 subcontractors for AHCCS contracted services.

Govt Admin

Benefits will be very small and it may cost more to implement than the state can afford right now.

501R

HB2013

license plate covers; prohibition

-3

-3

Keeps people from blocking view of license plates.

Govt Admin

This is designed to make it easier for photo radar to work. However, most photo radar is now gone from AZ.

501R

HB2014

disruption; educational institution; concealed weapon

9

9

Allows concealed carry permit holder to carry firearm on campuses.

Gun Rights

Improves campus security

501R

HB2015

justice court jurisdiction; county parks

5

5

Adds county park lake to JP jurisdiction.

Govt Admin

Makes reasonable law enforcement easier.

501R

HB2016

JLBC; JCCR; reports.

6

6

Eliminates outdated reports

Govt Admin

Makes government more efficient.

501R

HB2017

storage of firearms; application

2

2

Adds security requirements for places that ban firearms.

Gun Rights

Makes sure that firearm restricting employers and landlords provide a more secure environment to restrict gun possession.

501R

HB2067

board of supervisors; powers

5

1

Allows County Supervisors to hire another govt agency to perform constable services. Amended to also prevent Regents from controlling University Hospital.

Govt Admin

Permits underperforming Constables to  be bypassed. But there is a concern about being able to bypass an elected official.

501R

HB2068

constables; salaries

1

1

Makes Constable pay based on performance of duties.

Govt Admin

Puts financial incentives in place to encourage constables to do their jobs.

501R

HB2076

department of agriculture; continuation

-3

-3

Continuation of state agricultural department

Govt Admin

Any of the useful functions of this department can be better performed by private companies or the counties.

501R

HB2078

office of tourism; continuation

-3

-3

Continuation of Office of Tourism

Govt Admin

Tourism is important to AZ, but it is not obvious how a govt organization to promote tourism makes a significant difference.

501R

HB2079

department of housing; continuation

-3

-3

Extends Arizona Department of Housing

Govt Admin

Would housing disappear in AZ without a govt department? No. Not necessary.

501R

HB2080

high‑volume internet sellers

-5

0

Adds state regulations for high volume Internet sellers.

Econ Freedom

Increases regulation of Internet businesses.

501R

HB2089

unrestrained minors; motor vehicles; prohibition

-8

-8

Prohibits unrestrained underage riders in back of pickup trucks on some roads.

Govt Admin

Nanny state bill. People should try to be safe, but they need to make decisions about the best overall way to do that with the resources they have.

501R

HB2091

nurses; continuing education

-8

-8

Requires continuing education of nurses as a condition of their license renewal.

Govt Admin

Added regulation. Nurses and their employers should be able to manage their education and continuing education than more govt regulations.

501R

HB2092

homestead exemption; amount

3

3

Raises Homestead Exemption by $50k for bankruptcy.

Govt Admin

Adds reasonable bankruptcy protection for home owners.

501R

HB2093

property exemptions; 401(k) retirement accounts

5

5

Establishes bankruptcy exception for 401K plans.

Govt Admin

Reasonable protection of retirement plans for people facing bankruptcy.

501R

HB2096

minor parents; medical decisions

-6

-6

Allows minors 16 or older who have children to make their own medical decisions.

Children

Unless the minor is emancipated, there should be no special rights granted because of a youthful pregnancy.

501R

HB2098

school tuition organizations; administration expenses

-10

-10

Requires STOs to spend at least 97% of their raised funds.

K-12 Ed

Since no STO does this, it would effectively eliminate STO's which is probably the intent of the bill's author.

501R

HB2099

mandated health coverage report; legislators

-8

-8

Does not require legislators to report the impact of health coverage mandates.

Govt Admin

Legislators should be subject to the same requirements as everyone else. The requirement should be eliminated for everyone.

501R

HB2101

protest activity; prohibition

-1

-1

Restricts protesters from protesting within 300 feet of the property line of a funeral.

Civil Rights

Clearly violates the 1st amendment protections of assembly. Would normally get a (-10), but enough notice was not given to legislators. Similar bills will get (-10) in the future.

501R

HB2102

license eligibility; authorized presence

7

7

Requires picture ID and proof of legal residency for fingerprint ID cards.

Govt Admin

Adds ID requirements to prevent false IDs from being issued.

501R

HB2103

homemade food products; regulation; exception

5

5

Allows non-harmful food to be distributed without health inspections.

Econ Freedom

Reduces govt regulation in area of allowing food to be distributed privately.

501R

HB2111

chiropractic board; fees

-1

-1

Allows Chiropractic Board to set fees without legislative oversight.

Govt Admin

Legislature abdicating its responsibility to an unelected board.

501R

HB2122

energy policy study committee

-5

-5

Energy Policy Committee

Govt Admin

We don't need another committee to study energy.

501R

HB2123

foreclosed properties: maintenance; abatement

3

3

Allows owners of foreclosures to be required to keep premises clean or be assessed the cost of the cleanup.

Govt Admin

Protects the rights of neighbors who suffer from the mess.

501R

HB2140

firearms regulation; landlords; homeowners' associations

9

9

Prohibits tenants and HOA members from being allowed to surrender 2nd amendment rights.

Gun Rights

Helps protect 2nd amendment rights.

501R

HB2144

community college correction; levy amount

-5

-5

Allows Community College Districts to ask Taxpayers for more money.

Taxes

These districts do not need more taxing authority.

501R

HB2145

justification; defensive display; holster

9

9

Defensive display of firearm includes placing hand on it when holstered.

Gun Rights

Supports 2nd amendment rights.

501R

HB2146

concealed weapons permit; training

6

6

Improves upon firearms instructor certification laws.

Gun Rights

Further expands 2nd amendment rights.

501R

HB2151

state employees; wage payments

1

1

Requires all state employees to be paid electronically.

Govt Admin

Improves government efficiency.

501R

HB2153

municipalities; counties; fire sprinklers; code

6

6

Prevents local govt from requiring sprinklers in single family residences and duplexes.

Govt Admin

Allows individuals to make these decisions for themselves.

501R

HB2163

investing public monies; notes

5

5

Allows state treasurer to buy state and local govt notes.

Govt Admin

Adds flexibility and should reduce costs.

501R

HB2164

county treasurer's management fund

7

7

Allows county treasurers to establish management funds based on fees.

Govt Admin

Provides funding for financial management functions.

501R

HB2168

bulk merchandise containers; records

-3

-3

Places restrictions on sale of bulk containers.

Econ Freedom

This is intended to reduce thefts of these containers, but it imposes extra regulatory burdens and law enforcement costs. It would be easier for distributors to just charge a refundable deposit when their products are distributed in these containers and t

501R

HB2176

state compensation fund; conforming changes.

5

5

Sets limits on state compensation fund

Econ Freedom

This fund restricts competition in the insurance industry.

501R

HB2177

schools; 180 days; conforming changes

2

2

Changes language in education laws to 180 days of instruction from 175 days.

K-12 Ed

Makes law conform to other laws.

501R

HB2180

schools; SAIS data; penalty

6

6

Requires a reduction in state funding to school districts that send inaccurate data that is used to determine school district allocations.

K-12 Ed

Provides incentives for school districts to accurately report information used to determine their level of state funding.

501R

HB2183

Prop. 301 monies; supplanting; restoration

3

3

Improves handling of education money.

K-12 Ed

Helps ensure money is used as intended.

501R

HB2185

constitutional authority for legislation; statement

10

10

Reverts energy POLICY to the legislature

Econ Freedom

eliminates 15% renewable energy mandate to "solve global warming" fraud

501R

HB2187

aestheticians; applications; qualifications

1

1

Reduces age and education requirements for aesthetician license.

Econ Freedom

Reducing employment licensing restrictions - specially when they are not important for the service being performed - is always a good thing.

501R

HB2190

nail technician; applications; qualifications

1

1

Reduces age and education requirements for nail technician license.

Econ Freedom

Reducing employment licensing restrictions - specially when they are not important for the service being performed - is always a good thing.

501R

HB2196

state parks; privatization

5

5

Allows privatization of operation of state parks while preserving public ownership.

Govt Admin

Beneficial privatization of a state function.

501R

HB2197

charter schools; age restricted communities

-2

-2

Restricts charter schools from age restricted communities.

Econ Freedom

Puts restrictions on location that do not apply to public schools. Would have been a -6 if caught before votes.

501R

HB2202

department of revenue closing agreements

5

5

Allows Sales tax misunderstandings to be resolved through agreement

Taxes

Allows tax abatements to keep businesses from being bankrupted through misunderstanding of tax code.

