CLIFTON — It isn’t the wolf at the door that has residents of Arizona and New Mexico worried, rather it’s the federal government.

The program to reintroduce the Mexican gray wolf into portions of the desert Southwest of the United States was the focus of a legislative hearing hosted by state Representatives David Gowan, R-Sierra Vista, and David Stevens, R-Sierra Vista, and state Sen. Gail Griffin, R-Hereford, at the Greenlee County Board of Supervisors meeting room Saturday.

“The (Founding Fathers) believed in local government. This is local government and we’re going to do our darnedest to protect your livelihoods,” Gowan said. “It’s appalling to see this, and it’s our own government that did this.”

Almost 50 residents and elected officials of Greenlee, Graham and Apache counties in Arizona and Catron County, N.M., were on hand to offer input on the issue. Also taking part was Larry Voyles, director of Arizona Game and Fish Department.

To read the rest of the story, click here:

http://www.eacourier.com/copper_era/news/griffin-gowan-stevens-hold-wolf-hearing-in-clifton/article_55f6c022-3b65-11e3-bdca-0019bb2963f4.html

Senator Nancy Barto, the Chair of the Senate Committee on Health and Human Services, appeared on Channel 3’s Politics Unplugged to talk about the report from the State Ombudsman’s Office on the State Medical Board:

http://www.azfamily.com/video/?video=250696fd0a8297536634b7dbada8f524c8c94850

“Today the Arizona Ombudsman released his office’s detailed report following complaints about the Arizona Medical Board (AMB). The 180 page report paints a disturbing picture of an Executive Director who ignored laws and created policies that jeopardized public safety. Under the guise of efficiency, the Board ignored or violated state laws and licensed potentially unqualified doctors in our state for a period of nearly a year and a half.

The report indicates a hasty licensing process took priority over the public health and welfare of Arizona citizens. The Executive Director instructed licensing staff to skip primary verification of education, hospital privileges and prior disciplinary actions, relying solely on a database system.

Because of this reckless policy, patients receiving care in Arizona may not know if the person treating them should even be licensed.

When employees came forward with their concerns for public safety, they were summarily fired. I would hope that the Board would reevaluate these dismissals in light of the findings.

While the Board agreed with all 19 of the findings and has accepted the ombudsman’s corrective action, it is troubling that the Executive Director received a mere reprimand and remains in office today. The Board has fallen short of its duties and missed the opportunity to demonstrate its proper authority to do the right thing.

Today’s report makes numerous recommendations and cited areas that could be legislatively addressed. I will be reviewing the report in its entirety and considering all of the options before the next legislative session.”

The complete report can be read here: http://www.azleg.gov/ombudsman/AMB_Report1202725.pdf

Senator Kimberly Yee’s bundle of joy has arrived! Baby Mitchell was born at 6 lbs. 4 oz. and 20 inches and both mommy and baby are now home and doing great!

Arizona State Sen. Gail Griffin, R-Hereford, sent the following letter to Daniel Ashe, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service director in Washington, D.C.

Dear Mr. Ashe,

It’s with great alarm that I write to express my vehement opposition to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposals to further protect and promote the Mexican gray wolf in Arizona.

From the beginning, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Mexican Wolf Recovery Program has been a fundamentally flawed effort that has relied on faulty science, inadequate communication and coordination with affected local stakeholders, and a misguided premise that puts the interests of dangerous predators ahead of the public’s interest, as well as the public’s safety. It has been and continues to be a program that is loathed by local residents, unsupported by state officials and opposed by nearly every relevant Arizona-based stakeholder group in Arizona.

For these reasons and others, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, rather than expanding the program, should be considering how to end it.

Faulty data

It’s difficult to understand why the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is considering an expansion of the Mexican Wolf Recovery Program when it is clear that it has been formed by faulty data from the beginning.

From questions about whether these wolves are, indeed, wolves, or a dog-wolf hybrid, to issues surrounding the logic (or lack thereof) of attempting to restore a wolf population whose primary habitat is outside of the United States, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has consistently ignored important questions about the data upon which the service is making its decisions.

