“If you live in Arizona, State Sen. Gail Griffin wants you to be a cowboy on the fourth Saturday in July.

Break out your 10-gallon hat and check the spurs on your boots because thanks to our local State Senator, Arizona will once again recognize cowboys on July 27, 2013.

“National Day of the Cowboy encourages people to observe and celebrate the contributions the men and women known as cowboys have made to American history and culture and the economic impact cowboys contribute via ranching and rodeos,” states SB 1139.

As chairman of the Senate Government and Environment Committee, Griffin used the “striker” maneuver to move the bill onto a vote by the full Senate, which passed the measure. Similar legislation is moving through the House, and with its expected approval, the bill will land on the governor’s desk in the near future, awaiting her signature to complete the process.”

To continue reading this article click here: http://www.svherald.com/content/opinion/2013/03/25/349892

An Arizona lawmaker wants to create state-level penalties for schools that violate a federal law prohibiting them from releasing students’ private information to non-educational entities.

“When we’re going outside the scope of education and giving this type of private information to anybody, it’s really a problem,” said Sen. Kimberly Yee, R-Phoenix.

The federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act already prohibits schools from disclosing student records without consent. Exceptions to that rule include schools releasing “directory information” such as students’ names, phone numbers and addresses unless a parent or student signs a non-disclosure form.

Penalties for violating the law can include a school, district or charter losing all of its federal funding.

Under SB 1450, knowingly committing a FERPA violation would cost up to 10 percent of an entity’s monthly state funding disbursement. The cuts would remain in place until the violation is corrected.

The bill won unanimous approval from the Senate. The House Education Committee endorsed it Monday, March 18, on a 6-3 party-line vote.

Yee said the bill followed two years of research into FERPA violations at Arizona schools. She told the committee she heard of a few violations, including one instance of school officials giving a mobile dentistry provider students’ medical insurance information. The company used the information to contact parents and get approval to complete dental work on children, she said.

“These are personalized sheets of information with your home information and your student identifier numbers and they should not be leaving the school campus – but they are,” she said.

Follow the link to read the full article: http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/032313_leg_ferpa/lawmaker-establish-state-penalties-schools-privacy-violations/

“Recently, Maricopa County contracted to purchase 450 bulletproof vests to protect our law-enforcement officers.

The purchase will be made over a three-year period and will cost an estimated $360,000. County officials believe this is a good price for the equipment, and we agree. But you don’t have to take our word. Our transparency website lists such transactions and other financial information about how your government spends your money.

All citizens have a right to detailed financial information about how your government spends your money. And now, with both the state and county OpenBooks websites, that information is easily obtained on the Internet. Just log on to maricopa.gov/openbooks or visit the state’s website at openbooks.az.gov.

At OpenBooks, you will find up-to-date financial data including revenue sources, departmental budgets, expenditures, bids, contracts, tax bills, audits, financial reports and bond ratings. You can research property tax rates for cities, school districts, community colleges and special districts.

We call this “transparency,” a fancy way of saying we’re trying to be open and aboveboard about what government is doing and how much it is spending.”

To continue reading this article click here: http://www.azcentral.com/opinions/articles/20130307state-county-transparent-finance-websites.html

Senator Reagan sat down with Senator Steve Gallardo to debate election reform bills that are moving forward in the legislature. To watch the debate, moderated by Channel 12’s Brahm Resnick, follow the links.

Part 1: http://bcove.me/ot69vljz

Part 2: http://bcove.me/ot69vljz

Sen. Kimberly Yee has become the go-to legislator for bills involving Arizona’s medical-marijuana law.

The Phoenix Republican is the primary sponsor of three measures this session that would tighten what members in the law-enforcement community have identified as loopholes in the 2010 voter-mandated law as well as pave the way for university researchers to study the effects of medical marijuana.

Her bills give direction to law enforcement on what to do with medical marijuana that is seized during a criminal investigation (destroy it) and would require manufacturers to put warning labels on edible medical-marijuana products — ice cream and candy, items attractive to children — similar to those on cigarettes.

To read the entire article follow the link: http://www.azcentral.com/news/politics/articles/20130307kimberly-yee-aims-tighten-pot-laws.html

There has been plenty of misinformation about a resolution I’ve sponsored that is moving through the legislature, and I am trying to clear it up. Senate Concurrent Resolution 1016 would constitutionally allow the people of Arizona to reject a federal action if they determine it violates the United States Constitution. They could do this by passing an initiative or referendum, passing a bill or by using legal action. In addition, the resolution further prohibits the state from using personnel or resources to further enforce a federal action that the people have deemed unconstitutional. SCR 1016 passed out of the Senate and is currently in the House of Representatives. If it clears there, it would likely be sent to you, the voter, in 2014.

Opponents of SCR 1016 claim that this type of legislation causes outsiders to mock the state of Arizona, making it a target for unnecessary and unkind media attention. So now we should consider the late night comedians when determining the best legislation for our state? Well, the people of Arizona aren’t laughing when they suffer the consequences of federal government overreach. If the cost of fighting back is suffering through some punch lines of comedians, I’ll take it.

I believe that SCR 1016 reflects and enhances the system of government in the United States, specifically with regard to the concept of “checks and balances”. We must fight back for the things that we as a state value. SCR 1016 would allow Arizona to reject federal actions that overstep their boundaries and interfere with the Constitutional sovereignty of the state.

In the past other elected officials have taken necessary steps to reject unconstitutional federal actions. The Brady Act, passed in 1993 as an amendment to the Gun Control Act of 1968, imposed a waiting period of up to five days for the purchase of a handgun, and subjected purchasers to a background check during that period. Sheriff Richard Mack of Graham County challenged the Brady Act’s provisions in the local federal district court, explaining that the act imposed duties upon him as a county sheriff. He invoked the Tenth Amendment and the district court ruled that the act did in fact violate the Tenth Amendment by imposing a mandatory duty on sheriffs to conduct background checks.

