Russell Pearce Legislative Alert Bills to be heard this week

Bill Alerts for week of February 14th thru 18th:  Appropriations The committee on Appropriations will meet at 2:00 pm on Tuesday, February 15, 2011 in Senate Hearing Room 109. SB1308 and SB1309 use a Constitutional doctrine to make agreements with other states in order to protect our citizens and establish our sovereignty. No longer will the federal government be able to wrongfully and unconstitutionally interpret the Fourteenth Amendment. These two bills will allow Arizona to be a partner to all of the other states involved in this compact, help regain our country, and not incentivize illegal activity in our homeland. SB1561 allows the legislature to do its job! SB1561 gives the legislature the authority to appropriate “noncustodial federal monies”. It is an authority that the legislature should have in order to keep our fiscal house in order and to make the decisions that our constituents elected us to do. It will bring transparency to your tax dollars that you deserve. SCR1051 is a measure that will rein in spending measures that have no specified funding source. Why are we funding programs that do not have funds? This measure will take the handcuffs off the legislature and allows us to balance the budget and maintain programs that are truly funded while not expanding government that has not been paid for. Banking and Insurance The committee on Banking and Insurance will meet at 2:00 pm on Tuesday, February 15, 2011 in Senate Hearing Room 3. SB1590 allows employers to pool together in order to bring down health insurance costs for their employees. It is the right thing to do. It brings down the cost of covering employees and brings access to more Arizonans by allowing employers the freedom to make the smart business decision. SB1593 removes the federal barrier of interstate competition for health services. This bill allows the interstate purchase of health coverage. No longer will we allow the federal government to restrict competition and the free trade of business and the rights of consumers to purchase health insurance. This bill is intended to drive down costs and allow the free market to prosper to allow more people to purchase insurance. Obamacare is unconstitutional and ineffective. We are committed to drive down health care costs with free market approaches and common sense economical solutions. Education The committee on Education will meet at 2:00 pm on Monday, February 14, 2011 in Senate Hearing Room 3. SB1209 creates transparency with our schools. It requires that with all other budgetary information school districts must post information of employee positions and salaries. School districts sometimes do not want you to know how much they are paying their bureaucrats, but no more! Transparency is crucial for our school systems to be efficient and productive. School bureaucrats are state employees like any other and deserve the same scrutiny. SB1453 allows parents to have a say in what their children are learning. Parents have been continually blocked from making decisions about what their children are exposed to when material may be inappropriate. Parent’s rights have been diminished and we are committed to putting them back in the driver seat of raising their children. SB1558 requires 25% of a superintendent’s performance pay plan to be based on the percentage of academic gain made by students compared to students in the highest ranking of the sixty largest districts in Arizona. This bill is imperative to hold school administrators accountable.    Finance The committee on Finance will meet at 9:00 am on February 17, 2011 in Senate Hearing Room 1. SB1316 is the Senate Republican Caucus solution to the deteriorating Public Safety Personnel Retirement System. (PSPRS) It is crucial that we have the support of all of you. It is aimed at actually reforming a broken system that is destined to eventually bankrupt the state if nothing is done. Government Reform The committee on Government Reform will meet at 9:00 am on Wednesday, February 16, 2011 in Senate Hearing Room 1. SB1325 keeps labor unions out of politics! SB1325 would prohibit unions from using any portion of its dues or fees for political purposes. SB1598 reforms regulatory authority that cities have abused. It takes a comprehensive review of regulations and is aimed and streamlining regulatory efforts. SB1354 Photo radar prohibition SB1410 places in statute and makes it clear the Sheriff is the Chief Law Enforcement Officer in each county. SB1411 simply allows our elected officials to run their Office within the budget set by the Board of Supervisors, allows them to set their priorities, enter into contracts or agreements that furthers their Constitutional or Statutory duties and adds JP’s to the list of County Elected Officials. SCR1035 makes it clear the English is our Official Language and prohibits government from printing materials in language other than English (other than the voting ballot as required under the Voting Rights Act) Healthcare and Medical Liability Reform The committee on Healthcare and Medical Liability Reform will meet at 2:00 pm on Wednesday, February 16, 2011 in Senate Hearing Room 1. SB1357 adds integrity to our state Medicaid program by holding AHCCCS patients accountable for missed appointments, while bringing solvency to an already failing program. SB1366 eliminates medical liability for physicians who perform free medical services without compensation. Allows doctors to feel free to volunteer their time without having the fear of being sued. This is another attempt to demonstrate that there are other ways to reform the healthcare industry. SB1592 facilitates the Healthcare Compact. This Constitutional form of agreement between states is a tool that we can utilize to bring down healthcare costs and make effective changes to better the lives of Arizonans. Judiciary The committee on Judiciary will meet at 2:00 pm on Monday, February 14, 2011 in Senate Hearing Room 1. SCR1034 alerts the federal government that we have the ability to nullify laws that congress passes that are outside the scope of our federalist system.