Category Archives: Governor
Former Tempe Mayor Hallman Running for Governor
Hugh Hallman, the former mayor Tempe, today announced he’s running for governor. We always cringe when someone says “I’m a fiscal conservative,” as Hallman does below. Being a true conservative does not come with such qualifiers. But here’s what he says he seeks to do as governor:
I wanted to take a moment to introduce myself and my candidacy for the office of Governor of Arizona.
I’m Hugh Hallman, a fiscally conservative Republican and the former Mayor of Tempe. I’ve also worked as the leader of one of the most successful public schools in Arizona, as a regional leader and former Chairman of the Maricopa Association of Governments, and as a successful attorney and economist. I’ve worked to identify the pressing problems we have faced on the local, regional and statewide level, and then created solutions to improve Arizona.
My priorities for Arizona include:
- Creating new jobs and economic opportunities for Arizona residents, not by having state government “pick favorites,” but through responsible economic development and removing excessive red tape.
- Improving our state’s educational system by focusing on giving our students and teachers the tools they need to achieve success.
- Working to solve some of the most difficult issues we face as a state, including dealing with illegal immigration.
- Ensuring that Arizona’s government is run in an ethical way that is accountable to the voters of Arizona.
Arizona is not about the big-wigs at the state Capitol. It’s about the very reasons we all call this wonderful state our home. Let’s end the polarizing gamesmanship that only advances political careers and instead focus on everything that makes the State of Arizona exceptional. Together, let’s focus on creating Arizona’s brightest future. Let’s use Arizona’s incredible advantages to improve our State and the quality of life for all Arizona’s residents.
I invite you to learn more about my campaign and humbly ask for your support. There are several ways you can keep in touch:
- Visit our NEW campaign web site at www.hughhallman.com. You’ll find my in-depth position papers on a variety of key issues facing our state, as well as information on how to get involved.
- You can also follow the campaign through our Facebook page and our Twitter feed.
- And finally, we would very much welcome your support of our efforts through a contribution to the campaign. You can donate easily online through this link.
Thank you in advance for your consideration. I look forward to meeting people throughout the State of Arizona during the course of the campaign, and working together to identify ways to make our State an even better place to live.
Arizona Selected 2013 Pro-Life All-Star
PHOENIX – Governor Jan Brewer today celebrated the news that Americans United for Life (AUL) has named Arizona its “2013 Pro-Life All Star.” AUL also ranked Arizona the nation’s 5th most pro-life state, based on regulations in place here that protect women and the unborn.
“As a proud and passionate champion of pro-life legislation, I am truly elated and honored by this announcement,” said Governor Brewer. “I thank AUL for this recognition, and I vow to continue to support policies that safeguard Arizona women, families and, of course, our most
vulnerable population – the unborn.”
AUL is a pro-life organization dedicated to the passage of life-affirming legislation. Every year, the group awards each state a ranking based on its efforts to endorse and enact measures that protect the unborn, women and families. This year, AUL selected Arizona as the Nation’s Top “All Star” for its significant pro-life successes in 2012. These successes are the reason Arizona climbed 9 spots in AUL’s rankings between 2011 and 2012.
Last year, Arizona enacted the Mother’s Health and Safety Act – legislation that bars abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy due to increased risks to the mother and the likelihood the unborn will feel pain. The State also passed a measure to ensure women considering an abortion receive critical information about their decision – including the opportunity to view an ultrasound and listen to their child’s heartbeat. Finally, in May, Governor Brewer signed into law the Whole Woman’s Health Priority Act to ensure taxpayer dollars are not used to fund abortion providers, whether directly or indirectly.
Center for Arizona Policy, Lawmakers Protecting Families
Center for Arizona Policy’s Cathi Herrod reports …
Arizona is a better place for families thanks to our state’s 50th legislature and your partnership with Center for Arizona Policy (CAP).
This past legislative session, 13 CAP-supported bills were passed and signed into law by Governor Brewer that promote and defend the foundational values of life, marriage and family, and religious liberty.
