AZ Political Intel has been taken over by Intellectual Conservative, as IC Arizona. Please adjust your links accordingly.

It is with sadness that we acknowledge the passing of Senator Jake Flake this past weekend. He was a dedicated public servant who will be missed.

The latest update is available at our web site: http://pachydermcoalition.com/Legislative_Report.html

We had a significant changes to weights for three bills were were tracking. These changes were made in response to feedback from legislators and other Republicans including some Pachyderm Coalition members.

The published ratings show scores before and after the weights were changed. This will make it easy to see the effects of the weight changes separate from new activity. Essentially, the entire impact of these changes are only in the Senate. The only effect on House scores was due to bill sponsorships and was very small.

The reason the changes are coming now is that the discussions finally got past "We don't want to pay tolls" to serious concerns about how the privatization initiatives would actually be implemented. Some of those concerns are legitimate and caused us to lower the weights to reflect those risks as well as the possible benefits from these bills.

While nobody wants to pay a toll to use a road, that can be better than other options available such as increases in property tax, increases in sales tax, or not having a road. Also, some kind of time of day pricing to deal with highway congestion will be necessary to manage congestion and keep highway construction costs lower. This is used in a variety of industries such as electricity, communications, airlines, and movie theaters, and it can be applied to commuter traffic. In fact, such an approach is already used in some cities, and we need to explore how to implement time of day pricing in order to ensure we get the most efficient highway construction possible. When possible, matching costs more directly to benefits will help improve efficiency by making the construction decisions more economic and less political than they currently are. That is why we did not consider the initial cries of "We don't want to pay tolls!" to be serious arguments against these bills. After all, nobody wants to pay for something they don't have to. However, other concerns expressed later concerned the efficacy of the bills and were legitimate arguments for lowering the weights.

Here are the bills whose weights were reduced.

SB1420 from +7 to +2. There are concerns that setting up public highway authorities would create another layer of government involved in transportation which would not be good even though there would be benefits from setting up independent authorities that would require revenues and expenses to more closely match for particular roads. SB1465 from +9 to +4. There are two concerns raised about this bill. The legal authority already exists, and the partnerships may not be structured well to get benefits of privatization. That is, the private companies would be essentially an expansion of government in private form rather than putting more private enterprise into activities that had been government run. SB1498 from +9 to +4. Same concerns as SB1465, plus taxing authority is added. Please note that these proposed changes still give positive weights to the bills. Although there is some disagreement within the Republican Party concerning privatization of roads, the Pachyderm Coalition generally supports privatization initiatives. However, the key is to make sure that privatization is real and not just a government expansion into managing via a private company (like with Value Options health care administration). However, due to the concerns raised about the efficacy of these particular bills, we thought it would be more fair to the legislators to lower the weights because these bills are not as clearly indicative of adherence to Republican principles free markets and government efficiency as we thought when we first set the weights.

Goldwater Institute Victorious in Defending Right to Sue Government

Today the City of Phoenix and CityNorth lost their requests asking the Goldwater Institute to pay attorney's fees in its case challenging a $100 million subsidy to the developer of the CityNorth shopping mall.

The City and CityNorth asserted various claims in an attempt to win some $600,000 in attorney's fees from the Goldwater Institute. Maricopa County Judge Robert Miles denied every claim, saying "an award of fees would be inappropriate."

"This issue is almost as important as the lawsuit itself," said Clint Bolick, director of the Goldwater Institute Scharf-Norton Center for Constitutional Litigation. "An attorney's fees award could have destroyed the ability of citizens to challenge unconstitutional government action."

Last month the Arizona Center for Law in the Public Interest (ACLPI), the Institute for Justice, the Center for Arizona Policy, the Arizona Tax Research Foundation, the Free Enterprise Club Political Action Committee, and the American Civil Liberties Union filed a friend-of-the- court brief in support of the Goldwater Institute. ACLPI attorney Tim Hogan argued in the brief that an attorney's fees award would have a "chilling effect" on public interest litigation of all types.