501R

HB2207

special health care districts; procurement

7

7

Requires County Health Boards to use a standard procurement method including competitive bidding.

Govt Admin

This should reduce taxpayer financed health costs and limit use of contracts as a political plum.

501R

HB2217

school superintendents; contracts

-3

-3

Does not allow School District Superintendent to be hired from out of state.

K-12 Ed

Unnecessarily restricts pool of applicants.

501R

HB2218

postbaccalaureate students; state monies

7

7

Eliminates state subsidies for college students who have already earned a Bachelors degree.

College Ed

With state budget crisis, subsidizing a student earning an additional bachelors degree is unaffordable.

501R

HB2221

establishment; bank of Arizona

-4

-4

Establishes a Bank of Arizona

Govt Admin

The last thing the state govt needs to do is get into the banking business.

501R

HB2223

income tax rate reduction; corporations

7

7

Reduces Corporate Income tax

Taxes

Necessary to improve business climate and generate economic growth.

501R

HB2225

housing incentive program

-4

-4

Provides $2000 subsidies for house purchases.

Econ Freedom

Subsidies will further bankrupt the state and will, if in any way effective, distort the housing market.

501R

HB2241

electronic voting equipment; paper record

6

6

Requires audit trail be kept on all voting devices.

Govt Admin

Provides additional protection against voter fraud.

501R

HB2242

permanent early voting list; notarization

6

6

Requires notarization of permanent early voter requests.

Govt Admin

Designed to reduce voter fraud.

501R

HB2276

fertilizers; labeling; inspections; fund

-3

-3

Changes fertilizer inspections and forms an inspection fund.

Econ Freedom

These inspections should be fully privatized. Independent inspectors rather than the govt should be doing these inspections if consumers and retailers want them and are willing to pay for them.

501R

HB2277

community colleges; baccalaureate degrees

6

6

Allows Community Colleges to award Bachelors degrees for teaching and nursing.

College Ed

This increases competition in higher education and should reduce costs for students in these programs.

501R

HB2288

airports; private contractors; security screening

5

5

Requires all state airports to hire private security and not use the TSA.

Govt Admin

The Feds will obstruct this, but it is a good idea for reducing Fed govt intrusions into our lives.

501R

HB2293

community property; separate debts

3

3

Disallows credit card debt as community property unless both spouses sign the credit application.

Govt Admin

Reasonable protection of spouses in a dissolving marriage from credit card debt incurred without consent of the other spouse.

501R

HB2304

state elections; omnibus

2

2

Omnibus voting act

Govt Admin

Omnibus bills are always difficult to assess, but it has some good provisions in it.

501R

HB2315

Indian affairs commission; continuation

-1

-1

Continues Indian Affairs Commission

Govt Admin

Not needed at state level.

501R

HB2336

city tax code; official copy

1

1

Changes process for Model City Tax Code

Govt Admin

Streamlines process and puts it in DOR.

501R

HB2339

commercial, agriculture property assessment reduction

7

7

Reduces business and agricultural property tax rates.

Taxes

This will make AZ more competitive for attracting business which should improve our economy.

501R

HB2340

state equalization tax; phase-out

6

6

Phase out state equalization property tax.

Taxes

It is not as good as the bill the Gov vetoed last year, but it is better than continuing the tax.

501R

HB2341

residential contractors' recovery fund

0

-8

SE allows internet taxes.

Econ Freedom

Allowing this SE amendment puts state economy at risk.

501R

HB2357

liquor importation; amount; military personnel

1

1

Allows soldiers returning from active duty overseas to import more than one liter of alcoholic beverages.

Govt Admin

Reasonable, but why limit just to soldiers returning from overseas?

501R

HB2359

transportation contracts; indemnity agreements; void

5

5

Prevents someone from indemnifying a motor carrier from loss due to negligence.

Public Safety

Prevents someone from paying another person to drive recklessly on their behalf and pay their liability costs.

501R

HB2360

game and fish appointment board

2

2

Reduces some requirements for citizen membership on Game & Fish Board

Govt Admin

Makes requirements more reasonable and relevant.

501R

HB2363

financial institution records; disclosure; notice

7

7

Adds protection from unwarranted state govt access to personal financial information.

Civil Rights

Improves citizen privacy and requires notice to bank customers when their financial records are accessed by the govt by means of a court order.

501R

HB2364

disciplinary actions; probation officers

3

3

Subjects probation officers to same discipline as police.

Govt Admin

Reasonable to use same standards since they are part of the criminal justice system.

501R

HB2365

initiative and referendum; petition form

2

2

Changes design of initiative petitions including putting them on letter instead of legal sized paper.

Govt Admin

Simplifies handling of initiative petitions.

501R

HB2366

communication with public officer; identity

5

5

Allows private information to be deleted before being transferred to the public domain.

Govt Admin

Provides some privacy protections.

501R

HB2367

public employees; prohibited negotiations

7

7

Prohibits state govt and its subdivisions from negotiating with employee labor unions over any financial issue.

Govt Admin

Public employee unions usually lead to more expense and disruption.

501R

HB2368

home detention programs; counties; cities

6

6

Requires that home detention and work release programs be established.

Public Safety

These can save taxpayers substantial amounts when non-violent offenders are put in them.

501R

HB2369

DUI; work release

6

6

Requires that DUI convicts be allowed work release programs for 1st and 2nd offenses unless a judge enters reasons into the record for prohibiting it.

Public Safety

This offers taxpayers a substantially less expensive way to punish offenders and allows them to continue working which avoids greater disruptions to their families and those who depend on them such as employers and customers.

501R

HB2384

abortion; public funding prohibition; taxes

5

5

Restricts govt funding of abortions.

Pro-Life

Taxpayers who believe abortion is murder should not be forced to pay for abortions.

501R

HB2386

school district fund balances; reporting

9

9

Requires school districts to report funds on hand close to end of fiscal year.

Govt Admin

Provides transparency in school finances.

501R

HB2392

firearms; federal law; school perimeters

9

9

A person who lawfully owns or possesses a firearm would be considered by Arizona to meet the requirements of federal law regarding possession of a firearm near school grounds (the 1,000 foot rule).

Gun Rights

Works around overly restrictive federal legislation.

501R

HB2404

criminal restitution order; absconders

2

2

Enters financial judgment against criminal absconders

Public Safety

Helps streamline criminal justice system.

501R

HB2405

human smuggling organization; offense; penalty

9

9

Codifies human smuggling crimes and penalties

Illegal Aliens

Needed enhancements to human smuggling laws.

501R

HB2407

victim notification

2

2

Requires expanded notice to victims when a criminal or suspect is being released.

Public Safety

Reasonable protection for victims of crime.

501R

HB2410

honorably discharged veterans; in-state tuition

-2

-2

Makes it easier for Veterans to get in-state tuition

Govt Admin

It is already fairly easy, there is no need to change existing law. Also, veterans typically get GI benefits anyway which could benefit the state without hurting the veteran in cases when out of state tuition is charged.

501R

HB2416

abortion

9

9

Updates previous informed consent laws to seal loop holes used by abortion providers

Pro-Life

Makes some provisions more explicit and improves informed consent to be clarify and firm up legislation passed last year.

501R

HB2417

school boards; vocational education meeting

-2

-2

Requires School Boards to meet with Business Community

K-12 Ed

Good intent, but is a law the best way to do this?  Local members of the business community are not defined. Many students will find work outside their school district anyway.

501R

HB2421

school districts; budgets; financial reports

7

7

Improves transparency of school district budgets and override proposals.

Govt Admin

Improving transparency is an important step to reducing inefficient spending.

501R

HB2422

local government budgeting; posting; publication

7

7

Improves transparency of municipal government budgets.

Govt Admin

Improving transparency is an important step to reducing inefficient spending.

501R

HB2424

probate; wards; rights

7

7

Helps identify problems with probate courts so they can be corrected.

Govt Admin

There have been problems with some court appointed guardians that this is designed to address.

501R

HB2441

homeowners' associations; declaration amendments

5

5

Changes limitations on HOA rule changes.

Govt Admin

Should help make HOAs more responsive to homeowner interests.

501R

HB2443

abortion; sex; race selection; prohibition

7

7

Prohibits abortions based on sex or race selection.

Pro-Life

Protects innocent life from being killed on basis of sex or race preferences.

501R

HB2458

county infill, renewable energy districts

-7

-7

Allows County Supervisors to change zoning without currently required notifications to property owners.