SCR.1016 expands upon this type of action and it seeks to follow the example of Sheriff Mack, expanding upon his efforts to challenge the federal government. In November of next year, you may be able to join in this challenge by supporting our legislation.

We’re just a few weeks in and this legislative session has already been productive, especially when it comes to trying to improve the way we run elections in Arizona. As the Chairman of the new Senate Elections Committee, I have introduced a number of bills that are aimed at increasing efficiency and overcoming the many obstacles our election system faces. I am proud to have introduced several vitally important measures that will streamline our election system, reduce fraud and create greater transparency regarding lobbyists and special interest groups.

In Tuesday’s Senate Elections Committee hearing, we heard SB 1332 which passed with only one ‘no’ vote. This bill is a bi-partisan effort that increases the frequency of lobbyist reporting from quarterly to monthly. In addition, the legislation clarifies and further defines “gifts” when used in the context of lobbying. The bill also addresses the need to hold lobbyists and officials accountable by imposing a criminal penalty for those who knowingly violate these rules.

I also introduced SB 1263, which requires paid signature circulators to register with the Arizona Secretary of State’s office prior to collecting signatures for ballot initiatives. Arizona law currently requires that a petition circulator must be eligible to register to vote at the time they are collecting signatures. However, in several instances petition circulators have provided false information related to their residence or criminal history allowing them to skirt the law.

Current statute has no means for enforcement, so SB 1263 addresses these short-comings by requiring all paid petition circulators to undergo a background check and register with the Secretary of State’s office. This legislation does not apply to volunteer petition circulators. In addition to promoting transparency and accountability, we worked to create a more efficient means for tabulating ballots and ensuring results are announced in a timely manner. Arizona drew national attention in the last election when the state was overwhelmed with provisional ballots, which resulted in a long delay in tabulating official results.

I’m very optimistic that these efforts will pass the full Senate and that we will have new laws in place to guarantee our election process is straightforward and efficient going forward. These bills are just a few of the steps I have taken toward improving elections in Arizona, and so far, I’m happy with the results. I will continue to work hard on voter education, improving access to voting, and making Arizona an efficient model for other states to follow in future elections.

Senator Rich Crandall appeared on Channel 8’s Arizona Horizon to discuss his bill that would allow rural teachers or administrators who meet certain requirements to carry concealed firearms, if approved by the school’s governing board. Senator Crandall was joined by Senator Leah Landrum Taylor to discuss the measure.

To watch the full discussion click here: http://www.azpbs.org/arizonahorizon/play.php?vidId=5625

PHOENIX – The state of Arizona has the 6th highest teen unemployment rate in the nation – 28.7 percent. A state senator is now working to change that.

Senator Kimberly Yee is sponsoring SB 1449 — which will require high schools students to be proficient in more than math, science, writing, and reading when they graduate.

If it becomes law, SB 1449 will require students to be proficient in finance. The bill passed the Senate Education Committee unanimously earlier this week.

See the report athttp://www.myfoxphoenix.com/story/21419007/2013/02/27/az-senator-wants-to-require-finance-curriculum-in-high-schools

PHOENIX (AP) — The cozy relationship between lawmakers and lobbyists could get a little less familiar under a proposed ethics overhaul that seeks to give the public a more detailed look into Arizona politics.

The bill advanced by the Senate’s Judiciary Committee on Monday expands the definition of legal and illegal gifts and would require lobbyists to file monthly expenditure reports detailing any gifts made to lawmakers. The lobbyists would have to state which exemption applied to the legal gifts and list the retail value of the item. They would also have to let lawmakers know the value of the gift. Violators could face felony charges.

Republican Sen. Michele Reagan said she is working with lawmakers, legal officials and lobbyists to ensure some changes are made despite opposition from some legislators and lobbyists who benefit from the status quo.

Read more: http://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/Arizona-senators-look-to-revamp-lobbying-gift-ban-4288146.php#ixzz2LMcMJGtb

Arizona’s lower taxes and friendlier business climate have many California businesses saying, “Arizona, here we come.”

This week the NBC television station in Sacramento, California is looking at Arizona’s efforts to bring California businesses here. The second installment of KCRA’s “Arizona here we come” takes a deeper look into why California businesses are considering moving their companies.

In an effort to keep lines of communication open with her Legislative District, Senator Kelli Ward will hold a series of Town Hall events this weekend.

After the passage of Prop 30 in California in November, Arizona leaders launched a campaign aimed at getting California businesses to move to the Grand Canyon State.

Community Health Centers pride themselves on their ability to integrate high quality primary care services and behavioral health services. Integration of behavioral health care and physical health care involves intentional, ongoing, coordination and collaboration between all providers treating the individual.

On Thursday Senate President Andy Biggs appeared on Channel 8’s Arizona Horizon to discuss the latest update from the Capitol, including the budget, the Governor’s plan concerning Medicaid expansion, and the push for election reform. He was joined by Speaker of the House Andy Tobin.

Senator Michele Reagan appeared on Channel 8’s Arizona Horizon on Tuesday night to talk about her ideas to reform our election system. As chairman of the new Elections committee, Senator Reagan discusses her efforts concerning the transparency and efficiency of Arizona’s election system.

In a move aimed at preventing children from accidentally eating marijuana and the state’s police from falling foul of federal drug laws, a state lawmaker is proposing two pieces of legislation to tighten the state’s medical-marijuana program.

Senator Michele Reagan has introduced a bill to close several loopholes in Arizona’s recall laws. The Scottsdale Republican is working with election officials across the state on the bill.