It’s been 90 days since the legislature adjourned, which means that as of today, most of the bills passed now take effect.
It is because you turned out and voted your values that these laws are a reality. Here’s a look at the impact these laws will have.
One quick note – Early balloting for the August 28 Primary Election [has begun]! If you are on the early ballot list, be sure to visit azvoterguide.com to download your Voter Guide before you send your ballot back. The impact of these bills proves you can make a difference by being informed and voting your values!
LIFE:Abortion clinics must post signs in their waiting rooms letting women know that it is illegal for them to be pressured by anyone – including boyfriends and clinic staff – into having an abortion. Women must have their ultrasound and the opportunity to view the image of their preborn child at least 24 hours before having an abortion.
MARRIAGE AND FAMILY: Arizonans can now claim an additional tax credit for donations to School Tuition Organizations, with this new tax credit going specifically to students stuck on waiting lists to attend the school of their parents’ choice. Children in public schools and libraries will be better protected from exposure to online pornography because online filters must be installed on public computers.
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY: Arizona’s professionals licensed by the state cannot have their licenses threatened because of the free exercise of their religious beliefs. Religious organizations cannot be forced by the government to provide insurance coverage for abortion-inducing drugs or contraception if it violates their religious beliefs.
JUDICIAL REFORM: Proponents of a ballot measure will have legal standing to defend a proposition if it is ever challenged in court.
Two CAP-supported pro-life bills are not taking effect today due to lawsuits filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and Planned Parenthood:
The ACLU filed a lawsuit challenging the portion of HB 2036 that prohibits abortions past 20 weeks gestation (unless there is a medical emergency). Yesterday, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a lower court decision and prevented this provision from going into effect. Planned Parenthood filed a lawsuit challenging a law that prevents backdoor funding of abortion providers through federal family planning programs that the State administers. While preliminary legal issues are debated, this bill will not be in effect.
Gov. Brewer: U.S. Supreme Court Decision Upholds Heart of SB 1070
Though conservatives statewide and nationally are expressing disappointment over the Supreme Court’s striking down three provisions and upholding one provision of Senate Bill 1070, Arizona Arizona Governor Jan Brewer today declared victory. The law is designed to uphold the rule of immigration law and was passed two years ago. But the Obama Administration sued in hopes of overturning it and opening the borders. Gov. Brewer’s statement:
“Today’s decision by the U.S. Supreme Court is a victory for the rule of law. It is also a victory for the 10th Amendment and all Americans who believe in the inherent right and responsibility of states to defend their citizens. After more than two years of legal challenges, the heart of SB 1070 can now be implemented in accordance with the U.S. Constitution.
“While we are grateful for this legal victory, today is an opportunity to reflect on our journey and focus upon the true task ahead: the implementation and enforcement of this law in an even-handed manner that lives up to our highest ideals as American citizens. I know the State of Arizona and its law enforcement officers are up to the task. The case for SB 1070 has always been about our support for the rule of law. That means every law, including those against both illegal immigration and racial profiling. Law enforcement will be held accountable should this statute be misused in a fashion that violates an individual’s civil rights.
“The last two years have been spent in preparation for this ruling. Upon signing SB 1070 in 2010, I issued an Executive Order directing the Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Board (AZ POST) to develop and provide training to ensure our officers are prepared to enforce this law efficiently, effectively and in a manner consistent with the Constitution. In recent days, in anticipation of this decision, I issued a new Executive Order asking that this training be made available once again to all of Arizona’s law enforcement officers. I am confident our officers are prepared to carry out this law responsibly and lawfully. Nothing less is acceptable.
“Of course, today’s ruling does not mark the end of our journey. It can be expected that legal challenges to SB 1070 and the State of Arizona will continue. Our critics are already preparing new litigation tactics in response to their loss at the Supreme Court, and undoubtedly will allege inequities in the implementation of the law. As I said two years ago on the day I signed SB 1070 into law, ‘We cannot give them that chance. We must use this new tool wisely, and fight for our safety with the honor Arizona deserves.’”