Govt Admin

Current notification rules protect property owner rights.

501R

HB2475

state capitol restoration; recapture districts

-3

-3

Creates taxing districts to fund capitol renovations.

Taxes

Gives overly broad taxing authority.

501R

HB2479

educational institution; concealed weapons.

5

5

Prohibits governing boards of educational institutions from enacting policies or rules that prohibit CCW permit holders from possessing a concealed weapon, or the transportation or storage of a firearm in a private vehicle.

Gun Rights

Helps keep educational facilities from being easy targets.

501R

HB2484

legislative vacancies; precinct committeemen

1

6

Allows precinct committeement to choose replacement legislators rather than send nominees to County Board of Supervisors.

Govt Admin

Simplifies selection process and takes BOS out of what should be a party process. Low weight due to being added late.

501R

HB2501

rules; laws; ordinances; interpretation

5

5

Forces interpretation of ambiguous municipal ordinances in favor of the party challenging the ordinance and against the municipality.

Civil Rights

Protects citizens from arbitrary enforcement of vague ordinances passed by municipalities.

501R

HB2502

public programs; advertisements; funding source

5

5

Requires notice on govt promotional media saying it is paid for with tax dollars.

Govt Admin

Clarifies to taxpayers that they are paying for media published by a politician.

501R

HB2503

reduce corporate income tax rate

9

9

Reduce state corporate income tax rate.

Taxes

This is important for encouraging businesses to locate in AZ and help grow our economy.

501R

HB2504

capital gains tax phase-out

9

9

Eliminate taxes on capital gains in AZ income tax.

Taxes

This will encourage high net worth individuals and companies to locate in AZ which will help grow our economy.

501R

HB2507

AHCCCS; nonemergency transportation; reimbursement

3

3

Limits non-emergency medical transportation reimbursements for Access.

Govt Admin

Prudent step to control one part of the subsidized health care system that is abused.

501R

HB2508

AHCCCS; food stamps; identification card

2

2

Requires photo ID for food stamp card.

Govt Admin

Helps prevent fraud in govt assistance programs.

501R

HB2523

motor vehicle accidents; violations

-4

-4

Increases penalties for driving without a license and reduces citizen protections.

Civil Rights

Reduces protections for govt mistakes which outweighs any potential benefits.

501R

HB2534

city or town annexation

8

8

Prohibits tribes from acquiring land outside of tribal areas for gaming purposes.(Companion to SB1136)

Govt Admin

Protects Indian Gaming Agreement already in place and prevents artificial zones of Indian sovereignty from being established outside tribal areas for the purpose of running gambling enterprises.

501R

HB2539

public sale of animals

-5

-5

Places new restrictions and regulations on animal sales.

Econ Freedom

The attempt to protect animals creates too much regulation.

501R

HB2540

teachers; continuing education; discounted tuition

-3

-3

Reduces in-state tuition for teachers with 5 years experience by 75%.

Govt Admin

Why not reduce in-state tuition for everyone? If school districts think it's important, they can provide tuition reimbursement programs for their employees. The state can't afford this.

501R

HB2544

presidential candidates; affidavit of qualifications

6

6

Requires proof of constitutional eligibility for presidential candidates for AZ ballot.

Govt Admin

Places burden of proof on candidate instead of those challenging candidate qualifications.

501R

HB2551

taxation; presumption regarding internet sales

-2

0

Adds taxation to Internet sales

Taxes

Adds regulation and taxation to Internet sales which is generally bad for the state economy.

501R

HB2552

agricultural property tax classification; equine.

3

3

Keeps counties from changing horse properties from agricultural to commercial for property tax purposes.

Taxes

Counties changing property classifications to increase property taxes is unfair.

501R

HB2555

regulation of taxis; limitations

9

9

Prohibits additional taxing and regulation of taxis by local govt.

Taxes

Protects taxis from onerous local taxes.

501R

HB2565

postsecondary education; students' rights

3

3

Supports religious freedom of college students.

Civil Rights

Protects students from being forced to violate their religion as a condition for passing a class or graduating.

501R

HB2572

government expenditure database; transparency; CAFR

5

5

Requires govt. budgets to be posted on Internet.

Govt Admin

Makes budget information more available to taxpayers.

501R

HB2577

legislative appropriations; federal monies

10

10

Requires legislature to appropriate federal funds.

Govt Admin

Legislature should control state expenditures rather than have executive branch do so at its own discretion.

501R

HB2581

STOs; credits; administration

6

6

Allows more tax credits for low income student scholarships for K-12

K-12 Ed

Expands school choice for poor children.

501R

HB2583

deadly physical force; reporting; admissibility

5

5

Attempts to prevent what you say in a 9-1-1 call, after being involved in an act where deadly physical force was used, from being admissible in court proceedings.

Civil Rights

Protection from self incrimination while calling for help.

501R

HB2584

workers' compensation; directed care

8

8

Pilot program for allowing Workers Comp pools to select medical providers.

Govt Admin

Allows costs to be lowered for workers compensation due to work related injuries.

501R

HB2587

high schools; military recruiting; form

3

3

Puts military recruiters on par with others regarding access to high school student information.

Govt Admin

This prevents school districts and charter schools from unfairly denying information to military recruiters when they provide it to other organizations doing recruiting.

501R

HB2588

name change records; stalking victims

3

3

Seals name change records of those being stalked.

Public Safety

Provides protection to victims of stalking and domestic abuse.

501R

HB2609

homeowners' associations; signs; political; leasing

6

6

Increases transparency of HOAs and provides homeowner protections.

Govt Admin

Helps protect homeowner rights.

501R

HB2614

firearms omnibus.

8

8

The bulk of this bill deals with “Public Buildings” (i.e., government owned or operated buildings and vehicles) and “Public Events” (i.e. events open to the public and licensed by the government) banning firearms.

Gun Rights

Under current law, all they need to do to ban the carrying of firearms is post “No Firearms” signs and provide readily available storage.  This has had the perverse effect of disarming the law-abiding while allowing those with no respect for the law to remain armed at will.

501R

HB2621

sex offender registration records; access

4

4

Allows DES to access sex offender information for limiting job placements.

Public Safety

Allows DES to not employ sex offenders for jobs involving vulnerable adults and children.

501R

HB2638

administrative actions; appeal to court

2

2

Requires state boards to specifically identify the violation a person is alleged to have committed when serving a summons. Also guarantees a right of appeal in court.

Taxes

Reasonable protection of citizens rights when dealing with state boards.

501R

HB2644

federal monies; union preference; prohibition

8

8

Prevents all levels of govt in state from taking federal funds if preference for union labor is a condition of receiving funds.

Govt Admin

Union shops should not get preference over non-union contractors.

501R

HB2645

forfeited weapons; disposition

6

6

Prevents local govt from prohibiting the sale of forfeited firearms to private parties.

Govt Admin

A person legally authorized to possess or sell these firearms should be able to buy them.

501R

HB2646

JTEDs; adult students

2

2

Allows JTEDs to enroll adults if there is excess capacity in class.

K-12 Ed

Productive use of excess capacity as long as it does not expand into a costly program.

501R

HB2649

early ballots; voter rolls; enforcement

5

5

Helps prevent early ballot voter fraud.

Govt Admin

Voter fraud erodes the legitimacy of elections.

501R

HB2650

county employees; merit system exemption

1

6

Makes county employees outside Maricopa County at will employees.

Govt Admin

Makes it easier to fire bad employees. Low weight due to being added late.

501R

HB2657

partisan elections; schools; cities; towns

2

2

Municipal and school board elections would be partisan instead of non-partisan.

Taxes

Party labels help voters to determine candidates' general policy positions more easily. A primary and general election permits better vetting of candidates by voters.

501R

HB2666

health insurance; exchange

-9

-9

Creates insurance pools mandated by Obamacare

Govt Admin

This undermines the state's lawsuit against the Federal govt and the AZ constitution (Health Care Choice amendment)

501R

HB2675

food stamps; benefit cards; penalty

8

8

Adds provisions designed to reduce fraud with using food stamps.

Govt Admin

Should help reduce fraud and abuse of program which can save taxpayers money.

501R

HB2691

firearm sales; reporting; inspections

-6

-6

Would require that any person who sells 3 or more “high caliber” firearms to report the sale to the Department of Public Safety.  “High caliber” is broadly defined to include almost all firearms.

Civil Rights

Clear infringement of 2nd amendment rights.

501R

HB2700

TNT; rate computation; constant rate

7

7

Limits school district tax increases.

