Rs pass ridiculous bills amid major problems in AZ

AZ Republicans have failed the people.

STATE CAPITOL, PHOENIX -- Republicans’ passage of ridiculous legislation fails to solve the real issues Arizona faces and continues to push the state down the wrong track, House Democrats said Monday at a press conference.

Republicans and Gov. Jan Brewer have passed and signed some of the “craziest” legislation Arizonans have ever seen, they said.

“Republicans have left Arizonans wondering when they’re going to get down to business and do the hard work on the real problems our state faces,” said House Democratic Leader David Lujan.

"Legislative Republicans and Jan Brewer are out-of-touch and have failed to address Arizona's biggest problems of improving jobs & the economy, public safety and education," said Rep. Daniel Patterson of Tucson. "Arizonans deserve better and our state needs a change in November for a stronger future."

This year, Republicans have voted to pass:
-- The Birther Bill (SB 1024) — Makes Arizona the only state in the nation to require presidential candidates to prove their citizenship on Arizona’s ballot.
-- Elimination of KidsCare — Eradicates KidsCare and Medicaid, which makes Arizona the only state in the nation to completely wipe out health care for children.
-- Concealed Weapons (Senate Bill 1108) — Eliminates the CCW permit requirement, which makes it harder for police to do their job and makes Arizona the only state with a high crime rate to eliminate it. The only other states to do so are Vermont and Alaska, which are mostly rural with low crime rates.
-- Elimination of the Department of Tourism.
-- Elimination of the Department of Juvenile Corrections.
-- Automatic Weapons in Arizona (Senate Bill 1098) — Allows automatic weapons in the state, which are prohibited under federal law. The bill says that no federal regulations apply if guns are made in Arizona.

Republicans are also considering passing bills that would:
-- Not allow people on food stamps buy cell phones or drive cars worth more than $5,000.
-- Make it nearly impossible for single people to adopt children.

“These bills are nothing more than a waste of taxpayers’ time when the legislature should be working to fix real issues like the elimination of KidsCare, which forfeits all federal health care dollars for kids and seniors in Arizona and the real problems along our border,” said Assistant House Democratic Leader Kyrsten Sinema. “Republican ideologues continue to make Arizona the laughing stock of the nation during tough economic times. It’s embarrassing for Arizona."

For the past two years, middle-class families and their children have struggled to deal with an economic crisis, fewer police officers on the streets and exponentially growing classroom sizes. “What have Republicans been doing for the past two years?” said House Democratic Whip Chad Campbell. “I think they make it pretty clear by wasting taxpayers’ time on wrong-track legislation instead of working on health care for kids and seniors, jobs, education and cracking down on violence along the border and in our neighborhoods.”

- adapted from House Dems PIO