Since I have nothing to report on the budget front, I thought I'd catch you up on what's happening with the bills I sponsored and also some of the more interesting topics we've covered in committee meetings.

For summaries of these bills' provisions, please refer to the 2/4/08 Weekly Report.

HB 2132 - County water authority:  passed out of the House on 2/26, 57-0

HB 2224 - Service company contracts: passed Financial Institutions & Insurance (FII) 9-0, waiting for Rules.

HB 2357 - Historic trucks, use fuel taxes:  passed Transportation Comm. 5-4, & Rules; waiting to be heard in Committee of the Whole (COW).  This was a party-line vote that came as a complete surprise to me.  I thought the Dems would be for "the little guy" - the truck owners who faced higher taxes and a possible fine.  Turns out they voted no because the State couldn't afford the loss of less than $100 per year from about 25 owners!  I think they'll change their minds when it comes to a floor vote.

HB 2728 - water banking, technical correction:  was not assigned to any committee.  Even though I spoke to the Speaker's chief of staff about this, it was considered to be a "vehicle" -- a bill filed only to be used for a strike everything amendment.  (That's a whole different subject, which I really should try to explain sometime.)

HB 2721 - amateur radio, structures:  passed Homeland Security & Property Rights 8-0, and Rules.  Waiting for Third Read (final passage out of the House).

HB 2771 - interstate water transfers: Passed Water & Agriculture 8-0 on 2/26; waiting for Rules.

As for the committee debates, the two most interesting were in Transportation and Higher Education.

Did you know that by executive order, Governor Napolitano has decreed that Arizona will follow the more stringent California emissions control standards, rather than the federal EPA guidelines?  While not in effect yet, AZ Dept. of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) is working on the rules that will become binding for automobiles in this state.  Andy Biggs, Transportation Chairman, was not pleased that this decision was made by the Governor instead of the Legislature, which is supposed to be the policy making branch of government.  She received input through an appointed (by her) panel; Andy thought that there should be some sort of public discussion within the legislative framework, and so he brought in an expert on the California program and representatives from the auto industry and AZ auto dealers.  All discussed the potential pitfalls and actual harm that might come from the implementation of the stricter standards. 

When the time came for questions and discussion, the Democrat members of the committee were downright hostile to those who had testified.  One berated the auto industry for not advertising their environmentally friendly vehicles enough -- and yet most of the commercials and billboards I see tout either gas mileage or the hybrid cars that can run on something other than gasoline.  Another insisted that car makers would never have come as far as they have without prodding from government and that more severe rules are needed to prod them even further.  My belief is that when the market is ready for these types of automobiles, the manufacturers will produce them.

All in all a most interesting discussion that went on for over an hour.  Now we have to find a way to prevent the Governor's executive order from being implemented.  I'm still talking to people about that.

Next week, we'll talk about what went on in Higher Ed with regard to allowing a community college to award four year degrees.

Until then,

Nancy