K-12 Ed

Provides protection to taxpayers.

501R

HB2706

education; Arizona empowerment accounts

6

6

Increases school choice options.

Govt Admin

Great K-12 education freedom.

501R

HB2707

general fund revenue limit

8

8

Sets spending limits based on population and inflation.

Govt Admin

Protects taxpayers by keeping state spending under control when economy is booming and tax revenues are higher than average.

501R

HB2710

study committee; outcome‑based funding

-3

-3

Creates outcome based education study committee.

K-12 Ed

We already have an education dept. Also, teachers would dominate this committee which would probably result in costly recommendations benefiting teachers more than students.

501R

HB2711

prohibited weapon; high capacity magazine.

-8

-8

Would ban magazines with a capacity greater than 10 rounds.

Gun Rights

This is more likely to impact honest citizens than criminals and infringes on 2nd amendment.

501R

HB2717

homeowners' associations; penalties; attorney fees

3

3

Limits penalties that HOA boards can impose.

Civil Rights

Limiting the penalties to $50 might be too low depending on the neighborhood, but limiting attorney fees and requiring arbitration at homeowner request are good things.

501R

HB2718

public safety equipment fund; appropriation

5

5

Designates money directly to Pinal County law enforcement equipment to fight drug/human smuggling incursions.

Illegal Aliens

Gives needed resources to those protecting Arizona from criminal activity from Mexico.

501R

HCR2031

crime victims; protection from liability.

8

8

Prevents felony criminals from suing their victims for damages.

Civil Rights

Protects victims of felonies from criminal abuses of civil law.

501R

HCR2032

paycheck deductions; political purposes; requirement

7

7

Prevents payroll deductions for political contributions without annual employee approval.

Econ Freedom

Helps prevent mandatory union dues from being used to finance political expenditures.

501R

HCR2048

Lieutenant Governor; agencies; joint candidacy

-2

-2

Change SOS to Lt Gov and link Lt Gov and Gov in general election.

Govt Admin

This consistently gets voted down by voters for good reason.

501R

SB1024

game and fish; fingerprint card

3

3

Fingerprint Game and Fish Employees and volunteers

Govt Admin

Reasonable protection for public.

501R

SB1025

Arizona state hospital; fingerprinting requirements

3

3

Fingerprint State Hospital employees and volunteers.

Govt Admin

Reasonable protection for vulnerable patients.

501R

SB1026

aggravated DUI; sentencing

4

4

Increases penalties for repeat DUI offenders.

Public Safety

Getting repeat offenders off the road is a real safety improvement.

501R

SB1028

DUI; license suspension

4

1

Adds drugs to DUI laws.

Public Safety

Reasonable extension of DUI laws. Amendments made exceptions for prescription drugs.

501R

SB1029

restricted driver license; DUI

2

2

Changes DUI Driving Privilege procedures

Public Safety

Makes reasonable changes to protect both public and defendant.

501R

SB1038

assisted living caregivers; regulation

2

2

Streamlines Assisted Living Regulatory Process

Econ Freedom

Reduces regulatory burden on businesses.

501R

SB1045

DES; notices; electronic communications

7

7

Allows DES to use electronic communication.

Govt Admin

Improves efficiency and lowers cost to taxpayers.

501R

SB1046

juvenile corrections; discharge; ICE detainers

6

6

Allows paroling or release to another authority of juveniles in criminal custody.

Public Safety

Can substantially reduce costs with little additional risk.

501R

SB1054

waiver; intensive probation standards

2

2

Allows consistent standards to be applied for probation throughout state.

Govt Admin

Consistency throughout the state is generally better for the criminal justice system.

501R

SB1056

central registry; background checks

4

4

Has DES maintain central database for background checks.

Govt Admin

Improves ability to protect children and vulnerable adults.

501R

SB1057

law enforcement officers; disciplinary action

2

2

Protects police officers from wrongful termination.

Govt Admin

Improved upon by SE amendment of same bill number.

501R

SB1060

misconduct involving weapons; fraudulent transactions

-9

-9

Would make fraudulent (broadly defined) firearms sales, both retail and private, a crime of “racketeering.”  Would effectively eliminate private sales.

Gun Rights

Burdensome regulation of private firearms sales.

501R

SB1080

custodial interference; classification

3

3

Changes child custody violation law by adding specific time frames.

Children

Standardizes definition of custodial interference crime.

501R

SB1083

domestic relations; child custody

5

5

Requires divorced parents to provide notice of moving and justification to judge on request of other parent.

Children

Helps protect rights of both divorced parents.

501R

SB1085

contractors; internal references; technical correction

2

2

Improves Arizona Prompt Pay Act

Govt Admin

Clarifies when payments are due.

501R

SB1095

probation report; electronic submission

2

2

Requires probation reports to be submitted electronically.

Govt Admin

More efficient.

501R

SB1101

protest activity; prohibition.

-1

-1

Restricts protesters from protesting within 300 feet of the property line of a funeral.

Civil Rights

Clearly violates the 1st amendment protections of assembly. Would normally get a (-10), but enough notice was not given to legislators. Similar bills will get (-10) in the future.

501R

SB1111

handheld wireless communication devices; driving

-9

-9

Restricts cell phone usage when driving.

Civil Rights

There are already laws against distracted and reckless driving.

501R

SB1113

ALTCS; care facilities; standards

3

3

Increases privatization of some mental health care.

Govt Admin

Should improve financial performance and delivery of care.

501R

SB1117

immigration legislation challenges

8

8

Adds flexibility in legal defense of illegal alien laws.

Govt Admin

Protects ability of state officers to act to defend the law in court.

501R

SB1119

naturopathic medicine; nutrients

4

4

Allows Naturopaths to inject nutrients

Econ Freedom

Allows patients more choices.

501R

SB1122

insurance; health care sharing ministries

5

5

Health care sharing ministries.

Econ Freedom

Adds unregulated option for health care financing.

501R

SB1133

approaching stationary vehicles; yield right-of-way

3

3

Requires yielding to all stopped vehicles flashing emergency signal instead of just official vehicles.

Public Safety

Improves roadway safety.

501R

SB1136

city or town annexation.

8

8

Prohibits tribes from acquiring land outside of tribal areas for gaming purposes. (Companion to HB2534)

Govt Admin

Protects Indian Gaming Agreement already in place and prevents artificial zones of Indian sovereignty from being established outside tribal areas for the purpose of running gambling enterprises.

501R

SB1153

city auditors; confidential information

6

6

Allows auditor access to closed municipal board meeting minutes.

Govt Admin

Improves transparency.

501R

SB1155

electronic; digital devices; stalking; threatening

6

6

Updates anti-stalking laws

Public Safety

Takes new electronics equipment into account.

501R

SB1156

grand jury proceedings; electronic recording.

2

2

Electronic record of Grand Jury proceedings.

Govt Admin

Improves efficiency.

501R

SB1157

technical correction; cosmetology schools; contracts

3

3

Prevents cities from charging homeowners for water without getting permission first.

Govt Admin

Homeowner should only pay for what he agreed to buy - not what someone else wants to sell him.

501R

SB1160

city sales tax; residential rental

8

8

Prevents rent tax increase without voter approval.

Taxes

Helps protect against tax increases.

501R

SB1162

corporate income tax rate reduction

7

7

Lowers corporate income tax rate.

Taxes

Improves state business climate.

501R

SB1163

business property tax assessment percentage

6

6

Reduces business income tax

Taxes

Improves state business climate.

501R

SB1164

income tax; corporate sales factor

6

6

Reduce taxes due to sales factor.

Taxes

Improves state business climate.

501R

SB1165

municipal taxes; auditors and collectors

5

5

Prevents local govt from hiring tax auditors.

Govt Admin

Prevents municipalities from harassing retailers on tax collections.

501R

SB1174

charter schools; age restricted communities.

-5

-5

Prevents Charter schools from operating in senior communities.

Econ Freedom

Restricts private enterprise.

501R

SB1178

intrastate commerce act

8

8

Asserts that intrastate trade is exempt from Federal interference.

Econ Freedom

This gets the state govt directly involved in asserting that freedom.

501R

SB1183

agricultural property tax classification; equine

3

3

Keeps counties from changing horse properties from agricultural to commercial for property tax purposes.

Taxes

Counties changing property classifications to increase property taxes is unfair.

501R

SB1188

adoption; marital preference

4

4

Gives preference to married couples for adoptions.

Children

Children should be given an opportunity for both a mother and father when possible.

