Thursday, February 26, 2015

Timing is everything -- Let's Launch an Immediate Virtual Attack on DARK MONEY!

Live at this link, the Arizona House of Representatives (on Thursday afternoon) is conducting floor debate. There are 10 calendars, or lists of bills to debate. Some are less controversial and get only token discussion. But some could dramatic impact.

This post contains some background, but you can also cut to the chase by skimming the proposed amendments included below and then find links to enable you to EMAIL (NOW) your state representatives.

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Wednesday, on BillMoyers.com, Robert Weissman wrote:
The American political system is facing an existential crisis. Do we aim to be a democracy – meaning a system of rule by the people – or do Americans stand down and permit a very narrow elite class to operate a functioning oligarchy?
Our Constitution begins with the powerful words “We the People” and elaborates a political system in which the people are sovereign. Yet in a series of decisions, of which Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission is the most notorious, the US Supreme Court has interpreted the First Amendment of that document so as to erode our democracy. Now it’s time to amend the great document to re-establish democratic principles.
And I certainly stand with Weissman, Bill Moyers and what is most likely the vast majority of Americans who are fed up and ready to Move to Amend the US Constitution to overturn the Supreme Court decision in Citizens United.

But there is action you can take NOW -- THIS minute to stem the tide and influence of DARK MONEY in Arizona.

Right now (when I first publish this post), the Arizona House of Representatives is debating bills in COW (the Committee of the Whole, aka Floor Debate). On today's COW calendar (list of bills) #9, HB2649 is listed. This is a bill the legislature needs to pass this session as a result of a court decision nullifying Arizona law governing political committees.

State Rep. Ken Clark (D-LD24/Central Phoenix), a member of the House Elections committee, in that committee, tried to get two amendments approved for inclusion in the bill. I understand those two amendments are scheduled for the floor debate on HB2649. Floor debate on COW calendar 9 is taking place NOW.

The first amendment simply strikes one word, "primary," from the existing bill, but dramatically changes the meaning.

The statutory definition of "political committee" for reporting and regulatory purposes, in the bill includes this language:
ORGANIZED, CONDUCTED OR COMBINED FOR THE PRIMARY PURPOSE OF INFLUENCING THE RESULT OF ANY ELECTION IN THIS STATE OR IN ANY COUNTY, CITY, TOWN OR OTHER POLITICAL SUBDIVISION IN THIS STATE, INCLUDING A JUDICIAL RETENTION ELECTION. (bold added by me)

The word "primary" effectively limits which committees are subject to regulation. For example, Sean Noble's Dark Money organizations are generally organized for the exclusive (practically speaking) purpose of influencing elections. But he gets to avoid regulation by stating that primary purpose is to educate the public on issues. But if this language -- without the word "primary" is enacted into law, that closes a gap and subjects more political committees to disclosure and regulation.

The other amendment has several pages of text spelling out disclosure requirements for CORPORATIONS that make political contributions.
"Sec. 6.  Title 16, chapter 6, article 1, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding section 16-914.03, to read:
16-914.03.  Reporting contributions made by a corporation; statement; civil penalty; violation; classification; definition
A.  Any corporation that makes a contribution in at least the following amounts to a political committee or to another corporation in an attempt to influence the outcome of a candidate election shall register and notify the appropriate filing officer not later than one day after making that contribution, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and other legal holidays...
1.  An aggregate of five thousand dollars or more in one or more statewide races.
2.  An aggregate of two thousand five hundred dollars or more in one or more legislative races.
3.  One thousand dollars or more in one or more county, city, town or other local races if the one thousand dollars is aggregated in races in a single county, city, town or other local jurisdiction.
B.  The secretary of state is the filing officer for registrations and notifications for contributions in statewide and legislative elections.  City, town or county filing officers are the filing officers for notifications in a city, town, county or other local election as provided in section 16‑916.  The corporation also shall notify the filing officer within the same time limit prescribed in subsection A of this section of each additional accumulation of contributions that exceeds the threshold amount prescribed in subsection A of this section but is not required to register again during that election cycle after the initial registration.  The secretary of state shall provide for electronic filing for registrations and notifications and shall provide for website access to the information for the public.  Filings at the secretary of state's office shall be in the form prescribed by the secretary of state.  Other filing officers shall prescribe the format for filing registrations and notifications and shall provide for public access to that information.
C.  The registration shall include all of the following:
1.  The name and address of the corporation.
2.  The name, title, electronic mail address and telephone number of the person authorizing the contribution.
D.  Each notification shall include all of the following:
1.  The name and address of the corporation making the contribution.
2.  The amount of the contribution and the name of the political committee or other corporation receiving the contribution.
3.  The name of the candidate and race for which the contribution was made and whether the contribution was in support of or opposition to the candidate.
4.  The date of the contribution.
E.  The corporation shall file with the secretary of state or other appropriate filing officer within five days after an initial threshold contribution as prescribed in subsection A of this section a notarized sworn statement that the person, agent or officer filing the registration and notice had authority to make that contribution on behalf of the corporation.  Until the secretary of state or other filing officer receives the notarized sworn statement, the filing officer shall categorize the notification as unverified.  If the secretary of state or other filing officer does not receive the notarized sworn statement within the required five day time frame, the notification shall be categorized as both unverified and delinquent.  The filing officer shall make reasonable efforts to contact the entity that made the contribution and remove the notification from public view within a reasonable time if unable to verify that the entity made the contribution and all penalties prescribed in this section apply.
F.  Any corporation that fails to register, notify or disclose as required by this section is liable in a civil action pursuant to section 16‑924 brought by the attorney general, county attorney or city or town attorney, as appropriate, for a civil penalty of up to three times the total amount of the contributions.
G.  Any person who makes a knowingly false filing relating to a contribution pursuant to this section is guilty of a class 1 misdemeanor.  A civil or criminal enforcement action may not be filed until after the filing officer issues a reasonable cause determination.
H.  For the purposes of this section, "Local election" means an election in a county, city, town, school district or special district."
If you know who your state reps are, go to the House MEMBER page to get their email addresses and IMMEDIATELY send them an assertive, yet polite message indicating you want them to vote in favor of the amendments.

