Senate Majority Leader McComish sits down with House Speaker Tobin for a discussion of what’s happening down at the State Capitol on Arizona Horizon.

CPS needs outside eyes to help develop reforms Our View: Andy Biggs' bill should win quick approval By Editorial board The Republic | azcentral.com Mon Feb 17, 2014 7:32 PM

CPS investigation uncovers massively broken system. Senate President Andy Biggs is pushing a bill to bring in outside experts to review Arizona’s child-welfare system. It’s a good idea that won unanimous approval from the Senate Health and Human Services Committee last week. Today, it should pass the Senate Appropriations Committee.

It makes sense to spend $250,000 on a fresh look at the long-troubled agency that is now called the Division of Child Safety and Family Services. National experts who specialize in this field can compare what Arizona is doing to best practices from around the country.

To succeed, they must be carefully chosen to be agenda-free, and their work should complement, not delay, what the state is doing.

Gov. Jan Brewer has a group drafting legislation to formalize her administrative move to split child welfare from the behemoth Department of Economic Security. There is also a legislative committee working on child welfare. What Biggs proposes does not duplicate or complicate those efforts.

Legislation to create a new agency can move ahead. It should be a flexible framework, and not lock in specific policies or procedures. The legislative committee should continue to provide oversight and expertise from an Arizona perspective.

A qualified group of outside experts has the advantage of being unencumbered by preconceptions or pet ideas about what needs to be done. It will not be beholden to the current failed system, the stakeholders or political players.

This kind of independent scrutiny and national expertise can help Arizona achieve meaningful reform.

PHOENIX — Less than 30 words described Republican State Sen. Gail Griffin’s view of what encapsulates good government and her responsibilities as an elected official.

The wording of the Second Section of Article 2 of the Arizona Constitution succinctly describes the powers of the state government and of the legislators, said Griffin, who is the Senate President pro tem.

Holding up a copy of the section’s text which reads: “All political power is inherent in the people, and governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed, and are established to protect and maintain individual rights,” she said any action by the state government, especially legislators, which violates those words are constitutionally not allowed.

To read more of this profile of Senator Griffin, click here: http://www.willcoxrangenews.com/news/article_ece1c19c-9369-11e3-822c-0019bb2963f4.html

In addition to continuing rising costs of health care, another concern for patients in Arizona is the wildly different costs of the same procedure, depending on where you go for the procedure. Now, a new law is calling attention to these varying costs.

Beginning on January 1st, hospitals and healthcare providers in Arizona are now required to post the out-of-pocket costs for some of their most common procedures. As required by HB 2045, signed into law last June by Governor Brewer, healthcare providers must post the direct pay cost for their 25 most common services and hospitals are required to post the prices for their 50 most common services. Senator Nancy Barto (R-15) sponsored the amendment to the bill that put in place these requirements.

In a study done by the University of California San Francisco, healthcare costs vary widely between states and even between communities. For example, a patient could pay $21,000 to treat heart failure in Denver, Colorado or $9,000 for the same procedure in Jackson, Mississippi.

The HealthCare Incentives Improvement Institute gave Arizona an “F” rating for healthcare transparency. “Arizonans simply don’t know what they could be paying for a procedure if they are paying for it themselves or through a Health Savings Account. All they know is what their co-pay is,” says Senator Barto, Chair of the Senate Committee on Health & Human Services.

In an attempt to fix this, Senator Barto followed the lead of the Surgery Center of Oklahoma, which began posting their prices for services online five years ago. This, according to the New York Times, has led other healthcare providers in the area to post their prices, driving down costs.

Senator Barto’s goal is to lower the enormous cost of healthcare for Arizonans. “With more people having higher deductibles or not having insurance altogether, knowing how much an operation or procedures costs is incredibly important. How can we lower medical bills if patients are buying health care with no idea what it costs? Now that the bill has passed, people need to make sure that their healthcare providers are following the law and they are getting the true cost of their healthcare.”

Senator Yee recently took part in a nationally televised panel at the Republican National Committee Winter Meeting in Washington, D.C. The Senator attended the conference so she could be honored as one of the five “rising stars” of the party and be given an opportunity to share her views on a national platform. The panel’s theme was how the GOP needs to reach out to women and minorities. Senator Yee urged the party to listen to the border states and “wrap our arms carefully, diligently around comprehensive immigration reform”.

Senator Yee also noted during the panel discussion that more Asian Americans should join the Republican Party, given that Asian Americans are “highly educated, higher wage earners, and for the most part own their own business” These characteristics, Senator Yee explains, resonate with our party.