501R

SB1192

child support model; review; report

5

5

Gives preference to married couple in adoptions.

Children

It gives adopted kids the best chance in life.

501R

SB1197

taxis; regulation

1

1

Standardizes some taxi regulations throughout state.

Econ Freedom

Establishes reasonable consumer protections in an industry that is already heavily regulated.

501R

SB1199

income tax; net operating loss

6

6

Extends period for writing off business losses to 20 years.

Taxes

Provides better tax climate for businesses.

501R

SB1201

firearms omnibus

8

8

Would prohibit political subdivisions from enacting any ordinance or regulation limiting the area of a lawful hunting event during open season.

Govt Admin

Now, to ban the carrying of firearms  post “No Firearms” signs and provide accessible storage.

501R

SB1209

school district employees; salaries; posting

6

6

Requires School Districts to send teacher salaries to Ed Dept for posting on Internet.

K-12 Ed

Improves transparency in public school expenditures.

501R

SB1214

interstate compact; health care..

8

8

Authorizes creation of Interstate Health Care Compacts.

Govt Admin

A useful step for bypassing Obamacare.

501R

SB1220

uniform local sales tax base

3

3

Standardizes municipal sales tax.

Taxes

Increases consistency throughout state.

501R

SB1225

forgery; human smuggling; classification

4

4

Increases penalties for forgery to procure drop houses.

Illegal Aliens

More tools against illegal immigration.

501R

SB1228

trust lands; long-term leases; default

2

2

Eases default rules on state trust land rentals.

Govt Admin

Reasonable protection for renters of state trust lands.

501R

SB1231

state revenue expenditures; limit

9

9

Limits state expenditures based on formula

Govt Admin

Limiting spending addresses the core problem of the state budget.

501R

SB1232

developmental disabilities advisory council; continuation

-3

-3

Continues state development disabilities advisory council

Govt Admin

More unneeded bureaucracy.

501R

SB1233

peace officers; at will employment

1

1

Changes police officer employment laws to exclude management.

Govt Admin

Improvement in law.

501R

SB1235

law enforcement officers; disciplinary procedures

1

1

Provides more information to police officers being disciplined about department precedents.

Govt Admin

Helps ensure fairer disciplinary outcomes.

501R

SB1243

bad checks; county attorney fees

-3

-3

Increases fees county attorneys can charge for collection of bad checks.

Govt Admin

The fees are already high. They should not increase.

501R

SB1246

abortion.

9

9

Updates previous informed consent laws to seal loop holes used by abortion providers

Pro-Life

Makes some provisions more explicit and improves informed consent to be clarify and firm up legislation passed last year.

501R

SB1259

foreclosures; proof of ownership

3

3

Requires proof of chain of ownership in foreclosures.

Govt Admin

Provides reasonable homeowner protections.

501R

SB1261

vehicle liens; titles

4

4

Changes time limits for recording liens.

Govt Admin

Makes it easier to do business for auto dealers.

501R

SB1265

abortion; public funding prohibition; taxes.

5

5

Restricts govt funding of abortions.

Pro-Life

Taxpayers who believe abortion is murder should not be forced to pay for abortions.

501R

SB1279

fire district assistance tax

2

3

Limits fire district levies.

Taxes

Prevents accumulation of tax money that is easily abused.

501R

SB1280

minors; electronic cigarettes; prohibition

5

5

Classifies electric cigarettes like real ones with respect to use by minors.

Children

Extends protection in response to technology change.

501R

SB1282

political committee registration; religious entity

2

2

Eliminates state campaign finance reporting for religious organizations spending small amounts on political issues.

Civil Rights

Relieves paperwork burden for incidental political activity.

501R

SB1283

child custody; military families

3

3

Prevents military deployment from adversely affecting long term child custody rights.

Children

Protects military personnel from unfair impairment of parental child custody rights.

501R

SB1286

counties; cities; permits; time limit

6

6

Requires local govt timely response to requests.

Econ Freedom

Impacts building permit requests and unreasonable delays.

501R

SB1288

religion; free exercise; professionals; appointments

1

1

Forbids loss of licensing for adhering to religious convictions.

Civil Rights

Supporting religious liberty is good, but this could lead to bizarre situations based on the difficulty of judging whether someone is sincere about their religious beliefs.

501R

SB1307

public right-of-way; political signs

7

7

Creates statewide standards for political signs.

Civil Rights

Prevents local govt from putting their own restrictions on political signs and removing them.

501R

SB1308

interstate compact; birth certificates.

8

8

Authorizes governor to enter state compact with other states regarding citizenship identifier on birth certificates.

Illegal Aliens

Encourages multistate agreements to challenge birthright citizenship for illegal aliens.

501R

SB1309

Arizona citizenship

8

8

Defines Arizona citizenship.

Illegal Aliens

Eliminates automatic citizenship for children born in US unless at least one parent is legally entitled to be in the state.

501R

SB1312

STOs; credits; administration.

6

6

Allows more tax credits for low income student scholarships for

K-12 Ed

Expands school choice for poor children.

501R

SB1313

public health districts; voter approval

8

8

Requires election to establish county health district.

Govt Admin

These districts have significant taxing authority, so voters should have to approve their creation.

501R

SB1329

public employees; lobbying; political activities

7

7

Outlaws govt employee lobbying while on the job (except registered public lobbyists)

Govt Admin

Taxpayers should not pay for private lobbying by govt employees.

501R

SB1330

early ballots; notarized signature; delivery

3

3

Limits who can drop off an early ballot and establishes additional identity requirements.

Govt Admin

Will help reduce voter fraud.

501R

SB1333

cities; towns; deannexation; incorporation

3

3

Changes municipality annexation laws.

Govt Admin

Improvements to current laws.

501R

SB1334

hunting within city limits

4

4

Would prohibit political subdivisions from enacting any ordinance or regulation limiting the area of a lawful hunting event during open season.

Govt Admin

Prevents unreasonable hunting restrictions by municipalities.

501R

SB1335

hunting at night; varmints

3

3

Would add jackrabbits, raccoons and predatory animals to the list of animals that may be taken at night.

Gun Rights

Allows people to better protect themselves and their property from animals.

501R

SB1341

county planning; zoning; conforming legislation

4

4

Specifies requirements for approval of voting changes when there is no objection presented at a public meeting to discuss the change.

Govt Admin

Improves zoning change process.

501R

SB1343

homeowners' associations; condominiums; fees

3

3

Limits Homeowner Association Fees

Govt Admin

Places reasonable limits on HOA fees to protect owners from out of control boards.

501R

SB1352

photo radar prohibition

7

7

Limits use of photo radar by municipalities.

Civil Rights

Protects citizens from unequal application of justice.

501R

SB1354

photo enforcement; violator identification; response

6

6

Removes requirements for providing information in cases of traffic violations recorded on camera.

Civil Rights

Helps protect citizens from govt.

501R

SB1363

employer protections; labor relations

7

7

Outlaws threatening and malicious acts by union protestors.

Public Safety

Protects those who disagree with a union from threats and intimidation.

501R

SB1364

county ordinances; utility vehicle parking

2

2

Reduces parking restrictions for emergency vehicles.

Public Safety

Enables faster response to emergencies.

501R

SB1365

paycheck deductions; political purposes

8

8

Prohibits payroll deductions for political purposes without annual employee consent.

Civil Rights

Forcing employees to make political contributions at work should not be a default situation.

501R

SB1391

interstate firearm freedom compact

7

7

Interstate compacts regarding endangered species.

Govt Admin

Allows state to assert itself on endangered species policies.

501R

SB1391

interstate firearm freedom compact

8

8

Would authorize and direct the governor to enter into interstate compacts with other states that have a “Firearms Freedom Act” that was passed last year in Arizona.

Gun Rights

Supports reciprocity of gun owner rights.

501R

SB1393

greenhouse emissions; legislative authority

9

9

Establishes state sovereignty over green house gasses

Civil Rights

Asserts states rights over intrusive federal regulation.

501R

SB1394

greenhouse substances; freedom to breathe

9

9

Green house gas state compacts.

Civil Rights

Asserts states rights over intrusive federal regulation.

501R

SB1404

Arizona grain research trust fund

2

2

Protects grain fund from misuse.

Govt Admin

Protecting designated funds is good, but the legislature can repeal that any time it wants the money for something else.

501R

SB1405

hospital admissions; restrictions

7

7

Requires those being admitted to Hospital to have their citizenship and residency status determined.