Judge Miles referenced that point several times throughout today's argument and used it as part of his rationale for denying the fee requests.

The Goldwater Institute lost the opening round of its case in April and has already appealed to the Arizona Court of Appeals. The Goldwater Institute will pay costs associated with court filings, a standard practice, which amount to about $3,500.

The Goldwater Institute is a research and litigation organization whose work is made possible by the generosity of its supporters. Those who want to support the Institute's work may click here to make a tax-deductible contribution.

Arizona Life Times Internet Edition
June 2008

Dear Friend of Life, Along with our new programs being launched, Arizona Right to Life just recently elected a new Board of Directors. Heading it up is our new Arizona Right to Life President Virginia "Jinny" Perron. Jinny served on the Board as Vice-president and Secretary and has guided the Mesa Chapter for eight years. The AZRTL staff are excited to work with Jinny and share her vision for Arizona Right to Life and its mission of protecting innocent human life. In This Issue New Leader Seminars Available Register to Vote! Upcoming Culture of Life Concert New Website Launched Upcoming Events! New Leader Seminars Available
Want to create or reinvigorate a pro-life presence at your church or organization? Whether it's a home school group of 25 or a church congregation of 250, Arizona Right to Life is ready to ignite a passion for defending life with our new Leadership Training Seminar. This dynamic four-hour seminar combines our new documentary Abortion: Inside the Choice with breakout activities that equip pro-lifers so they can effectively engage our culture. Through role-play and small group workshops you'll practice talking to pro-choice friends and strangers to prepare you for real conversations where you can change hearts and save lives. Each participant will also receive a Leadership Kit with exciting ideas and practical advice for implementing pro-life projects in your community. If you would like this seminar to be hosted at your church or club you can:

- Attend our Saturday, June 28th Leadership Meeting at 10:00am at the State Right to Life office. We will go through the whole seminar and give you the materials you need to host the seminar in your community at a time that best suits your needs. At this meeting we will be offering the DVD for a donation of $15 and seminar manuals for a $10 donation.

- Invite our team of pro-life advocates to bring their knowledge and experience to host the seminar for your church or organization. We simply ask that you invite at least 25 people to attend and give a suggested donation of $10 per person to cover the cost of materials. We also ask for a $100 stipend for AZRTL trainers.

If you want your family, church, or community to have the tools they need to stand up for life, contact Melanie Pritchard at 602-285-0272 or Melanie.pritchard@gmail.com for more information. If you would like to order these supplies apart from the training seminars contact Arizona Right to Life at 602-285-0063 or email us at azrtl@azrtl.org.

Register to Vote!

As the summer begins don't forget that election 2008 is just around the corner. During the summer months one of the most important things pro-lifers can do is register to vote. Consider organizing a table and registering people after your Sunday church service. To do this:

1. Get voter registration cards by contacting your local County Clerk.

2. Pick a time and a location where lots of people go such as a community fair, a local college, church service or a grocery store. Ideally you should want to empower voters in "traditionally disenfranchised" communities that are usually under-represented by politicians or have low voter turnout.

3. Have good information and know the law. To find out who is eligible to vote go to:
http://www.azsos.gov/election/forms/VoterRegistrationForm.pdf fd

You can also register online at: http://www.azsos.gov/election/VoterRegistration.htm

THE REGISTRATION DEADLINE FOR THE ARIZONA PRIMARIES IS AUGUST 4TH!

POLITICIANS: Let the voters know where you stand on life issues by filling out our pro-life questionnaire and mailing it to our state office by June 18th. The questionnaire is available online at:

http://www.arizonarighttolife.org/index.cfm/sections/Politics/45

Upcoming Culture of Life Concert

You won't want to miss this incredible evening of music, passion, life and hope! Eric Genuis, the world-renowned musical performer and talent extraordinaire, will be performing musical pieces from a mix of his four fabulous albums. Eric has recorded with the famed Maestro Allan Wilson of London and the Slovak National Symphony Orchestra. His concerts are a definite must-see and have proven a riveting experience for audiences of all ages.

