Bill to end legislative immunity is dead. What a shock

[Non-Typical Solutions]

This stuff just makes me laugh.......law enforcement at its finest, reminds me of that movie with Mel Gibson where that Russian dude pleads diplomatic immunity and .........................boom!

Too many people above the law which leads to the situation we have currently on our border.....we have laws but only for law abiding citizens.......

 

Prepare yourselves for a big shock, Arizona. (And you, too, Gov. Doug Ducey.)

Arizona’s legislators have no intention of doing away with their immunity from arrest. A bill that would have allowed Arizona voters to end legislative immunity has quietly died.

It seems some of our esteemed leaders think they rate special treatment when doing the sort of things that would land the rest of us behind bars.

Gov. Doug Ducey called for an end to legislative immunity last spring after a lead-foot legislator claimed the privilege when caught barreling across Arizona’s highways at speeds of more than 40 mph over the speed limit.

In his State of the State address, Ducey called on the Legislature to put a repeal of legislative immunity on the ballot in 2020.

“Let’s show the people of Arizona that their elected leaders will live under the same laws as every man and woman in this state,” Ducey said – to tepid applause.

The problem is, our leaders, both Republican and Democrat, aren’t particularly interested in living under the same laws as every man and woman in this state. They have no intention of allowing voters to end the practice

“It was put here for a reason, by the people, in the constitution,” House Speaker Rusty Bowers, R-Mesa, pointed out last month.

Indeed it was, back in the wild old days of early statehood when a state trooper or sheriff’s deputy might be found pulling over and detaining a legislator for bogus reasons, preventing that august individual from reaching the state Capitol to cast an important vote on a politically sensitive subject.

 

Thus came the state constitutional protection that says legislators “shall be privileged from arrest in all case except treason, felony, and breach of the peace” while the Legislature is in session.

Why are we protecting bad actors?

These days, however, when our leaders are pulled over, they are usually speeding, drunk or fighting with their girlfriends.

I’m pretty sure our founding fathers didn’t envision then-Rep. Paul Mosley, nabbed in 2018 while going 97 mph in a 55 zone while headed home to Lake Havasu City and bragging to a sheriff's deputy that he sometimes hits speeds of up to 140 mph. This, right before he claimed legislative immunity.

Or then-Rep. Daniel Patterson, who in 2012 claimed legislative immunity to avoid charges of beating up his girlfriend.

And who can forget Senate Majority Leader Scott Bundgaard, who in 2011 claimed legislative immunity to avoid arrest after a fight with his girlfriend spilled out onto the Piestewa Freeway in the dead of night? She spent that cold February night in the clink. He, in his cozy warm bed.

Do you suppose Arizona's founding fathers were aiming to protect this dubious cast of characters?

 

It shines all lawmakers in a bad light

Rep. T.J. Shope doesn't think so. He was the sponsor House Concurrent Resolution 2008, asking voters to amend the state constitution to end legislative immunity. The Coolidge Republican told me he's long been bothered by the "seemingly two-tiered system of laws and rules" – one for legislators and one for the rest of us.

"At some point, it just became a little inexplicable to the average person and I grew tired of answering questions from my constituents about why colleagues of mine felt they were above the law," he said. "It shined all members in a bad light.”

Speaking of shining all members in a bad light, Bowers has single-handedly killed HCR 2008. If the bill doesn’t pass a committee by Friday, it’s dead, and that seems unlikely given that Bowers never even assigned the bill to a committee.

It's also yet another slap to Ducey, who already is facing a legislative revolt over taxation. Republicans are fighting Ducey over his plan to raise income taxes and his plan not to repeal a new $32 vehicle registration fee. Now, they're ignoring his common-sense call to end their privilege.

Will the bill be back? Not sure

Shope confirmed that his bill is dead but didn’t respond to my question on whether he plans to try to revive HCR 2008 at some point later in the session.

Still, I guess we should be heartened by one thing.

At least we've found something in the state Constitution that legislators find sacrosanct.

Certainly not the part that says the Legislature "shall make such appropriations, to be met by taxation, as shall insure the proper maintenance of all state educational institutions, and shall make such special appropriations as shall provide for their development and improvement."

Or the part that says a college education "shall be as nearly free as possible."

But immunity for themselves? Don't mess with that.

[Roosevelt Mark]

Of course.

[Non-Typical Solutions]

I digress......I ain't blaming law enforcement.......just the people who don't have to do the time for the crime......

[10Turkeys]

Rusty Bowers what a gem. He owned some property by the microwave tower road next to Rio Salado Sportsmans Club, and some developer wanted to get his hands on the land, so Mr. Rusty tried to get the range closed, didn't work out for him. The topper is in the election issue that the NRA puts out in their magazines before any election giving every politician a grade from A to F. Rusty gets an A+.