There have been documented cases of female Mexican wolves breeding with dogs and producing a wolf-dog hybrid.

Similarly, from the program’s beginning, concerns have been expressed regarding the wolves’ ability to survive in the wild after being born and bred in captivity. Indeed, the program, since its inception, has failed to reach its goal of restoring 100 Mexican Wolves in the wild.

Why should Arizona taxpayers and, more specifically, Arizona property owners be subject to a program that has shown itself incapable of success?

One must also ask, what is the service’s determination of success? Since the initiation of the Mexican Wolf Recovery Program, the Service’s population goal has consistently been 100 animals. However, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has recently, in both verbal and written statements, dismissed the original population goal but is not providing an alternate objective, measureable criteria, as required by the 10(j) rule. Nor is it providing a scientific analysis to support its dismissal of the longstanding population goal.

Finally, the Endangered Species Act requires that a team of scientists evaluate the basis for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s recent proposals before a decision is made. As standard procedure to ensure that the analysis meets standards for quality and independence, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service hired a contractor to select and oversee the peer review panel.

In June 2013, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service released a peer review plan; however, the more recently ordered review is slated for completion by Sept. 11, 2013, which is the very date on which the public comment period was scheduled to be closed. Although the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently announced an extension of the comment period, the agency’s obvious intent to move forward with a decision based on a scientific study that could not be evaluated by affected stakeholders raises serious questions about the agency’s willingness to consider feedback from all stakeholders. In other words, how can stakeholders be assured that their comments will be considered when the original public comment period was slated to end on the same day that the scientific study was scheduled to be completed?

These questions illustrate why Arizona policymakers and stakeholders are mistrustful of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Mexican Wolf Program. Its reliance on questionable data and ignorance of stakeholder feedback leave the public with little reason to trust U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service actions.

Inadequate communication and coordination with local stakeholders

Again, from the beginning, the viewpoints of local stakeholders have routinely been dismissed or ignored. This remains the case with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s most recent proposals. Section 10(j) of the Endangered Species Act mandates a process of engagement with public and cooperating agencies. This process is articulated around the two concepts of:

• Full communication to the public of all the components of the proposed actions and their alternatives; • Engagement of the public and cooperating agencies at the earliest possible stage of the process, prior to the agency plans being formalized and its course of action being committed.

By any objective measure, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is currently in default of these two fundamental provisions of Endangered Species Act and NEPA for the following reasons: First, several critical components of the proposed actions, such as the Mexican Wolf Management Plan for Portions of Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas outside of the Mexican Wolf Experimental Population Area; the Mexican Wolf Revised Recovery Plan; the Scientific Peer Review for the Proposed Revision to the Nonessential Experimental Population of the Mexican Wolf; and, a Bi-National Mexican Wolf Collaboration Plan, have not been released to the public, making it impossible for the public to review the complete proposed actions prior to the end of the comments periods (see subsequent paragraphs).

Second, proposed actions have been developed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service without engaging the public in Arizona and New Mexico in procedural public meetings on the Mexican wolf issues since 2007, therefore relying on 6-year-old outdated scoping information inconsistent with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service policy on compliance with NEPA, as described in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service policy manual in Chapter 1 of 550 FW 1.

Third, a letter by U.S. Representative Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., expressing concerns with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service approach to the issue of public engagement was met with a vague answer one month later in which U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service failed to adequately respond to Congressman Gosar’s requests. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service declined to engage in the number and locations of meetings that Congressman Gosar requested on behalf of his constituents, who will be affected by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service decisions.

Fourth, procedural actions taken by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (78 FR 35664; 78 FR 35719; 78 FR 47268) directly contradict the Endangered Species Act and NEPA requirements for early public engagement to take place prior to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service plans being formalized and its course of action being effectively decided. The actions suggest that U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is not sincere in its calls for public comment on its proposed actions.

