Meanwhile By Mark R. Kerr

Up at the state capital, it is another week and Arizona’s Legislature is still in session, as of press time, 138 days into their 100-day, self-set deadline, considering frivolous measures and are no closer to dealing with the real issues, such as the next fiscal year’s budget, thanks to the Republican leadership of House Speaker Jim Weiers of Phoenix and Senate President (and Congressional District 8 candidate), Tim Bee of Tucson, who hold their super-secret meetings with Republican legislators on the matter.

This means for taxpaying Arizonans, struggling to make ends meet, paying for gasoline and trying to stay in their “homes,” that the “gang of ninety” continues to get into your pockets and collect their per-diem money thanks to the posturing of the Republican leadership.

With the continuing legislative session, no bills, memorials and most importantly, concurrent resolutions are “dead” until that magic phrase “sine die,” are uttered and the “gang of ninety” leave 1700 West Washington, putting an end to the second regular session of the 48th Arizona Legislature.

SCR (Senate Concurrent Resolution) 1042 still lives and if the elephantine nitwits come up with a budget proposal for the next fiscal year, resulting in very quick negotiations with Democratic Governor Janet Napolitano, all happening within the next proverbial “15 minutes,” the proposed state constitutional amendment to make Gays and Lesbians “a wedge issue” on the upcoming November general election ballot can still happen.

As previously reported SCR 1042 was amended and passed by the Arizona House of Representatives and awaits a concur/refuse vote by the Arizona Senate.

One vote only will it take to give Cathi Herrod, Peter Gentala and the Center for Arizona Policy (CAP), a “$500,000 handout,” to place a proposed state constitutional amendment to define marriage, even though their law, approved by their minions and signed by their governor has been upheld in court, this despite their protestations over the recent California state Supreme Court decision on the subject.

CAP, on their website, have proclaimed that it can happen here! “We are less than 30 days away from an Arizona same-sex couple being able to ‘marry’ in California, then return to Arizona to file a lawsuit challenging our state to recognize their California ‘marriage.’ CAP has already received reports of Arizona same-sex couples registering for gifts and making preparations for California weddings,” Family Facts Arizona, CAP’s newsletter breathlessly and factlessly reported in their May 20 edition.

Standhardt V. Superior Court, filed in Arizona Superior Court and upheld by the Arizona Supreme Court (during the time frame of July 2003 - May 2004) upheld the law (Arizona Revised Statutes 25-101 and 25-112 respectively) as constitutional (per the state constitution), so that same-sex marriages conducted in states that recognize them within their boundaries are not recognized in Arizona. So how many legal challenges have been filed since, CAP?

It is interesting that CAP, the group whose previously leader, Len Munsil, drafted and lobbied the law into existence, had prior to the decision, ignored their previous work, quotes and writings (scrubbing their website, azpolicy.org of mention) to get their ballot measure but then embrace it when it is convenient, just after the May, California Supreme Court ruling or in April, when the Arizona Governor’s Regulatory Review Council considered and subsequently approved a measure giving the domestic partners of state employees (same and opposite sex) medical and dental benefits.

So once again let your state Senators know that SCR 1042 should not see the light of the “legislative day,” not for fairness, not for equality but at a cost to Arizona taxpayers: for the businesses who open offices in Arizona resulting in lost income to the state and its citizens due to the missed opportunities; due to the printing cost of the sample ballots, ballot measure books, postage and subsequent election expenses; donating to both the proponents and opponents when the money could be better spent elsewhere on more important issues and, for the all the time wasted and the per-diem money spent.

To speak to your Senator, go online here.