I recall writing in more than one diary last year that, if Governor Jan Brewer was elected in Arizona, and if Russell Pearce became President of the Senate, then the policies that the state had become infamous for up to that point -- specifically SB 1070, the public school ethnic studies ban, and the gay marriage ban -- would look like kid stuff. With Republicans occupying 2/3rds of the legislature's two chambers, if "headless bodies" Brewer and fundy Pearce took control, then the crazy would fly hot and heavy.
Well, Brewer did win, easily, and Pearce is now the most powerful politician in the state, even though he is facing two recall drives. Unfortunately, they have not proven me wrong: we are neck-deep in crazy and it's rising -- at the same time Arizona's economy is among the worst in the nation, our education program ranks 49th or 50th in every significant indicator, and our healthcare system is a national joke thanks to the organ transplant controversy. And yesterday we learned Arizona is ranked 49th in child healthcare.
The Republican-dominated legislature has demonstrated considerable talent for getting us into this shit hole, and digging deeper and deeper; but they have exhibited no talent -- none, zilch, nada -- for getting us out of this mess. As TIME Magazine's Nathan Thornburgh writes in this week's issue, which includes a long story about the problems facing Arizona, "The current leadership appears singularly unfit to tackle these challenges."
We've seen that "singular unfitness" in spades during the first week of this year's legislative session. Rather than propose policies that might actually start to address the very real challenges here, under Pearce's wackjob leadership they've continued to throw more red meat to the base.
The first day of the session four bills were introduced that challenge the birthright clause of the 14th Amendment. The next day, in the wake of the Tucson tragedy, Pearce and others sponsored a bill that will make Arizona, which already has very loose weapons laws, the most liberal gun-loving state in the nation. Pearce's bill that ends Affirmative Action is waiting in the wings, and we can expect more legislation targeting GLBT rights, further restrictions on abortion, another Birther bill, and more anti-immigrant policies -- none of which does a damn thing to counter the economic death spiral the state is experiencing. If anything, these policies and the national laughing stock Arizona has become have undermined the economy even more. How many high-value businesses are planning to relocate here? How many students have changed their minds about attending our universities? How many tourists continue to stay away?
As if that's not enough, today we get this:
Arizona to secede (without OFFICIALLY doing so)
Members of the state Legislature, including Arizona's de facto governor, Senate President Russell Pearce, have introduced a bill that essentially would have Arizona secede from the union without having to do so officially.
I can imagine some of you are saying, "Ta ta, see ya, just maybe leave us the Grand Canyon." And I'm sure many friends in Tucson would just love to secede from MariKafka County. Go ahead Phoenix, go create your own Arpaio-loving, education-bashing, intolerant hell hole, and see how long businesses remain.
If you're masochistic enough to read through the thread on the Arizona Republic's blog, where this story appeared today, you'll see a shit load of comments like, "Hell yeah," "Fuck Obamacare," "Get the Feds outta here," and that sort of anti-Washington hate. I'm willing to bet most of these yahoos have never studied Arizona history, because if they had they'd know that this place would never have gotten off the dime without federal dollars, whether it was for building dams, agriculture support, mining subsidies, or National Parks. When Senator Carl Hayden pushed through the Central Arizona Project in 1968, after a 40-year battle to bring water to the Southwest, it was the largest single-state appropriation to date. Arizona is always one of the states that pays Washington far less than it takes. So, build our dams please, just stay out of our business!
Here's a link to SB 1433, but let's look at some of the highlights (polecat also has a diary up, with the full text of the bill):
A. THE JOINT LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE ON NULLIFICATION OF FEDERAL LAWS IS ESTABLISHED CONSISTING OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE OR THE PRESIDENT'S DESIGNEE, WHO SERVES AS COCHAIRPERSON, SIX MEMBERS OF THE SENATE WHO ARE APPOINTED BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE, THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OR THE SPEAKER'S DESIGNEE WHO SERVES AS COCHAIRPERSON AND SIX MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES WHO ARE APPOINTED BY THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. NO MORE THAN FOUR MEMBERS OF THE SENATE AND NO MORE THAN FOUR MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES MAY BE FROM THE SAME POLITICAL PARTY.
Okay, so we know which political tribe is going to dominate the Committee on Nullification. The lunatic one.
C. THE COMMITTEE SHALL RECOMMEND, PROPOSE AND CALL FOR A VOTE BY SIMPLE MAJORITY TO NULLIFY IN ITS ENTIRETY A SPECIFIC FEDERAL LAW OR REGULATION THAT IS OUTSIDE THE SCOPE OF THE POWERS DELEGATED BY THE PEOPLE TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IN THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION.
If we don't like it, we'll consider it null.
D. THE COMMITTEE MAY REVIEW ALL EXISTING FEDERAL STATUTES, MANDATES AND EXECUTIVE ORDERS FOR THE PURPOSE OF DETERMINING THEIR CONSTITUTIONALITY. THE COMMITTEE MAY RECOMMEND FOR NULLIFICATION EXISTING FEDERAL STATUTES, MANDATES AND EXECUTIVE ORDERS ENACTED BEFORE THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS SECTION.
Code here: Abortion, Affirmative Action, healthcare, immigration, Second Amendment, OSHA, environmental protections, education, gay rights, freedom of assembly, church and state....
F. IF THE LEGISLATURE VOTES BY SIMPLE MAJORITY TO NULLIFY ANY FEDERAL STATUTE, MANDATE OR EXECUTIVE ORDER ON THE GROUNDS OF CONSTITUTIONALITY, THIS STATE AND ITS CITIZENS SHALL NOT RECOGNIZE OR BE OBLIGATED TO LIVE UNDER THE STATUTE, MANDATE OR EXECUTIVE ORDER.
A done deal, since more than half the legislature is as crazy as Pearce.
After laying out the Committee's responsibilities, the draft of the bill presents a history of the Constitution's amendments and why they do no apply to the states, ending with:
Accordingly, we affirm that neither the "Commerce Clause," the "general welfare clause" or the "necessary and proper clause" of the United States Constitution have ever been expanded, modified or amended and therefore, this state specifically rejects and denies any expanded authority that the federal government may attempt to enforce.
Similar to Pearce's effort to challenge the 14th Amendment's citizenship provision, it's unlikely he thinks he has a constitutional pot to piss in. On the other hand, his arrogance and intolerance feeds the base, it keeps him in the news, it detracts attention from real problems (which they don't have a clue about solving), and one of these bills may just may make it to the Supreme Court. Where anything goes.