In view of the above, and due to the scope, complexity and controversial nature of the proposed actions, as well as the flaws discussed in the subsequent sections, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service should suspend the comments process and make every effort to ensure that the public, local governments and their constituents are given multiple opportunities to participate in a meaningful way in the engagement process through a series of public scoping meetings held across the entire area potentially affected by the proposed actions, which encompasses the entire states of Arizona and New Mexico.

Anything less would signal to Arizona stakeholders that U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is not sincerely interested in the viewpoints and feedback of the public and their elected representatives.

Misguided premise

Undergirding the entire Mexican Wolf Recovery Program is the premise that these dangerous carnivores warrant protection from the public by the federal government. This is a flawed premise that must be questioned, especially in light of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposal to dramatically expand the program, thereby impacting literally millions of Arizona residents.

Mexican Gray Wolves are documented predators who feed on large-game wildlife, including deer, elk and cattle. While it’s true that documented wolf attacks on humans are rare, the mere fact that such attacks are possible — some would say inevitable — should have ended any consideration of the program’s existence decades ago. However, the possibility of such attacks was ignored and the program was created. Also ignored were concerns of local ranchers in Greenlee County, who correctly predicted that Mexican wolves would feed on their cattle, resulting in an economic impact to families that have ranched in this region for generations.

Fifteen years later, these predictions have proven true. Contrary to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service claims that wolves would only feed on deer, released wolves have consistently depredated a large number of privately owned cattle. Many local ranchers have not been compensated for their losses, resulting in thousands of dollars in financial losses that can be directly attributed to the federal government.

Instead of responding to these impacts to local ranchers by ending the program, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is now proposing to dramatically expand the program to include the entire state of Arizona between I-40 in the north to I-10 in the south. This expansion has the potential to affect, and put at risk, virtually all Arizonans who live within that area.

Along with an expansion of the geographic area in which wolves would be released, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing to increase (to an unnamed goal) the number of Mexican wolves to be recovered, raising the possibility that hundreds, if not several thousands of Mexican wolves could be roaming throughout central Arizona, again, putting at risk dramatically more people than are currently threatened by the program in its current form.

In light of these wolves’ predatory instincts, their documented ability to kill large cattle and wildlife, and their potential ability to kill human beings, one must ask: Why is our federal government spending tens of millions of dollars to promote this predatory species?

The only logical answer to this question is that the supporters of the Mexican Wolf Recovery Program place a greater priority on protecting animal life than they do on protecting the public. For this reason, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the supporters of the Mexican Wolf Recovery Program should be ashamed.

Gail Griffin Senator, District 14 Arizona State Senate

David Farnsworth is the newest Member of the Arizona State Legislature. The Republican was sworn in this afternoon by Arizona Supreme Court Chief Justice Rebecca White Berch. Senator Farnsworth was appointed unanimously by the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors on Wednesday. He will represent Legislative District 16, serving the Mesa and Apache Junction area. Senator Farnsworth served in the Arizona House of Representatives in the mid-1990s.

Senator Kimberly Yee today received the 2013 Legislator of the Year award from the Arizona Association of County School Superintendents. Senator Yee was honored for her efforts of behalf of K-12 public education. Yee chairs the Senate Committee on Education.

The award states, “To honor your dedicated efforts as a Member of the Arizona Legislature in providing reasonable and fair public education policy for the benefit of Arizona, the Arizona Association of County School Superintendents, hereby thanks you and offers our sincere appreciation for your service.”

The award was presented to Senator Yee on the floor of the Arizona State Senate by two members of the Association, Maricopa County Superintendent of Schools Don Covey and Yavapai County Superintendent of Schools Tim Carter.

“I am truly honored to receive the 2013 Legislator of the Year award from the Arizona Association of County School Superintendents,” said Senator Yee. “We share a deep passion for our school children and making education a priority at the state and county levels. I look forward to continuing to work closely with the Association on important education issues facing Arizona schools.”

Although the Senate is not in session right now, Senator Yee is staying busy with her focus on education. She is co-chairing the School Safety Program Oversight Committee at the Legislature. Additional school safety funding is one of the Senator’s highest priorities.