To watch the full panel discussion, please visit C-SPAN’s website here: http://www.c-spanvideo.org/clip/4482298

Senator Bob Worsley joined Mark Curtis on Arizona Nightly News Wednesday night to discuss the bill he introduced to create a virtual border fence along Arizona’s Southern Border. The bill would appropriate $30 million to allow the state to monitor the Arizona-Mexican Border. To see the full interview, follow this link:

State senators propose $30 million bill for virtual border fence:

http://archive.azcentral.com/video/3097333686001

WASHINGTON – Today at the Republican National Committee (RNC) Winter Meeting in Washington, DC, Chairman Reince Priebus and Co-Chairman Sharon Day announced five new RNC Rising Stars, including Arizona State Senator Kimberly Yee.

The program spotlights and promotes Republican individuals who are new voices in the Party. They are prominently featured on GOP.comhttp://www.gop.com/rising-stars/ and given a national platform to share their unique perspectives.

Chairman Priebus and Co-Chair Day announced the next five Republicans to be named Rising Stars and joined them for a panel discussion. In addition to Senator Yee, the other four GOP Rising Stars are:

* Chelsi Henry, Cabinet Aide to the Chief Financial Officer of Florida

* Alison Howard, Conservative Activist

* Alex Smith, National Chair of the College Republican National Committee

* Monica Youngblood, New Mexico State Representative

“These new Rising Stars are an impressive group of leaders who have had a tremendous impact on our party and who I’m certain will play major roles in shaping our party’s future,” said Chairman Priebus. “I look forward to working with Chelsi, Alison, Alex, Kimberly, and Monica to share their stories—and to share our party’s message of freedom and opportunity.”

“We launched the Rising Stars Program to highlight the incredible talent in our party on a national platform and to a national audience. It’s also gives us the chance for us to learn from these individuals and their success as we work to grow our party.”

“I’m thrilled to see this all-women slate of Rising Stars,” said RNC Co-Chairman Sharon Day. “Each is already an accomplished woman in her own right. With young leaders like these, I know our party’s future is bright.”

Senator Yee represents Arizona’s 20th Legislative District and is the first Asian American woman elected to serve in the Arizona legislature. She is Chairman of the Senate Committee on Education, and serves as a member of the Committees on Health and Human Services, Judiciary, and Elections.

She is the former chairman of her legislative district’s Republican Committee, and was elected as a national delegate at the Republican National Convention in 2008. Prior to elective office, she worked for State Treasurer Dean Martin and in the U.S. Department of Justice. She also served as a member of Governor Schwarzenegger’s cabinet and on the State Board of Education under California Governor Pete Wilson. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Pepperdine University and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Arizona State University.

Senator Yee lives in Phoenix with her husband and young son. They own a small business.

“Governor Brewer today released her proposed budget for FY 2015. The document puts down a framework for the state’s finances for the next year.

The Governor’s proposed budget is a step in the right direction and I anticipate a dialogue that will continue Arizona on its path to a stable economy and opportunities for prosperity in the coming years. I look forward to sitting down with the Governor and reconciling our budget analyses and developing a balanced budget.

Arizona’s economy is improving, but at a slow pace. Arizona continues to have a structural deficit, spending more money than we bring in. I am encouraged that the Governor shares my view that now is not the time to have a short-term view of the state’s financial situation.

The Governor shares many of the same priorities as leadership in the Legislature. The Legislature is aligned with Governor Brewer’s priorities for enhancing our K-12 education system. Keeping Arizona on a competitive global edge is what we all envision for every student in this state. Our legislative budget incorporates $700 million in K-12 funding alone over the next three years. This clearly demonstrates a similar commitment to education.

We also recognize the immediate need to change course on the current child welfare system. I applaud the Governor’s judicious approach in reforming the Child Protective Services division and directing resources as needed to affect immediate restructuring of the agency. We have an opportunity to work collaboratively on developing a system that meets the needs of families in crisis. Once we have discovered the root of the systemic problem, we can build a new foundation for helping this vulnerable population. The transparency the Executive has offered throughout this process is greatly appreciated.

Today marks the beginning of this year’s budget process. Over the next several weeks, I expect the Governor and leaders in the Legislature to have many productive budget talks. I am optimistic that we can move forward and produce a budget that will best serve the citizens of Arizona today and in the years to come.”

Statement from Senator Kimberly Yee (LD-20).

“By declining to take up the case of Horne v. Isaacson, the United States Supreme Court has put the health and safety of women and preborn children at risk.

I sponsored the Mother’s Health and Safety Act because there is overwhelming evidence that abortion after 20 weeks puts women in harm’s way. What’s more, by this age, preborn children can feel pain, and it is simply inhumane to subject them to an abortion.

Because the High Court decided not to take up this case, they allowed for a dangerous and radical decision from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to stand that overturned this law.