29 Arizonans Selected Delegates to Republican National Convention
Arizona Republican Party Chairman Tom Morrissey today announced the list of Arizonans who will represent the state at the Republican National Convention this August. They were elected at Saturday’s Quadrennial Convention:
Governor Jan Brewer – Glendale
Governor Gregory Mendoza – Gila River Indian Community
Secretary of State Ken Bennett – Phoenix
Arizona Treasurer Doug Ducey – Paradise Valley
Senate President Steve Pierce – Prescott
Speaker of the House Andy Tobin – Paulden
Joseph Abate – Phoenix
Donna Alu – Tucson
Kim Beneli – Concho
Jose Borrajero – Phoenix
Pamela Burruel – Roosevelt
Carolyn Cox – Tucson
Kevin DeMenna – Phoenix
Marla Festenese – Prescott
Debra Jean Forrest – Mesa
Elaine Gangluff – Phoenix
Paul Gilbert – Paradise Valley
Alberto Gutier – Phoenix
Kip Kempton – Safford
Laura Knaperek – Tempe
Kory Langhoffer – Phoenix
John Laurie – Gilbert
Jonathan Lines – Yuma
Lorraine Pellegrino – Phoenix
Randall Pullen – Phoenix
Constantin Querard – Avondale
Heather Sandstrom – Mesa
Parralee Schneider – Tucson
Jill Skayfel – Concho
Arizona Celebrates New Religious Freedom Law
PHOENIX – Governor Jan Brewer today signed into law HB 2625, legislation that authorizes religiously-affiliated employers to exempt contraceptive services from their employees’ health insurance plans. The new law will apply exclusively to those entities whose religious beliefs are central to their operating principles, and for whom providing coverage for contraception could pose a moral conflict or religious objection.
“In its final form, this bill is about nothing more than preserving the religious freedom to which we are all Constitutionally-entitled,” said Governor Brewer. “Mandating that a religious institution provide a service in direct contradiction with its faith would represent an obvious encroachment upon the 1st Amendment.
Currently, state law allows a narrow scope of nonprofit, faith-based institutions to opt out of contraceptive coverage, provided that the institution primarily employs and serves individuals who share the religious tenets of the institution.
HB 2625 moderately expands the definition of a “religiously-affiliated employer” to include any organization whose articles of incorporation explicitly state a religiously-motivated purpose, and whose religious beliefs play a fundamental role in its function. It is anticipated that there are few employers who will qualify for this exemption under the bill.
Arizona is among 20 states that allow certain employers to cite a religious-exemption in refusing to offer contraception coverage.
“Let’s not forget why we’re having this discussion: It’s ObamaCare that created this issue by forcing church-affiliated employers and non-profits to offer services in violation of their religious faith,” said Governor Brewer. “With this common sense bill, we can ensure that Arizona women have access to the health services they need and religious institutions have their faith and freedom protected.”
Governor Signs Pro-Woman Measure Restricting Abortionists from Accessing Taxpayer Funds
PHOENIX – Governor Jan Brewer this evening signed into law HB 2800, known as the Whole Woman’s Health Funding Priority Act. The Governor signed the measure while speaking at a reception for the Susan B. Anthony List, a group devoted to helping elect pro-life officials to public office.
HB 2800 prioritizes the distribution of public family-planning funds to health care entities that provide comprehensive care for women. The measure also prohibits the state or any political subdivision from contracting with a person or facility where non-federally qualified abortions are performed for the provision of family planning services.
“This is a common sense law that tightens existing state regulations and closes loopholes in order to ensure that taxpayer dollars are not used to fund abortions, whether directly or indirectly,” said Governor Brewer. “By signing this measure into law, I stand with the majority of Americans who oppose the use of taxpayer funds for abortion.”
Kansas, North Carolina and Texas have already enacted legislation similar to the Whole Woman’s Health Funding Priority Act. Indiana, New Jersey and Wisconsin have used their budget processes to bar public funding for abortion providers.