Arizona Governor Janice K. Brewer welcomed Senator Gail Griffin to the Executive Tower recently for a ceremony recognizing the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War. A commemorative program was established in 2008 to thank and honor veterans of the Vietnam War, highlight the service of the Armed Forces during the war and pay tribute to the contributions made on the homefront by the people of the United States during the Vietnam War. Part of the program is the unveiling of the Vietnam War Commemoration Flag. Arizona is only the third state in the nation to receive the flag from the Department of Defense. On the flag are the words “Service, Valor, Sacrifice”, virtues demonstrated by our veterans during the war. At the bottom of the flag is the phrase “A Grateful Nation Thanks and Honors You”. Senator Griffin was the sponosr of SCR 1014, a resolution establishing Arizona as a commemorative partner in the 50th anniversary events. Senator Griffin read the resolution on the floor of the State Senate this session.

By Michele Reagan My Turn, Fri Jul 12, 2013 6:29 PM

Much has been said lately about House Bill 2305 and the changes it makes to our elections laws. I’ve recently read some wild accusations that this bill is an attempt to disenfranchise certain voters. Really? Nothing could be farther from the truth.

This bill was written with one goal in mind: being accountable to the voter, by protecting the integrity of our elections system and ensuring that votes get counted in a fair and timely manner.

It’s time to stop all the nonsense hyper-accusations about HB 2305 for a minute and look at the real facts.

Fact: Prior to this bill’s passage, Arizona was one of only a handful of states that did not have a specific law on who can handle or return a ballot. In fact, when speaking to legislators from other states, whether red, blue, or purple, I found the practice of mass collection of ballots is unheard of.

One man turning in 4,000 ballots? That doesn’t really happen, does it? Surprisingly, yes. This fact was stated in testimony before my Senate Elections committee.

Regarding the ability of county elections officials to remove someone from the permanent early-voting list — every other state that has early balloting has a way for the county recorders to keep their lists clean and up to date.

Fact: Voters move and some voters have passed away. Many people are on the early-voting list, but choose to vote at the polls instead. How in the world can the voter lists be kept clean without the ability to update them as necessary?

I would agree that the word “permanent”probably wasn’t the best choice for a name when our elections officials set up this system, but the early-voting portion of this bill is administrative cleanup and nothing else.

Critics of HB 2305 incorrectly stated that this cleanup is retroactive to 2010. That is false. Any changes are only applicable to 2012 and 2014, meaning the first time any changes can be made is in 2016. The goal is to get our lists up to date in time for the next presidential election. Why? Because after our last general election, voters demanded change. They waited in long lines, and it took 15 days for the results to be counted.

And the hollow argument that this bill is aimed at a particular segment of our voting population? Fact: According to our county elections officials, the district expected to have the most early-voting list changes is District 23 (Scottsdale and Fountain Hills), which has one of the lowest Latino voter populations in the state.

So it seemed quite odd to me when I read that this bill is an attempt to offend minority voters, when in fact this bill is nothing more than the solution to complaints made by these very same minority groups who picketed and protested after ballots took g so long to count in the last election.

Representatives from Union Pacific Railroad, the State Land Department, and Pinal County have announced that a one-year study period is currently under way to explore the possible sale of State Trust land to Union Pacific for the construction of a major rail yard.

Initially proposed by Union Pacific in 2006, the project would involve the purchase of 950 acres of state trust land by Union Pacific near Red Rock in central Pinal County. The land would be developed into a Union Pacific classification yard where rail cars would be separated and classified and trains assembled, improving Union Pacific’s ability to create value for its many customers in Arizona. Advocates of the project believe the new yard will create jobs and generate new tax revenue for local governments and schools.

A focused dialogue among the interested parties has culminated in an agreement to a study period of roughly one year in which a series of unanswered questions regarding Union Pacific’s ability to purchase the property will be addressed. The stakeholders will carefully study how to protect the provision of access to the I-10 freeway and neighboring parcels of state land, address drainage and flood control and determine land value. The negotiations are expected to last at least one year, with a possible decision on whether to auction the land as early as 2014.

