Podcast: Blog for Arizona Authors & Rep. PPH Breakdown AZ Primary Races

A View from the Left Side, Rep. PPH

Season 2 Episode 12 of  A View from the Left Side focuses on Arizona’s primary election races — from the Legislature to Statewide, Corporation Commission and Congressional races.

Joining me today for this podcast are three long-term colleagues of mine at Blog for Arizona Michael Bryan, Larry Bodine and David Gordon. Mike is the founder and managing editor of Blog for Arizona. He is a local attorney and served as a prosecutor for the City of Tucson. Larry has been a writer and editor at Blog for Arizona for many years. Larry is also an attorney by profession and a former newspaper reporter. David is a prolific blogger who has interviewed many Democratic candidates for Blog for Arizona. He’s also an accomplished science fiction author.

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Podcast: Rep. PPH Capitol Updates: ‘PC Bill’ Drama, Wasting Time & Anti-Worker Bills

A View from the Left Side podcast

Season 2, Episode 6 of A View from the Left Side is a compilation of Legislative Updates from Arizona House member Rep. Pamela Powers Hannley. These updates were recorded during March 2022. They range in topic from the social media drama around HB2839 (the PC Bill) to wasting time in the Legislature, anti-worker bills and remembering Senator David Bradley.

There is a link to this podcast below. You can also subscribe to A View from the Left Side on multiple podcasting services such as iTunes, SpotifyStitcher RadioI Heart Radio and others. The original Legislative update videos on these topics can be found on my YouTube Channel.

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Republicans Push 100 Bills to Discourage Voting & Sow Chaos (video)

Rep. Pam Powers Hannley on voter suppression by Republicans

Arizona Republicans are passing one voter suppression bill after another. In this video, I highlight a handful of voter suppression bills that were heard on the same day. Many more have passed either the Senate or the House. This is just the tip of the 100-bill voter suppression iceberg that is on a collision course with your right to vote.

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Arizona Is #1 in Voter Suppression (video)

Sign up for vote-by-mail

There’s never a dull moment in the Arizona Legislature when we debate voter suppression. There are more than 30 voter suppression bills currently in play. Arizona Republicans are #1 in the nation for their productivity. The sheer volume of bad bills that make it harder to vote, harder to register to vote, and easier to hide campaign donations is staggering. Many thanks to the hundreds of people who signed into RTS against these terrible attacks on your right to vote.

This video discuss several voter suppression bills from Reps. John Kavanagh and Jake Hoffman: HB2723 (campaign finance); HB2792 (felony charges for election workers who mail an unrequested ballot); HB2793 (criminalizing volunteers who register people to vote); HB2811 (ban on same-day voting); HB2569 (ban on elections departments taking outside funds to run the elections); HB2794 (ban on changing election deadlines, even during a pandemic); and HCR2023 (attack on Congressional voter rights bill HR1). (Correction to the video: I named Kavanagh and Chaplik as the source for these voter suppression bills, when in fact, these bills should be credited to Kavanagh and Hoffman. Hoffman gets the prize for proposing six voter suppression, although Kavanagh infamously said the the Government and Elections Committee that government should not look at the “quality of the votes” in an election — not just the quantity.)

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SB1154: Is It a Good Idea to Move AZ Primary Date? (video)

Voter suppression and unnecessary tinkering with elections have been themes in the Legislature this session.

SB1154 was defeated last week but passed the House today on reconsideration. This bill changes the primary date from the end of August to the beginning of August.

At first blush, this doesn’t seem to be a very big deal. Having the primary at the end of August makes it very close to the general election. Having the primary at the beginning of August gives candidates more time to win the general election l, but it could artificially suppress the primary vote, in my opinion.

If the primary is at the beginning of August, mailed ballots will go out around the Fourth of July. What do Arizonans like to do in July? Leave town! Also, the vast majority of college students will not be in town to vote in July/early August.

We should be facilitating voting — not pass laws that will make it more difficult for some groups.

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