The Arizona State Legislature has been called into special session this week (Aug. 9th) to address a referendum on the “card check” issue.  The federal government is considering a measure, “The Employee Free Choice Act, “ which if passed, would stipulate that employees at a business could form a union when a majority of the employees sign a card indicating a preference for the union.  It would eliminate the necessity of an election by secret ballot.

Our referendum is an effort to prevent the federal law from taking precedence over state law.

If the referendum is passed, the right of employees to vote by secret ballot will be preserved.  If the referendum fails, then employees may unionize when 50% of the employees sign a card indicating their agreement to form a union (“majority sign-up”).

The controversy lies in who is considered most likely to intimidate the employee. Proponents of card check believe employers intimidate their employees into not signing a card.  Opponents of card check believe unions intimidate other employees into signing a card.

Please indicate your preference.

Everyone is aware of SB 1070.  Passed by the legislature this year, the bill duplicates the federal law in order to give state law enforcement the right to arrest and detain illegal immigrants and report them to ICE.  I assume you have heard all the arguments pro and con.  Please let me know how you feel.

Senator Pearce, the author of SB 1070, is preparing to file a bill to prevent the state from issuing birth certificates to “anchor babies.”  Anchor babies are children born in the U.S. to citizens of other countries, regardless  of whether the mother is here legally or not. 

Sen. Pearce believes the current law of allowing anchor babies to receive U.S. citizenship encourages the violation of U.S. immigration law.   Because the parents of such children are “not subject to the jurisdiction” of the United States (as per the 14th Amendment), the children are therefore not entitled to citizenship.

Opponents believe we should not punish the children, who once they are born, become subject to the jurisdiction of the United States.

Congress has passed and the President has signed a significant health care reform package, commonly known as “Obamacare.”  There is a move to repeal the act.

I am presently chairing a sentencing reform committee to re-evaluate our state’s mandatory sentencing structure.  Our current laws provide for mandatory consecutive sentences for each count for someone possessing child pornography.   While I believe this is appropriate for those who create, sell or publish child porn, the current law imprisons a mere possessor of child porn more harshly than someone who rapes a child.  A child rapist would receive up to 35 years.  This is incongruous to me.

One example is Mr. Morton Berger.  Mr. Berger was a 50 year old high school teacher in Glendale who had once been nominated for “Teacher of the Year.”  Mr. Berger had no prior felonies and no prior contacts with law enforcement.  However, it was discovered that at his home, he had downloaded child porn on his home computer.  Mr. Berger was convicted on 20 counts of possession of child porn, and received 20 ten year sentences, to be served consecutively, in other words, a 200 year sentence.

The Chicago Cubs have been in Mesa for 57 years.  There are various estimates of their economic impact on the City and the State, anywhere from $65 million to $120 million.  The legislature failed to obtain the cooperation of the other members of the Cactus League in taxing ticket sales in order to pay for a new Cubs stadium.  A Florida group has offered to build the Cubs a new stadium if they will move to Florida.  Mesa has chosen an alternative means of financing the Cubs stadium.  It will not raise taxes, but will borrow funds against the sale of land it owns in Pinal County, and additionally, will impose a 2% bed tax on hotel/motel stays.  How do you feel about such a move?