Zoe Gisela Richmond, Director of Public Affairs for Union Pacific, acknowledged that discussions are under way. “Union Pacific is committed to working with the State Land Department and Pinal County to purchase the land for the proposed ‘Red Rock’ classification yard. Union Pacific believes that the project will benefit not only the State Land Trust, but also the residents of central Pinal County who are eager for new jobs in their community.”

Vanessa Hickman, Arizona State Land Commissioner, emphasized her Department’s role in the negotiations process. “I am pleased that our ongoing dialogue with Union Pacific has transitioned into focused, small-group meetings dedicated to finding solutions that will enable this project to move forward. As the parties are aware, the State Land Department has a Constitutional obligation to ensure that all transactions are in the best interest of the State Land Trust, which provides funding to Arizona’s public schools, universities, and other institutions. The scope of the process we have collectively defined is critical to establishing the framework which could make the sale of this property a win for the Trust.”

Steve Miller, Chairman of the Pinal County Board of Supervisors, expressed his gratitude to the parties involved for their willingness to work together on the details of a potential transaction. “Pinal County strongly supports the proposed Red Rock project and is grateful for the opportunity to work with Union Pacific and State Land on the issues that need to be resolved for the project to move forward.”

Miller continued, “Pinal County is determined to do everything possible to ensure the project’s success, and to ensure that the concerns of nearby land owners and residents are fully addressed.”

“The railroad classification yard will allow for greater capacity and efficiency in serving the Arizona marketplace, benefitting the statewide economy,” said Sandra Watson, President and CEO of the Arizona Commerce Authority. “The Arizona Commerce Authority applauds all of the parties in these negotiations for their willingness to meet and determine an outcome with such a significant statewide impact.”

State Senator Bob Worsley (R-Mesa), who initiated the discussions between the parties at the encouragement of longtime project supporter, State Senator Al Melvin (R-Saddlebrooke), offered his thanks to each stakeholder for their willingness to work together. “Let’s be clear—this is going to be a comprehensive process, but the meetings we’ve held so far have been positive and productive. I look forward to continuing the dialogue we’ve started so that we can generate more money for Arizona schools, more jobs for Arizona residents, and more growth for Arizona’s economy.”

Senator Kelli Ward has been appointed to the Council of State Governments-WEST Health Committee. Founded in 1947, CSG-WEST is a nonpartisan organization created to serve western legislatures through regional cooperation and advocacy. It serves legislatures in Arizona and twelve other states.

In addition to being a state Senator, Sen. Ward is also a practicing physician in Lake Havasu, and will bring her unique medical background to the committee. Senator Ward moved to Lake Havasu fourteen years ago, when she opened a medical practice with her mother. She helps educate future physicians at Kingman Regional Medical Center where she serves as the Director of Medical Education.

Senator Ward recently returned from the CSG Medicaid Health Policy Academy in Washington, D.C. Her first meeting on the Health Committee will be on July 31, at the CSG-WEST annual meeting in Las Vegas. This year the Health Committee will focus on health insurance exchanges and the marketplace and innovative bills. The Committee will also have a session addressing the cost of diabetes in western states.

“I am honored to represent Arizona on the CSG Health Committee and I look forward to adding the perspective of a practicing physician to the healthcare debate. As an osteopathic family physician, I strive to treat the whole patient, not just the symptoms, and I believe we need to apply this philosophy to the challenges facing our healthcare system,” says Senator Ward.

Highlights of the 51st Legislature First Regular Session

Appropriations

The Republican Majority has made tremendous strides in the past three years in balancing the books of the State of Arizona. We are already seeing signs that Arizona is one of a small number of states poised to come out of the lingering recession with solid growth and strong balance sheets. Budgeting is now required to be done not just for the current fiscal year but three years out. By FY 2016, we can now predict that Arizona will have a structurally balanced budget. Our annual revenues will exceed annual expenditures. This is impressive given the doomsayers who predicted massive cuts or increased taxes because of the end of the temporary one cent sales tax extension. In fact, the ending balance in FY 2014 is estimated at $304 million. The pessimistic predictions of an insurmountable fiscal cliff in FY 2014 have failed to materialize.