When: Friday July 25th, 2008

Where: City of Grace Campus* - Worship Center
Building 5, 655 University Drive, Mesa, AZ 85203

Time: 7:30pm - 9:30pm

General Admission: $20 pp
Students & Clergy: $10 pp
Families: $40
Special Discounted Group Rates Available - Contact Arizona Right to Life at 602-285-0063 or email azrtl@azrtl.org to reserve your seat.
To listen to a sample of Eric's music from his website, click here.
*City of Grace is a non-smoking, non-alcoholic and no-weapons allowed facility
New Website Launched
In May, with the assistance of Ash Day Interactive, Arizona Right to Life finished the redesign of its new website. Sporting a new look and user friendly layout, it is our goal that the website will be a resource for people to become educated about pro-life topics and local events throughout the state. To see for yourself, click here. If you would like to partner with us to develop new projects and continue effective ones (pro-life videos and mobile exhibits, public outreach, legislation and politician tracking, and new chapters and liaisons) then please send a donation to: Arizona Right to Life 3700 N 24th St, Suite 100 Phoenix, AZ 85016 Thank you for taking the time to read Arizona Right to Life's monthly e-newsletter. If you would like to learn more about our mission or events please email us at azrtl@azrtl.org or call our office at 602-285-0063. Once again, thank you for your time and your commitment to being a "Friend of Life."
Newsletter Editor: Trent Horn

Upcoming Local Pro-life Events

Pro-life Fun Run
Living Hope Women's Center in Show Low will be hosting a two mile fun-run to raise support for their pregnancy assistance outreach on Saturday, June 28th. If you would like to register for this event please contact Living Hope Women's Center at 928-537-9032.

Mesa Right to Life Fundraiser Event
On Saturday, August 9th the Arizona Right to Life Mesa Chapter, in concert with Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre, will be hosting a dinner and production of "Honkytonk Angels." For more information please contact Joe or Jinny Perron at jjkp4life@cox.net or 480-807-2834.

Save the Date: AZRTL State Conference
On September 5th-6th Arizona Right to Life will be hosting it's 30th annual State Conference, "Building a Legacy of Life . . . Empowering America's Leaders" at the Scotttsdale Chapparal Suites Resort. Featured Speakers include Stephanie Gray - Executive Director of the Canadian Center for Bio-ethical Reform, Dr. William Toffler - National Director of Physicians for Compassionate Care, and David Bereit, the National Campaign Director of 40 Days for Life. Online Registration will be available soon, but don't forget to mark your calendars for this important event!

If you would like your pro-life events posted in our monthly newsletter, email us at trent@arizonarighttolife.org

Arizona Right to Life has released its 2008 political questionnaire for candidates running for office in Arizona. The questionnaires are due back to AZRTL by June 18.

by Clint Bolick

It is inherently dangerous to confer the coercive powers of government upon a guild. Exhibit A: the Arizona State Bar, which is on a rampage to suppress free-speech rights.

The Bar has initiated several complaints against Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas in regard to his critical comments about Superior Court judges and his office's efforts to recuse a judge for allegedly failing to enforce a voter initiative. Wise and temperate or not, such criticisms are at the core of constitutionally protected speech, and the Bar's campaign against Thomas is sure to chill the exercise of those rights.

Thomas enlisted several prominent lawyers and ethics experts to provide affidavits in support of his special action contesting the bar's enforcement actions in the Arizona Supreme Court, including the distinguished former Bar president, Ernest Calderon. The Bar responded by unanimously voting to replace Calderon as a delegate to the American Bar Association. State Bar president Daniel McAuliffe stated ominously, "Maybe he shouldn't have filed the affidavit."

The Bar also has voted to officially oppose the proposed initiative that would ban racial preferences in government employment, contracting, and education. The Bar likely would use compulsory membership dues of members who strongly support the initiative-a form of compelled political speech that also violates constitutional guarantees.