Illegal Aliens

Makes it possible to quantify the medical costs of illegal aliens.

501R

SB1406

interstate compact; border fence

8

8

Allows state to enter into state compact for building border fence.

Illegal Aliens

It can allow the states to protect the border since the Federal govt is not.

501R

SB1407

schools; data; noncitizen students

5

5

Requires School districts to get information about legal residency of students and provide summary information to DOE which will consolidate and report that information for the state.

Illegal Aliens

Birth certificates are typically required for school enrollment anyway. This will allow the state to gather information about the actual cost of educating illegal immigrants.

501R

SB1408

state budget; appropriation limitation; hearing

8

8

Adds transparency to budget process.

Govt Admin

Helps protect taxpayers.

501R

SB1409

government publications; English only

5

5

Requires all govt documents to be published in English.

Govt Admin

Our Federal and state constitutions are written in English as are our laws. English should be the official language used by govt.

501R

SB1410

sheriff; powers and duties

4

4

Prevents county supervisors from interfering with Sheriff fulfilling his responsibilities.

Govt Admin

Clarifies roles and authority of Sheriff over his own office.

501R

SB1411

elected county officers; authority

7

7

Delineates authority of county officers.

Govt Admin

Prevents interference from other county officials.

501R

SB1412

early voting; revisions

7

7

Prevents people from collecting early ballots from others to turn into a poling place or to mail in.

Govt Admin

Helps to prevent voter fraud.

501R

SB1424

national guard; state active duty

3

3

Makes National Guard on active duty over 30 days eligible for AZ health and accident insurance.

Govt Admin

They should have eligibility similar to other state govt employees.

501R

SB1430

motor vehicles; towing

-10

-10

Expands illegal parker recourse for involuntary towing.

Govt Admin

Makes it too easy for illegal parkers to avoid towing fees. Amendments allow executive branch to set fees. Abrogation of legislative responsibility. Fails to protect public from arbitrary fees.

501R

SB1433

federal legislation; state nullification

5

5

Allows legislature to nullify a federal law which would precipitate a court challenge.

Civil Rights

Allows legislature to initiate court challenge rather than depend on AG to do so.

501R

SB1465

valid identification; consular cards; prohibition

7

7

Makes it illegal to accept consular card as ID for AZ govt purposes.

Illegal Aliens

This type of ID is often used for fraudulent purposes.

501R

SB1466

deferred prosecution; justice court approval

3

3

Improves laws regarding referring criminal offenders to non-judicial corrective action.

Public Safety

Allows criminal justice system for better focus on more serious criminal threats to public.

501R

SB1467

educational institution; concealed weapons

7

7

Prohibits education board from prohibiting a CCW permit holder from carrying or transporting a weapon on school grounds.

Gun Rights

Improves ability of CCW holders to stop a gunman.

501R

SB1469

justification; use of force

7

7

Would strengthen the statutes regarding the justification of the use of force.  Includes assuming that a person who is unlawfully entering is presumed to pose an imminent threat, and that a person who is justified in the use of force is not subject to criminal prosecution.

Gun Rights

Protects rights of crime victims who defend themselves in their home.

501R

SB1469

justification; use of force

5

5

Expands legal self defense against criminals.

Public Safety

Protects citizens who are acting against criminals.

501R

SB1495

Arizona state guard; establishment

6

6

Creates state guard.

Public Safety

Creates state force not subject to Federal mobilization or use outside of AZ.

501R

SB1519

AHCCCS; termination

4

4

Replace AHCCCS with a more targeted program.

Govt Admin

Will reduce taxpayer costs while protecting most needy people.

501R

SB1538

driving; handheld wireless communication devices

-10

-10

Bans reading as well as writing texts while in driver seat of vehicle.

Civil Rights

There are already laws against distracted and reckless driving. This makes it illegal to text even if stopped at a red light.

501R

SB1552

corporate tax allocation; sales factor

5

5

Allows companies to choose sales tax formula for service based revenues.

Taxes

Already done for tangible goods with good results. Makes AZ more attractive to businesses.

501R

SB1553

education; Arizona empowerment accounts.

8

8

Increases school choice options.

K-12 Ed

Great K-12 education freedom.

501R

SB1554

ADE; teachers; liability insurance

5

5

Allows teachers to buy liability insurance from a firm not connected with their union.

Econ Freedom

Expands options for teachers buying liability insurance.

501R

SB1555

government employees; union dues; withholding

7

7

Prohibits state govt from collecting union dues through payroll deduction.

Govt Admin

Eliminates govt role as billing agency for unions.

501R

SB1556

school district monies; associations; elections.

9

9

Restricts schools from using public fund in elections.

Govt Admin

Protects taxpayers from having their money used in political campaigns without permission.

501R

SB1557

county school superintendents; qualifications; duties

7

7

Fixes the Duties and qualifications of the county schools  superintendant.

Govt Admin

Clarifies the role.

501R

SB1561

legislative appropriations; federal monies.

8

8

Gives the Legislature authority to appropriate all non-custodial federal funds.

Govt Admin

Gives authority to appropriate funds to legislature where it belongs.

501R

SB1562

public employees; collective bargaining

-7

-7

Gives collective bargaining to state employees unions.

Govt Admin

This would be a license to steal from taxpayers.

501R

SB1563

state employees; meet and confer

-7

-7

Gives state employee unions a seat at the negotiating table to meet and confer.

Govt Admin

This would be a license to steal from taxpayers - especially if Democrats control the govt.

501R

SB1565

campaign contributions; bundling; lobbyists

-5

-5

Lobbyist can't raise campaign funds for the Legislature and Governor.

Civil Rights

Violates first amendment rights.

501R

SB1568

municipal taxes; auditors and collectors.

6

6

Restricts cities from hiring auditors to collect Taxes on a contingency fee or hiring third party collector.

Taxes

Prevents businesses from being harassed by municipalities.

501R

SB1583

nursing board; membership

2

2

Adds CERTIFIED REGISTERED NURSE ANESTHETIST to who may serve on the Board of Nursing.

Govt Admin

Updates rules.

501R

SB1585

military operations; real estate disclosure

4

4

Requires military operations notice for property being sold.

Govt Admin

Provides transparency on real estate transactions to avoid surprises due to equipment noise.

501R

SB1586

firearms; background checks; gun shows

-10

-10

Further regulates selling guns at gun shows.

Gun Rights

Infringes on 2nd amendment rights.

501R

SB1587

misconduct involving weapons; universities; colleges

-10

-10

Misconduct involving a weapon for knowingly carrying a gun onto a college and universities.

Gun Rights

Infringes on 2nd amendment rights.

501R

SB1588

misconduct involving weapons; state buildings

-10

-10

Misconduct involving a weapon for knowingly carrying a gun into a state building.

Gun Rights

Infringes on 2nd amendment rights.

501R

SB1589

authorized third parties; ADOT

6

6

The Director of Motor Vehicles shall allow third parties to do many of the services that MVD does.

Govt Admin

Better customer service through privatization.

501R

SB1590

employers; group insurance pooling

6

6

Allows employers to pool together for Health insurance.

Govt Admin

Improves health care options.

501R

SB1592

health care compact; funding

8

8

The State may enter into a compact with other States to stop Obama care.

Econ Freedom

Asserts states rights.

501R

SB1593

health insurance; interstate purchase

8

8

Allows a person to purchase insurance in other states(portability).

Econ Freedom

Increases competition and lowers the cost of insurance.

501R

SB1597

medical information; rights

5

5

Outlines a persons rights regarding their medical records.

Govt Admin

Clarifies patient rights.

501R

SB1598

cities; counties; regulatory review

6

6

Creates an appeals process  for business and persons

Govt Admin

Allows a person who is aggrieved in the regulatory process to appeal to the courts.

501R

SB1599

bail bond agents; recovery agents

8

8

Makes reforms to the bail bond industry.

Govt Admin

Makes changes to insure public safety in the Bail bond industry.

501R

SB1603

schools; performance based compensation plans

6

6

Performance based compensation plans.

K-12 Ed

Teacher pay based on performance

501R

SB1604

schools; capital monies; temporary uses

7

7

Temporary use of capital money.

K-12 Ed

Allows schools to use money designated for capitol projects to be used in other areas for the next 3 years.

501R

SB1605

RFP; advertising in newspapers; repeal

8

8

Repeals welfare for newspapers.

Govt Admin

Repeals mandate that public notices must be posted in a newspaper. Allows posting online.