Leadership in the legislature has managed to maintain spending levels, but increase funding in just a few key areas. Total spending increased in FY 2014 by $289.9 million, or 3.35%. Noted below is additional spending above the JLBC baseline:

• K–12 Education – $99.1 million • DES – $57.4 million • Universities – $30.8 million • School Facilities – $13.8 million • Counties – $7.2 million

In addition, we have held on to the $450 million Rainy Day Fund, put in place last session to prepare us for emergencies.

Certain worthy budget items that were included in the Senate engrossed budget were stripped from the final budget passed by the Legislature. The Senate budget contained one-time funding of $850,000 for Graham County and $400,000 for Navajo County. These two counties continue to struggle financially, and this additional money was designed to provide short term relief to assist in the loss of county revenues.

The Senate engrossed budget also would have established a 3-year pilot program dedicated to online English language learner instruction. This program would have been funded for up to $3 million per year from the Structured English Immersion Fund. It would have provided a more efficient way to directly help students who are learning English as a second language. This component was also stripped from the final Legislative budget.

For the rest of the document, click here: 2013 Accomplishments of the Majority Caucus https://azsenaterepublicans.files.wordpress.com/2013/07/2013-accomplishments-of-the-majority-caucus.pdf

Senator Kelli Ward is this year’s recipient of the Whelan Leadership Award, presented by the Lake Havasu Chamber of Commerce. The award is given each year to a graduate of the Havasu Leadership Development program.

Senator Ward graduated in the 2007 class, after a nine month training program. Ward worked with her class to build Friendship Park at the Western Arizona Humane Society.

Senator Ward moved to Lake Havasu fourteen years ago, when she opened a medical practice with her mother. She is an active member of the Lake Havasu Rotary Club. She helps educate future physicians at Kingman Regional Medical Center where she serves as the Director of Medical Education.

Senator Ward received the Whelan Leadership award at the Chamber’s Annual Meeting June 7 in Lake Havasu.

“This evening, Governor Brewer summoned legislators to convene a special session to address the FY14 budget and Medicaid expansion. The special session was called without any consultation with Senate or House leadership, and was designed to commence at the precise moment it was conveyed. We are disappointed and stunned that the Governor and her staff would resort to such an unnecessary, impulsive and unprecedented tactic.

Since the beginning of the session, Senate and House leadership have made the budgetary process a top priority. Additionally, the debate regarding the full implementation of Obamacare in Arizona was already fully under way. In fact, these two specific items have not only consistently been a top legislative focus, but the other essential bills of the legislature have also been moving through our respective chambers. Instead of allowing the process to proceed in an orderly manner, the Governor made the impetuous decision to intercede and collude with the democrat minority in order to force an expedited vote on her sole legislative priority of Obamacare.

We are frustrated and bewildered by her overt hostility and disregard for the budgetary process which was already well under way. The blatant disrespect and reckless practices exhibited by this Executive are less than what was expected of her and more than should be tolerated.”

Senate President Andy Biggs has named Senator John McComish to the Workforce Arizona Council. The Council was formed in January by Executive Order from Governor Janice K. Brewer.

The Workforce Arizona Council provides leadership and direction and establishes policy for delivery of a quality workforce system. The centerpiece of the effort is a centralized, “one-step” workforce system in Arizona. The Workforce Arizona Council oversees more than 50 one-stop service centers, serving the employment and training needs of both job seekers and businesses throughout the state. The Council also reviews funding and resources of workforce development programs, increases public awareness of state workforce programs and improves communications between state agencies that work together to foster workforce development.

Members of the Council include people from the private sector, city and state government, large and small businesses, youth groups and higher education. The Senate President has two appointments. He named Senator Michele Reagan of Scottsdale along with Senator McComish

BY HOWARD FISCHER – CAPITOL MEDIA SERVICES

PHOENIX — State senators voted Wednesday to ensure that if you like to hang your clothes out on the line, you have a choice of new homes to buy.