If you do not know who your state reps are, go to the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission's website to find out.

This virtual UPRISING should get lawmakers attention. Thanks for helping out.

Name Sort By Name
District Sort By District
Party
Email
Room
Phone (602)

John Christopher Ackerley 2 R jackerley@azleg.gov 127 926-3077
John M. Allen 15 R jallen@azleg.gov 131 926-4916
Lela Alston 24 D lalston@azleg.gov 330 926-5829
Richard C. Andrade 29 D randrade@azleg.gov 125 926-3130
Brenda Barton 6 R bbarton@azleg.gov 114 926-4129
Jennifer D. Benally 7 D jbenally@azleg.gov 121 926-3079
Reginald Bolding 27 D rbolding@azleg.gov 116 926-3132
Sonny Borrelli 5 R sborrelli@azleg.gov 113 926-5051
Russell "Rusty" Bowers 25 R rbowers@azleg.gov 309 926-3128
Paul Boyer 20 R pboyer@azleg.gov 129 926-4173
Kate Brophy McGee 28 R kbrophymcgee@azleg.gov 304 926-4486
Noel W. Campbell 1 R ncampbell@azleg.gov 345 926-3124
Mark A. Cardenas 19 D mcardenas@azleg.gov 334 926-3014
Heather Carter 15 R hcarter@azleg.gov 303 926-5503
Ken Clark 24 D kenclark@azleg.gov 115 926-3108
Regina Cobb 5 R rcobb@azleg.gov 335 926-3126
Doug Coleman 16 R dcoleman@azleg.gov 306 926-3160
Diego Espinoza 19 D despinoza@azleg.gov 118 926-3134
Karen Fann 1 R kfann@azleg.gov 316 926-5874
Edwin W. Farnsworth 12 R efarnsworth@azleg.gov 224 926-5735
Charlene R. Fernandez 4 D cfernandez@azleg.gov 126 926-3098
Mark Finchem 11 R mfinchem@azleg.gov 337 926-3122
Randall Friese 9 D rfriese@azleg.gov 325 926-3138
Rosanna Gabaldón 2 D rgabaldon@azleg.gov 117 926-3424
Sally Ann Gonzales 3 D sgonzales@azleg.gov 331 926-3278
David M. Gowan Sr.
Speaker of the House
14 R dgowan@azleg.gov 223 926-3312
Rick Gray 21 R rgray@azleg.gov 224 926-5993
Albert Hale 7 D ahale@azleg.gov 323 926-4323
Anthony Kern 20 R akern@azleg.gov 341 926-3102
Jonathan R. Larkin 30 D jlarkin@azleg.gov 318 926-5058
Jay Lawrence 23 R jlawrence@azleg.gov 339 926-3095
Vince Leach 11 R vleach@azleg.gov 342 926-3106
David Livingston
Majority Whip
22 R dlivingston@azleg.gov 207 926-4178
Phil Lovas 22 R plovas@azleg.gov 110 926-3297
Stefanie Mach 10 D smach@azleg.gov 329 926-3398
Debbie McCune Davis 30 D ddavis@azleg.gov 333 926-4485
Juan Jose Mendez 26 D jmendez@azleg.gov 120 926-4124
Javan D. "J.D." Mesnard 17 R jmesnard@azleg.gov 308 926-4481
Eric Meyer
Minority Leader
28 D emeyer@azleg.gov 320 926-3037
Darin Mitchell 13 R dmitchell@azleg.gov 313 926-5894
Steve Montenegro
Majority Leader
13 R smontenegro@azleg.gov 208 926-5955
Jill Norgaard 18 R jnorgaard@azleg.gov 128 926-3140
Justin Olson 25 R jolson@azleg.gov 204 926-5288
Lisa A. Otondo 4 D lotondo@azleg.gov 123 926-3002
Warren H. Petersen 12 R wpetersen@azleg.gov 312 926-4136
Franklin M. Pratt 8 R fpratt@azleg.gov 226 926-5761
Rebecca Rios
Minority Whip
27 D rrios@azleg.gov 322 926-3073
Tony Rivero 21 R trivero@azleg.gov 344 926-3104
Bob Robson
Speaker Pro Tempore
18 R brobson@azleg.gov 222 926-5549
Macario Saldate 3 D msaldate@azleg.gov 332 926-4171
Andrew C. Sherwood 26 D asherwood@azleg.gov 119 926-3028
Thomas "T.J." Shope 8 R tshope@azleg.gov 112 926-3012
Victoria Steele 9 D vsteele@azleg.gov 324 926-5683
David W. Stevens 14 R dstevens@azleg.gov 205 926-4321
Bob Thorpe 6 R bthorpe@azleg.gov 130 926-5219
Kelly Townsend 16 R ktownsend@azleg.gov 302 926-4467
Michelle R. Ugenti 23 R mugenti@azleg.gov 111 926-4480
Ceci Velasquez 29 D cvelasquez@azleg.gov 124 926-3144
Jeff Weninger 17 R jweninger@azleg.gov 338 926-3092
Bruce Wheeler
Assistant Minority Leader
10 D bwheeler@azleg.gov 321 926-3300
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Today it is a case of the grasshopper pitted against the elephant. But tomorrow the elephant will have its guts ripped outLe Loi, Vietnamese emperor, 15th Century



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