501R

SB1606

HOV lanes; annual fee

6

6

Allows a person to purchase a pass to drive in the HOV lane for $2500.00.

Econ Freedom

Generate more revenue.

501R

SB1607

schools; residency requirements

7

7

Requires schools to verify state residency of students.

K-12 Ed

A cost saving measure to the General fund.

501R

SB1611

immigration omnibus

10

10

Requires enforcement of laws and creates more restrictions on illegal aliens.

Illegal Aliens

Explicitly makes illegal many activities illegal aliens engage in that are used for illegal employment or to burden legal Arizona residents.

501R

SB1612

general appropriations 2011-2012

7

0

Budget Bill

Govt Admin

Balanced Budget

501R

SB1613

2011-2012; capital outlay

7

0

Budget Bill

Govt Admin

Balanced Budget

501R

SB1614

2011-2012; state budget procedures

7

0

Budget Bill

Govt Admin

Balanced Budget

501R

SB1615

consolidation; state agencies

7

0

Budget Bill

Govt Admin

Balanced Budget

501R

SB1616

revenue; 2011-2012; budget reconciliation

6

0

Budget Bill

Govt Admin

Balanced Budget

501R

SB1617

K-12 education; 2011‑2012; budget reconciliation

4

0

Budget Bill

Govt Admin

Balanced Budget

501R

SB1618

higher education; 2011‑2012; budget reconciliation

7

0

Budget Bill

Govt Admin

Balanced Budget

501R

SB1619

health; 2011‑2012; budget reconciliation

8

0

Budget Bill

Govt Admin

Balanced Budget

501R

SB1620

welfare; 2011-2012; budget reconciliation

7

0

Budget Bill

Govt Admin

Balanced Budget

501R

SB1621

criminal justice; 2011-2012; budget reconciliation

7

0

Budget Bill

Govt Admin

Balanced Budget

501R

SB1622

general government; 2011-2012; budget reconciliation

6

0

Budget Bill

Govt Admin

Balanced Budget

501R

SB1623

regulation; 2011-2012; budget reconciliation

6

0

Budget Bill

Govt Admin

Balanced Budget

501R

SB1624

environment; 2011-2012; budget reconciliation

7

0

Budget Bill

Govt Admin

Balanced Budget

501R

SCR1019

state appropriation limit; reduction

9

9

Proposed amendment to limit state govt spending to 6.4% of personal income.

Taxes

Limits state govt spending if approved by voters.

501R

SCR1020

crime victims; protection from liability

9

9

Prevents felony criminals from suing their victims for damages.

Civil Rights

Protects victims of felonies from criminal abuses of civil law.

501R

SCR1026

state appropriation limit; constitutional amendment

10

10

Proposed amendment to have TABOR like spending limits on state govt

Taxes

Strongly limits state govt spending if approved.

501R

SCR1051

voter enacted expenditures; funding source

8

8

If approved by voters, will give legislature appropriations authority over voter approved expenditures without a sufficient funding source.

Govt Admin

This is essential for long term financial stability of the state govt.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Strike Everything Bills used in Evaluation

 

legislature

Bill number

Short title

Now title

weight

description

category

501R

HB2025

unemployment; special assessment

-1

Striker. Increases UI tax rate to pay off debts Tax increase is bad. Taxes will be worse without paying back the Feds. The basic problem is that the entire Arizona UI structure should be changed to eliminate this problem over the long run by basing the state UI program on employees rather than employers. This bill does not take long term corrective action as it just uses a higher tax as a patch to handle the short term problem.

Taxes

501R

HB2064

technical correction; disincorporation

foreign law; conflict of laws

9

Prohibits the application of any religious laws that violate someone's civil rights under US or Arizona law.

Civil Rights

501R

HB2070

homeland security; committee; force

Arizona state guard; establishment

6

Creates state guard.

Public Safety

501R

HB2166

technical correction; cosmetology schools; contracts

low income housing; property tax

-5

Allows low income housing unit landlords to use income and expense data to value house instead of actual property value. There should be no special treatment for this type of property.

Taxes

501R

HB2177

schools; 180 days; conforming changes

presidential candidates; qualifications; affidavit

6

Require Presidential candidates to submit proof of being a natural born citizen.

Govt Admin

501R

HB2191

cosmetologists; applications; qualifications

punitive damages; unlawful entry

10

Prevents illegal aliens from suing for punitive damages.

Illegal Aliens

501R

HB2230

municipal tax exemption; commercial lease

911 monument modification

1

Removes offensive material from state 9/11 memorial. Low score due to being added late.

Govt Admin

501R

HB2245

counties; powers; technical correction

homeowner's associations; open meetings; recordings

2

Allows recording of open HOA Board meetings.

Govt Admin

501R

HB2289

technical correction; elections; special districts

elected school officials; qualifications; procedures

9

HB2289 combines SB1575, SB1576, and SB1577

K-12 Ed

501R

HB2341

residential contractors' recovery fund

taxes; aircraft; personal property

1

Internet tax added to SE bill and then taken off.

Econ Freedom

501R

HB2362

drug lab remediation; investigators

ADOA; teachers; liability insurance

5

 HB2362 is equivalent to SB1554 .

Econ Freedom

501R

HB2538

certificates; line siting committee

mandatory project labor agreements; prohibition

8

Outlaws state agencies from requiring union labor to be used.

Econ Freedom

501R

HB2541

technical correction; wage board; powers

employee drug testing; medical marijuana

7

Establishes medical marijuana guidelines.

Govt Admin

501R

SB1030

dental hygienists; supervision

physician assistants; prescribing authority

2

Adds prescription writing authority for Physicians Assistants except for abortion drugs.

Econ Freedom

501R

SB1057

law enforcement officers; disciplinary action

disciplinary action; law enforcement officers

4

Adds good legal recourse for officers who feel they were wrongfully terminated.

Govt Admin

501R

SB1088

technical correction; trapping license

health care system; violation

7

Protects Arizona citizens from Obamacare

Econ Freedom

501R

SB1115

JLBC; JCCR; reports

5

Makes colleges in state more responsive to students.

College Ed

501R

SB1157

technical correction; cosmetology schools; contracts

wastewater and garbage charges

6

Require Presidential candidates to submit proof of being a natural born citizen.

Govt Admin

501R

SB1226

county treasurers; investments; warrants; notice

levy limit override; city; town

-4

Increases ability to raise property taxes.

Taxes

501R

SB1270

technical correction; publication of notice

Arizona department of transportation; omnibus

4

DOT Employee background checks

Govt Admin

501R

SB1326

homeowners' associations; flagpoles

flag display; homeowners' associations

9

Limits HOA restrictions on display of flags

Civil Rights

501R

SB1345

cities; number of employees; compensation

municipal employees; hiring; compensation

7

Limits number of city employees and their compensation. Adds transparency to public employee compensation. Good protection for taxpayers.

Govt Admin

501R

SB1375

forfeiture of office; technical correction

livery vehicles; taxis; limousines; regulation

9

Prohibits additional taxing and regulation of taxis by local govt.

Econ Freedom

501R

SB1379

technical correction; notaries public; conduct

consumer fireworks; regulation

1

Prohibits municipalities from excessively regulating legally permitted fireworks.

Govt Admin

501R

SB1403

certificates; line siting committee.

mandatory project labor agreements; prohibition

8

Prevents all levels of govt in state from taking federal funds if preference for union labor is a condition of receiving funds.