The Bar's many roles-prosecutor, judge, enforcer, lobbyist-are ill-suited for a single entity. Several legislators have proposed stripping the Bar of its disciplinary functions, and they should also make membership voluntary. In the meantime, the Arizona Supreme Court should exercise its supervisory authority to prevent abuse of the Bar's sweeping powers. The rule of law requires neutral law enforcement, but one of the components of that process in Arizona has become a strident partisan.

Dear Phoenix Taxpayer:

Your city tax dollars pay for an intrusive bureaucracy to enforce hundreds of pointless regulations approved by the Phoenix City Council. Those regulations hurt the small businesses and charities that are the heart of our city’s economy. (Then the city turns around and wastes our tax money on massive projects—such as light rail—that are supposed to revitalize downtown…)

Yesterday, the Phoenix edition of the Arizona Republic ran an op-ed by AFP Arizona telling the story of one Phoenix business that was almost destroyed by pointless city regulations. I have pasted the text of the op-ed below, and it is posted at the AFP Arizona blog site:

http://www.americansforprosperity.org/index.php?page=blog&state=az

Bureaucracy could ruin downtown resurgence

By Tom Jenney

Phoenix Republic

June 4, 2008, Page 21

On April 30, the Arizona chapter of the Institute for Justice, a libertarian public-interest law group, won its case in defense of the San Tan Flats Steakhouse. The western-style bar and grill had been locked in two-year legal battle with Pinal County regulators, who tried to use a 1960s dance-hall ordinance to stop patrons from dancing on an outdoor patio. (Link: http://www.ij.org/arizona/index.html)

The San Tan Flats case reminded many of the 1984 Kevin Bacon dance movie, Footloose, in which teens in a puritanical rural town fought for the right to dance against local prudes who thought dancing was immoral. The bad guys in the San Tan Flats case—the supervisors and bureaucrats of Pinal County—were not moralists, but rather, regulatory tyrants who were zealous in enforcing a pointless statute.

Unfortunately, Phoenix has its own example of Footloose-style regulatory tyranny. The victim in this instance was one of downtown’s great treasures, the MacAlpine’s Soda Fountain at 7th Street and Oak. Founded in 1928, MacAlpine’s has served Phoenix over the decades as a pharmacy, a soda fountain, a restaurant, and an antique shop. The decor is 1930s, with wood-paneled benches, hat racks, and dozens of period art pieces and advertisements. (Link: http://www.macalpinessodafountain.com/)

In 2003, in an effort to save the business, owners Cary and Monica Heizenrader began offering swing dances on weekend nights. Local swing enthusiasts and their families could come to MacAlpine’s, have a meatloaf dinner, order unlimited egg cream sodas, and dance to the big band sounds of the 1930s and ‘40s. No smoking, no booze—just good old-fashioned family fun.

The MacAlpine’s swing dances brought people from all over the Valley and added a rare bit of life to the normally moribund downtown Phoenix night scene. My wife and I came in once on a Friday night and saw about fifty people: guys in zoot suits and Charlie Chaplin hats, and girls in vintage outfits. There was a three-year old girl in a poodle skirt, and 90-year old man who had been a world-class swing dancer.

For a half-hour, a young woman taught the group some Charleston moves, and for the rest of the evening, everybody danced what they knew (which for me was not much). One couple we talked to had come all the way from Tucson, just to dance.

Unfortunately, the Phoenix city government eventually got in the way. In 2004, a disgruntled former tenant dug through city statutes, and accused the restaurant of operating a dance hall without having a permit. The city bureaucracy agreed, and issued a cease-and-desist order, telling the Heizenraders that they would have to install a $75,000 sprinkler system just to qualify for a permit—and there was no guarantee that the city would issue a permit. The possible penalties for noncompliance included arrest, $2,500 fines per infraction, and even jail time.

