"I’m ready to go to work."
Senate President Karen Fann hails from Prescott, as does Pierce. Republican consultant Chuck Coughlin says Pierce will be invaluable to House Speaker Rusty Bowers, both for his willingness to deal and his pipeline to Senate President Karen Fann, who like Pierce represents Prescott. (Laurie Roberts in this story )
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Back in April 2016 when Pierce decided not to run again for his State Senate position, The Arizona Daily Independent had a different story about that 'pipeline'
Senator Steve Pierce Will Leave Bitter Legacy
It seemed to many Arizona Legislature watchers that the only time State Senator Steve Pierce smiled was when he was thwarting efforts on behalf of the small business owners by his fellow lawmakers. Pierce, who will reportedly not seek re-election to his Legislative District 1 Senate seat, leaves behind a bitter legacy marked by favors for the wealthy and disregard for everyday people.
Pierce has served the powers-that-be since 2009. Pierce could be counted on to do the bidding of the corporate members of the chambers of commerce, and reject nearly any attempt to protect children, and families unless it would ultimately benefit the wealthy, as has the Medicaid expansion he and former Governor Jan Brewer pushed in 2012.
Pierce served as Whip, President pro-tem and Senate President. Senate President Pierce was deposed from that position in 2012 and replaced Sen. Andy Biggs, a Medicaid expansion opponent, by his fellow lawmakers. In his removal from the presidency, lawmakers argued that Pierce had to go during the Republican Primary races in which he poured money into certain primary races to strengthen his grasp on his own power and to the detriment of the Republican Party in the General Election.
Power Shift In Arizona Senate Forces Pierce Out . . . Andy Biggs, of Gilbert was voted in when senators-elect met yesterday in a private room at the Phoenix Children’s Museum. . . One legislator said, “You know, Andy got caught up in Pierce’s scandal. Pierce is a nasty piece of work
Senator Steve Pierce Will Leave Bitter Legacy
It seemed to many Arizona Legislature watchers that the only time State Senator Steve Pierce smiled was when he was thwarting efforts on behalf of the small business owners by his fellow lawmakers. Pierce, who will reportedly not seek re-election to his Legislative District 1 Senate seat, leaves behind a bitter legacy marked by favors for the wealthy and disregard for everyday people.
Pierce has served the powers-that-be since 2009. Pierce could be counted on to do the bidding of the corporate members of the chambers of commerce, and reject nearly any attempt to protect children, and families unless it would ultimately benefit the wealthy, as has the Medicaid expansion he and former Governor Jan Brewer pushed in 2012.
Pierce served as Whip, President pro-tem and Senate President. Senate President Pierce was deposed from that position in 2012 and replaced Sen. Andy Biggs, a Medicaid expansion opponent, by his fellow lawmakers. In his removal from the presidency, lawmakers argued that Pierce had to go during the Republican Primary races in which he poured money into certain primary races to strengthen his grasp on his own power and to the detriment of the Republican Party in the General Election.
Power Shift In Arizona Senate Forces Pierce Out . . . Andy Biggs, of Gilbert was voted in when senators-elect met yesterday in a private room at the Phoenix Children’s Museum. . . One legislator said, “You know, Andy got caught up in Pierce’s scandal. Pierce is a nasty piece of work
Let Arizona Republic reporter Dustin Gardiner tell you all about that!
AZCentral.com-2 hours ago
House Speaker Rusty Bowers, R-Mesa, has repeatedly canceled final votes on ... "If anything, it's highlighting the fact that the Arizona Legislature is as partisan ...
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Voting rights battle shifts to swing state Arizona
PHOENIX — A poorly handled presidential primary election and a hotly contested U.S. Senate race have kicked off a bitter battle over voting rights in an increasingly competitive state.
Republicans who control the state legislature have introduced a handful of measures to tighten election rules they say are routinely exploited, with the goal of streamlining procedures across Arizona’s 15 counties.
Democrats say the measures amount to a last-minute attempt by Republicans to keep the state in the GOP column ahead of the 2020 elections after four Democrats won statewide offices in the 2018 midterms.
Democrats see the growing influence of Hispanic voters, along with younger voters moving into the state in search of technology jobs, as a critical building block on their path to winning the state. It is those voters, they say, who are being targeted by the GOP bills.
AZCentral.com-2 hours ago
House Speaker Rusty Bowers, R-Mesa, has repeatedly canceled final votes . 'That's not a functioning government'
Democrats and some lobbyists have criticized the maneuver. They argue it's hyper-partisan to quash debate — when the chamber's other 59 lawmakers are present — simply because the majority might lose.
When asked about the concern earlier this week, Bowers brushed off any criticism. He simply responded "spin is spin."
In past sessions, when Republicans had solid majorities, floor votes weren't regularly canceled simply due to lawmaker absences.The situation is an indirect impact of last fall's election, when Democrats, fueled by the #RedForEd teacher movement and a national "blue wave," nearly created a 30-30 split in the House.
Republicans were left with their slimmest majority in about 53 years, and GOP leaders said they would focus on bipartisanship this session.