Govt Admin

501R

SB1575

technical correction; cease; desist order

investigators; drug lab remediation

6

Prevents collusion between school districts and JTEDs

K-12 Ed

501R

SB1576

technical correction; marriage

county school superintendent; qualifications

7

Improves criteria for county school superintendent qualifications

K-12 Ed

501R

SB1577

technical correction; military affairs

county school superintendents; governing board

7

Improves local school board authority for filling vacancies

K-12 Ed

501R

SB1612

general appropriations 2011-2012

2011-2012; general appropriations

8

Modified Balanced Budget

Govt Admin

501R

SB1613

2011-2012; capital outlay

capital outlay; 2011-2012

7

Modified Balanced Budget

Govt Admin

501R

SB1614

2011-2012; state budget procedures

state budget procedures; 2011-2012

4

Modified Balanced Budget

Govt Admin

501R

SB1615

consolidation; state agencies

state agencies; consolidation

7

Modified Balanced Budget

Govt Admin

501R

SB1616

revenue; 2011-2012; budget reconciliation

budget reconciliation; revenue; 2011-2012

8

Modified Balanced Budget

Govt Admin

501R

SB1617

K-12 education; 2011‑2012; budget reconciliation

budget reconciliation; K-12 education; 2011-2012

6

Modified Balanced Budget

Govt Admin

501R

SB1618

higher education; 2011‑2012; budget reconciliation

budget reconciliation; higher education; 2011-2012

6

Modified Balanced Budget

Govt Admin

501R

SB1619

health; 2011‑2012; budget reconciliation

budget reconciliation; health; 2011-2012

6

Modified Balanced Budget

Govt Admin

501R

SB1620

welfare; 2011-2012; budget reconciliation

budget reconciliation; welfare; 2011-2012

6

Modified Balanced Budget

Govt Admin

501R

SB1621

criminal justice; 2011-2012; budget reconciliation

budget reconciliation; criminal justice; 2011-2012

7

Modified Balanced Budget

Govt Admin

501R

SB1622

general government; 2011-2012; budget reconciliation

budget reconciliation; general government; 2011-2012

6

Modified Balanced Budget

Govt Admin

501R

SB1623

regulation; 2011-2012; budget reconciliation

budget reconciliation; regulation; 2011-2012

6

Modified Balanced Budget

Govt Admin

501R

SB1624

environment; 2011-2012; budget reconciliation

budget reconciliation; environment; 2011-2012

7

Modified Balanced Budget

Govt Admin

 

 

FAQs
 
Why is a particular legislator rated better or worse then I would have expected?
 
There are several possibilities.
 
  • This is a cumulative rating for the entire legislative session up to last week, but, until the session is complete, the ratings are not final. Early in the session, bill sponsorships have more impact on the grade because there have been fewer committee and floor votes. Later in the session, floor votes become more influential for determining the grade.
  • The legislator might be voting differently than in previous years. We only look at sponsorships and votes for this legislative session.
  • The legislator may have missed some votes. This can bring down the grade of a legislator who you think would have voted according to Republican principles, but didn’t vote.
  • If a bill did not have enough votes to pass, a legislator in favor of the bill might vote against it in order to be able to make a motion to reconsider the bill. This is a parliamentary tactic that we cannot reliably capture in our rating system. So a legislator doing this will get a lower rating, based on the vote cast, than is actually deserved based on intent. Unfortunately, there is no adjustment we can reliably make to the ratings to address this problem.
  • Weights for bills and legislator actions are set at the beginning of the legislative session. We avoid looking at who sponsored bills until after we assign weights to them. Therefore, the grades reflect the performance of legislators based on our published criteria rather than a rating that can be “gamed” to make some people look good or bad after the fact. Legislators largely determine their own grade based on how they vote on the bills we are tracking.
 
 
What if I disagree with the rating for a legislator?
 
First, you must keep in mind that legislators are rated strictly on sponsorship and votes for the bills we are tracking. For that reason, it is critical that you look at how the bills are weighted. If you think a bill is weighted incorrectly or that a bill should be included in our rating is not on our list, send us an email with the bill number, what you think the weight should be, and why it should changed.
 
If the weights on individual bills look OK to you, then check to weight multipliers for individual actions such as sponsorships and votes. Please read the entire web page for the explanation of how scores are calculated. If those do not look reasonable, then let us know what you think by sending us an email describing the problem.
 
If everything looks fine up to this point, it may be that the legislator is performing at a different level than you expected. One reason for having a standardized, consistent, comprehensive evaluation system is to show what legislators do rather than just reflect what they say they will do. It also focuses on what they are doing in this session rather than how they have voted in previous sessions.
 
If you have a criticism of the grades, please make it in terms of the bills tracked and their weights. Complaints about the outcome for particular legislators are not helpful. The outcomes are strictly a result of this year’s legislative actions. 
 
 
Interim ratings can be misleading. Why not wait until the end of the session to publish comprehensive ratings?
 
We want to help Republican voters see how their legislators are doing during the legislative session. This allows them to influence their legislators during the session in order to have maximum impact on legislation. If we wait until after the session, it is too late to actually influence that session.
 
We also want to encourage Republican legislators to vote in accord with party principles by providing continuing feedback during the session.
 
 
How does the evaluation work?
 
The Pachyderm Coalition, a Reagan Republican organization, is rating Republican Arizona legislators on their support of Republican Party principles and the Republican Party Platform.
We have selected bills and strikers for the 2010 session that we think provide a good measure of whether legislators are adhering to Republican Party principles. They are listed above. We weight bills based on our determination of their importance and whether they should be supported or defeated. Positive weights mean we support the bills. Negative weights mean we oppose the bills. When a bill has a larger number (whether positive or negative), it means we consider the bill to be more important than a bill with a small number.
We have determined our ratings by reviewing bills of interest to Republican grass roots workers across Arizona and whether they are in alignment with traditional Republican principles.
In addition, we have worked in concert with other highly respected organizations that track legislation such as Americans for Prosperity (AZ Fdtn of Taxpayers) and the Arizona Citizens Defense League. The proprietary software used to manage and manipulate the information used to calculate legislator scores, HOWARD LEVINE (Hierarchically Organized Weighted Average Reporting Database Legislators Evaluated In Nearly Everything) software, was written by (coincidentally enough) Howard Levine who is a Pachyderm Coalition officer.
We appreciate the assistance of these organizations in working with us to provide pertinent insights on specific pieces of legislation. These insights have helped us determine how to set weights on particular bills. Some of this information is on their publicly available web sites.
As the legislative session continues, there will be bills added or weights changed based on amendments and new information brought to our attention. We will make modifications to our lists of bills and strikers to reflect that.
The final selection of bills and their weights is done by the Pachyderm Coalition Policy Committee based on how these bills uphold Republican principles. Of course, we take full responsibility for the selection of bills to include in the evaluation, their weights, and the results.
We are open to feedback from all Arizona Republicans on the weights assigned to our bills.
We also welcome suggestions for other bills for us to add to our evaluation. We want this evaluation system to serve as a coaching device for legislators in addition to simply providing evaluations. Publishing ratings during the session will allow us to provide feedback to legislators and their constituents while the legislature is in session instead of just afterwards.
These are the official actions we evaluate: sponsorship, committee votes (except Rules Committee), and floor votes. Each of these actions on bills we evaluate causes a legislator to get a score based on the bill weight multiplied by the action weight. For example, Prime-Prime sponsorship is multiplied by 10, so if a legislator is the PP sponsor a bill we support with a weight of 5, the legislator will get a score of 10 x 5 = 50 points. If we opposed the bill, the score would be negative 50 (-50) points. There are weight multipliers applied to all actions as follows:
PP sponsorship
10
P Sponsorship
3
C Sponsorship
1
Committee Vote
2
Miscellaneous Motion vote on Floor
1
COW vote
3
Third Read vote
4
Final Vote
5
The ratings are computed by taking the score for each event, creating a Base score for each event as the positive value of the score (score=20 means base = 20. Score = -20 also means base=20.), summing the score and base for each legislator, and then dividing score by base to get a percentage. Percentages can range from -100 to +100. Higher scores indicate better adherence to Republican principles. Except for Third Read Votes and Final Votes, all votes other than Y or N get a zero score, but the base value is included to compute the legislator’s percentage score.  For Third Read Votes and Final Votes, any vote other than Y is considered a N vote for scoring because these votes require a majority of the entire body to pass – not just a majority of those casting votes, which means that not voting has the same effect as voting N. We will be categorizing Republican legislators based on their PCT_Score (Percentage Score) as follows:
>90
through
100
Reagan Republican
>75
through
90
Pro-Freedom Republican
>50
through
75
Republican
> 25
through
50
Big Government Republican
> 0
through
25
Bipartisan Republican
-100
through
0
Republican In Name Only (RINO)
It is our hope that all Republicans will end the session rated as Reagan Republicans. We are providing this information so we can partner with Republican legislators to help make that happen.
The Pachyderm Coalition is open to Reagan Republicans who support the Republican Party Platform. Pachyderm Coalition members can obtain additional detailed information at monthly meetings. Republican Precinct Committeemen (PCs) who are Pachyderm Coalition members can request details concerning the voting records of legislators from their Legislative Districts. Information will generally be distributed monthly at meetings, but it may be possible to arrange distribution of information to coincide with Legislative District or County meetings.
Please let us know what you think.
 
HOWARD, LEVINE, HOWARD LEVINE, Hierarchically Organized Weighted Average Reporting Database, and Legislators Evaluated In Nearly Everything are trademarks of Howard Levine.
 
Copyright 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 by Pachyderm Coalition

 

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