Ditto parking your car on the street all night – or even painting your house chartreuse.

The legislation prohibits cities and counties from requiring home builders to establish “planned communities” as a condition of getting the requisite permits and zoning for a new development. Instead, that would be an option decided solely by the developer.

Nothing would preclude a requirement to ensure that residents in a subdivision contribute to maintaining common areas, walls or even privately owned streets.

Read more: http://www.yumasun.com/articles/griffin-87954-flag-new.html#ixzz2VYb9HaIz

Al Melvin Special To The Arizona Daily Star

It couldn’t have been a surprise for your readers to read an op-ed written by a liberal Democrat candidate and an attorney, claiming that tort reform doesn’t work (“Perceived benefits of tort reform vanish upon examination, so don’t believe lies” by Jo Holt and Grant Winston, May 26).

After all, the modern Democratic Party’s reliance on funding from trial lawyers is legendary. And those trial lawyers rely on abusive malpractice lawsuits to keep themselves in tailored suits sitting at the finest tables at the most expensive fundraisers for liberal politicians like Holt. But what is the point of writing an op-ed so easily debunked by anyone who knows how to use the Internet and any search engine?

Doing so shows a study by some professors – who themselves are linked to trial lawyers – who looked at only a portion of Texas’ health care system to try and debunk the success of tort reform. That same search also shows a truckload of evidence and statistics to show that tort reform has worked exactly as promised.

For the full article, click here:

http://azstarnet.com/news/opinion/guest-column-debunking-the-myths-against-tort-reform/article_f69a586d-e50c-5732-8c47-286c44401548.html

Arizona residents’ ability to utilize off-highway vehicles in the state’s federally managed forests will soon be enhanced thanks to legislation sponsored by State Senator Chester Crandell (R-Heber) and House Majority Leader David Gowan (R-Sierra Vista).

HB2551 (off-highway vehicles; use; authority; enforcement) began as legislation sponsored by Majority Leader Gowan and was drafted with the assistance of Arizona’s county sheriffs and the Arizona Game and Fish Commission. The bill later became a striker and was approved by the Senate on Tuesday. It is designed to protect public access to national forests by clarifying that state law enforcement may only impose off-highway vehicle restrictions on land under the jurisdiction of the state and open federal roads.

The legislation also gives the Arizona Game and Fish Department flexibility to decide whether to enforce restrictions on cross-country travel that could interfere with hunting, fishing and recreational activities. Senator Crandell’s amendment to HB2551 comes in response to federal travel management rules that place new and unprecedented restrictions. The federal actions have been met by a public outcry from local and state elected officials as well as hunters, sportsmen, campers and OHV users.

Navajo County Supervisor David Tenney has been among the most vocal opponents to the new rules. Rejecting the federal governments rationale, he stated, “For years, my family and I have hunted, fished and camped in the forest. Now, the Forest Service is telling me and my constituents that we can’t because of a policy decision that is out of touch with the customs and culture of our region. That’s not right.”

Testifying in the Senate Government Committee, Supervisor Tenney expressed his gratitude to Senator Crandell and Representative Gowan for their efforts. “This is a worthwhile cause. There are many citizens in my county and across the state who are thankful for this legislation.”

Supervisor Tenney’s comments were echoed by representatives of Arizona’s county sheriffs. “Arizona’s county sheriffs wholeheartedly endorse House Bill 2551 and appreciate the sponsors’ willingness to move this important legislation forward,” said Jen Sweeney, Deputy Director of the Arizona Association of Counties.

Arizona Game and Fish Commissioner Kurt Davis expressed the Commission’s unanimous support for the bill stating, “One purpose of this legislation is to reaffirm the Game and Fish Department’s leading role in protecting wildlife habitats while ensuring that the use of our law enforcement resources are not spent on efforts that, in some instances, unreasonably reduce the opportunities for Arizona’s families to fish, hunt, camp, or enjoy wildlife viewing or responsible off-highway vehicle recreation.”