Supreme Court Argument on 1070 Goes Well for Arizona, Badly for Obama
You know President Obama’s on shaky ground when the left-stream media’s champion, the New York Times, says Supreme Court justices seem sympathetic toArizona’s border enforcement law, SB 1070.
NYT’s Adam Liptak wrote after today’s oral arguments on SB 1070 at the U.S. Supreme Court: “Justices across the ideological spectrum appeared inclined to uphold a controversial part of Arizona’s aggressive 2010 immigration law, based on their questions on Wednesday at a Supreme Court argument.
To arrive at that conclusion, Liptak only had to listen to one of Obama’s left-wing Court appointees:
“You can see it’s not selling very well,” Justice Sonia Sotomayor said of a central part of the argument made by Obama’s Solicitor General Donald Verrilli Jr. ““Why don’t you try to come up with something else?”
The Drudge Report posted a huge headline Mr. Verrilli will not be saving for his scrapbook. It declared Obama’s lawyer had laid another egg in the Supreme Court, as he did last month arguing for Obamacare: “Obama’s Lawyer Chokes Again.”
The Washington Times’ Stephen Dinan reported: “Supreme Cour” justices took a dim view of the Obama Administration’s claim that it can stopArizona from enforcing immigration laws, telling government lawyers during oral argument Wednesday that the state appears to want to push federal officials, not conflict with them.”
The bias showed in the reporting by left-stream media Associated Press: “Verrilli did not mention Wednesday that the administration has deported nearly 400,000 people a year, far more than previous administrations, although the information was included in written submissions to the court.” Perhaps the AP regrets not assisting Verrilli prepare for orals.
Chief Justice John Roberts joined with colleagues who took issue with Verrilli’s remarks on theArizonalaw, noting the state only wants to inform federal authorities when it apprehends illegal aliens. “It seems to me that the federal government just doesn’t want to know who’s here illegally and who’s not,” Roberts said.
Gov. Jan Brewer, who signed SB 1070 into law, released this statement today:
“Today, more than two years after I signed SB 1070 into law, the State of Arizona had its opportunity to defend this measure before the United States Supreme Court. Many people never gave us a chance to get this far, and it is only due to the continuing support and encouragement of the American people that it was possible.
“Of course, we likely will not know the Court’s decision for weeks. But I am filled with optimism – the kind that comes with knowing thatArizona’s cause is just and its course is true.
“On the day I signed SB 1070, I called it ‘another tool for our state to use as we work to solve a crisis we did not create and the federal government has refused to fix.’ Those words still hold true – as I was reminded last week when I returned to the border to visit law enforcement and ranchers who live and work in southeasternArizona.
”Their message: The job of securing the border is not done, not so long as drugs and humans continue to be smuggled north in large numbers at the direction of violent cartels and armed gangs. As Governor, I have a duty to uphold the Constitution and a responsibility to protect the people ofArizona. With SB 1070, I am confident we can do both.”
Unbelievably, left-wing JusticeElena Kagan recused herself from the case. She refused to demonstrate the same integrity last month in the Obamacare oral arguments.
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Governor Brewer: Invite Schumer down here for a debate on border invasion
Radical left-winger Chuck Schumer, Democrat senator from New York is trying to bait Arizona Gov. Jan Brewerget to testify on why our state passed Senate Bill 1070. He claims Congress has already acted sufficiently. Here’s our response.
Gov. Brewer, don’t go! Don’t take the bait!
Invite him down here on our turf to explain why Congress has done next to nothing protecting our border and our citizens from the border invasion and easy influx of harmful drugs. Senator Schumer’s baiting you for a public roasting. He and his friends will pile on and try to make you look bad. They will interrupt you and not give you a fair hearing. It’s a set-up. Don’t fall for it!
Turn it around on him and invite him to Arizona. Put him on the hot seat for doing NOTHING the entire time he’s been in Congress. Take him down to the border he’s never seen. And if he won’t come down here, gov, call a press conference and give a state of the border invasion speech. Expose Congress’s failure to act!
Please take our advice.