It is a fundamental responsibility of government to protect life. Today, we’ve fallen short of fulfilling our duty. There is no doubt however that today’s announcement will not be the last word on this critical issue.”

Senator Gail Griffin received top marks from a free market advocacy group here in Arizona. The Arizona Free Enterprise Club gave Senator Griffin an ‘A’ letter grade for 2013.

Senator Griffin was one of just seven Senators to receive the ‘A’ grade. All seven are Republicans. The grades are part of the group’s 2013 Legislative Scorecard, grading each member on their votes and actions during the past legislative session. More than two dozen votes were included in the scorecard, covering tax policy, campaign finance and healthcare.

“Her tireless work to protect taxpayers earned Sen. Griffin one of the highest grades for 2013,” AZFEC Executive Director Scot Mussi said. “She was a leader and a principled voice on promoting free market policies in Arizona.”

District 14 Representative David Stevens was one of twelve House members to also receive an ‘A’ grade.

The Arizona Free Enterprise Club was founded in 2005 as a free market, pro-growth advocacy group dedicated to Arizona issues and politics. AZFEC’s mission is to promote policies and candidates that encourage economic prosperity and limited government for all businesses and taxpayers.

Senator Kelli Ward has been elected class president of the Western Legislative Academy (WLA) 2013. Senator Ward was one of 38 legislators to complete the program in November at Colorado Springs, Colorado. Members of the Academy are selected on the basis of their dedication to public service; desire to improve personal legislative effectiveness and commitment to the institution of the legislature.

Each year the Council of State Governments West brings together national faculty to offer a training experience for Western state legislators in their first four years of service. As president of this year’s WLA, Senator Ward will serve on the CSG Executive Committee for the next year, representing the interests of the 500 alumni of the program, including almost 300 who are still serving in Western state legislatures.

Founded in 1933, the Council of State Governments is the nation’s only organization serving all three branches of state government. CSG is a region-based forum that fosters the exchange of insights and ideas to help state officials shape public policy.

“While I appreciate the urgency by which the Department has established a plan of action, I still feel that it lacks in detail and falls short on addressing the accountability that the public and legislators are demanding. Given what has transpired within DES, I am not confident that the agency can properly review each and every case in the short timeframe outlined and be assured that the issue is resolved once and for all, and that these cases have been thoroughly investigated. According to this work plan, DES assessed nearly 3,000 cases from November 15-17. How thorough could those assessments be?

The Child Protective Services Oversight Committee will want to review the work to date to deal with this caseload, but members will also want to ensure that tackling this group of cases doesn’t impact current caseload and backlog strategies. The report suggests that review of cases can place certain families in an alternative investigation category. We need to know what that entails and be assured that this does not further contribute to the backlog.

The systemic problem within CPS needs to be fixed. The public must know that this neglect of duty will never happen again and that the people responsible for this disturbing practice are held accountable. In addition, a long term reform of the agency is warranted to restore public confidence.”

Senator Gail Griffin recently completed a 60 hour university program in energy policy planning. The program is awarded through the University of Idaho and the Pacific Northwest Economic Region’s Energy Horizon Institute, in a partnership with the National Conference of State Legislatures and support from the U.S. Department of Energy.

Forty legislators from across the country are selected for this distinguished program. The Institute educates legislators on the North American energy infrastructure and delivery system. The complex issues associated with electricity, natural gas, petroleum infrastructure; regulation governing this infrastructure; nuclear energy and alternative energy, including wind and solar are just some of the areas that legislators must understand to make responsible and informed policy decisions.

“The Legislative Energy Horizon Institute program gave me a much better understanding of how our energy infrastructure works,” said Senator Griffin, a Republican from Hereford. “I will use the information I received at the Institute to make smart decisions for my constituents and the State of Arizona on energy policy here at the legislature.”

The program was conducted in June in Richland, Washington and October in Washington, D.C.

By Kyle O’Donnell Cronkite NewsFri Oct 25, 2013 2:49 PM

When Mitch Ruttenberg teaches economics at Trevor G. Browne High School, he ends each semester with lessons on credit cards, taxes, budgeting and other aspects of personal finance. “It’s the last thing they get from me because I know that’s what they need the most,” he said.

Because his and other economics classes in the Phoenix Union High School District provide that instruction, Ruttenberg said a new state law requiring academic standards in social studies to include personal finance won’t change much.

Although the law prescribes teaching subjects like spending, saving, investments and credit, school districts have flexibility when developing their lessons.

State Sen. Kimberly Yee, R-Phoenix, the law’s author, said many districts are well-prepared to comply.

To read the rest of the story, click here: http://www.azcentral.com/community/phoenix/free/20131022arizona-law-requires-schools-to-teach-financial-literacy.html

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.