Davis emphasized that the department’s education programs, scientific evaluation and law enforcement activities related to protecting wildlife habitats will continue and will be done without impeding Arizonan’s ability to enjoy the outdoors. “This legislation simply strengthens the department’s legally recognized role to manage wildlife across all our public lands and ensures that role is more appropriately recognized and respected,” he said.

Senator Crandell acknowledged the widespread public support for HB2551 stating, “As a father and grandfather, I have spent countless nights sleeping under the stars with my children and grandchildren. I am outraged that federal bureaucrats in Washington D.C. are trying to take that experience away. It’s time for Arizona to take a stand against these federal rules and I am proud to sponsor the legislation that will accomplish that.”

Representative Gowan agreed stating, “For too long, Arizona has stood by while federal agencies place more and more restrictions on our public lands. I am proud to co-sponsor this legislation with Senator Crandell and look forward to protecting Arizona families’ right to enjoy the great forests of our state”

Senator Gail Griffin of Hereford has been appointed Co-Chair of the Joint Border Security Advisory Committee, Senate President Andy Biggs announced. Senator Griffin has been a member of the committee since March 2011.

Senator Griffin has a long history of working toward securing our borders and getting our message to the federal government that our borders are not safe. She knows firsthand the danger: her home sits just 15 minutes from the U.S.-Mexico border.

The purpose of the Joint Border Security Committee is (1) take testimony and other evidence regarding the international border; (2) analyze border crossing statistics; (3) analyze related crime statistics; (4) make recommendations to increase border security (5) make other recommendations deemed essential to the committee.

As part of its statutory duties, the committee is in charge of the Border Security Trust Fund, which is administered by the Arizona Treasurer. Monies from the fund can be used for any purpose regarding the construction and maintenance of a secure fence along the Arizona-Mexico border line on private, state or federal property. The fund accepts private donations online with the intention of using those donations to build the border fence.

The committee includes members of the Senate and House of Representatives, a number of county sheriffs and agency directors. Committee meetings are open to the public.

As Arizona citizens, we are all impacted in some form by our unsecured border. This committee plays a major role in bringing public awareness to the severity of the issues and consequences of the failed federal government policies in securing our borders.

Thirty-five state legislators and legislative staff from 26 states and Puerto Rico have been selected as Early Learning Fellows by the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL). Now in its second year, the program exposes fellows to the latest research and state policy ideas during a yearlong series of webinars and meetings on how best to make sure young children get a positive start in life. Arizona State Senator Kelli Ward was selected as one of the 35 Fellows this year.

“The NCSL Early Learning Fellows Program provides opportunities to learn about cutting-edge research and best practices in early childhood education from experts in academia and public school districts,” said New Hampshire state Representative Mary Gile, last year’s fellow and chair of the House Education Committee. “Meetings and webinars offered stimulating, inspiring and affirming information from both theoretical and practical perspectives. I especially appreciated meeting and working with legislative colleagues from across the nation.”

The fellows were nominated by state leadership and selected based on their interest and commitment to a wide range of education, health, human services, state budget and other issues as they relate to early learning. In addition to exploring new research and policy ideas, lawmakers and staff will learn and strategize about federal initiatives, including the Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting grants. This year’s efforts will build on the accomplishments made during last year’s inaugural program by giving fellows the latest informational tools on brain research, economic evaluation findings and evidence-based programs.

“There has been a great deal of research and interest in early learning in recent years, so the timing is ideal for NCSL to facilitate a program that brings the top stakeholders together for the benefit of our members,” said Bill Pound, executive director of NCSL.

The 2013-2014 Early Learning Fellows program kicked off May 1 and 2 during NCSL’s Spring Forum in Denver. A final meeting focusing on best practices and the latest science will be held Dec. 6 and 7 in Washington, D.C. Program expenses are covered by a grant from the Alliance for Early Success (formerly Birth to Five Policy Alliance). For more information, please visithttp://www.ncsl.org/fellows.