MacAlpine’s did not need extra fireproofing equipment. The Heizenraders did not allow smoking, and they already operated a full-service kitchen. But the City would not listen to reason, and shut down the swing dances. When the Heizenraders said they might lose their business, a city official suggested that they open a dollar store.

Despite its nightmarish encounter with the Phoenix bureaucracy, MacAlpine’s has survived—and thrived—on the growing strength of its lunchtime business. Its sandwiches and atmosphere are popular with the business lunch crowd, and its adjacent antiques store is doing well.

Of course, we will never know how successful the dances would have been. Perhaps swing dancing was fated to become less popular. Maybe today’s business plan is better. But if MacAlpine’s wanted to try holding swing dances, they had the right to try. And the culture of Phoenix is poorer because of the city’s heavy-handed regulations.

As Phoenix politicians continue in their endless quest to revive downtown business and create a hip nightlife, the most important thing they can do is to keep the city bureaucracy out of the way.

--Tom Jenney lives in central Phoenix. He is the Arizona director for Americans for Prosperity (www.aztaxpayers.org).

My name is Susette Kelo. On Monday, June 23, 2008, I need your help in making a little bit of history.

June 23 is the third anniversary of the infamous Kelo eminent domain case, the U.S. Supreme Court decision that allowed perfectly well-maintained private homes like mine to be taken by the government and handed over for someone else’s private use. Under that ruling, any home could be taken and destroyed to make way for high-end condos. Any small business could be bulldozed to make way for a big box store. And, tragically, that is what is happening in too many parts of our country.

I’d like your help to put an end to that abuse of eminent domain once and for all.

Please go to www.ij.org/keloday today and pledge to give some small contribution to the Institute for Justice (IJ) on June 23. (Pledge today and we will email you on June 23 reminding you to donate on that day.)

IJ helped defend my home and my neighbors’ homes when they were threatened by eminent domain for private gain.

IJ continues to defend other homeowners and small property owners in similar fights.

One hundred percent of the money raised on this site (www.ij.org/keloday) on that day will be used to fight eminent domain abuse--the use of eminent domain for private development projects. We recognize that under the Constitution eminent domain can be used for genuine “public use” projects, such as for a courthouse or to build a highway, but when government power is used to take land from one private property owner only to hand that land over to another private person for their private profit, that is an abuse of government’s power.

Our goal is to earn 10,000 donations for IJ on that one day, Monday, June 23.

Leading up to the Kelo argument, the Institute for Justice documented that 10,000 American property owners had their property threatened or actually taken by eminent domain for private use in just a 5-year period. That 10,000 figure inspired IJ and me to seek 10,000 donations from across the country to send a message to those in power that we care about our homes and that the abuse of eminent domain must be stopped.

We are not seeking large contributions on this day: just $25, $50 or $100. Even a $5 contribution will make a difference and add greatly to the ambitious numbers we’re trying to achieve on that day.

And, if you feel strongly enough about this effort and would be willing to forward this to friends who will join us in the fight to end eminent domain abuse, that too would be greatly appreciated.

Together, we can convince policymakers that eminent domain abuse is un-American and must be stopped.

Thank you for your consideration,

Susette Kelo

In this issue:

(1) California Same-Sex "Marriage" Decision DOES Impact Arizona
(2) Travelers Beware

(1) California Same-Sex "Marriage" Decision DOES Impact Arizona

Today, the California Supreme Court refused to hold off on implementing its ruling redefining marriage to include same-sex relationships until after the people vote in November on a state constitutional amendment. The Court continued to ignore the will of the California voters and also turned a deaf ear to the pleas of other states' attorneys general about the legal chaos invoked by this decision.

California law allows out-of-state residents to obtain marriage licenses. Starting June 17, Arizona same-sex couples will be able to go to California and get marriage licenses. The question will then become whether Arizona has to recognize those California marriage licenses. We can quickly expect to see legal challenges to Arizona law. Examples of legal cases that could arise from an Arizona same-sex couple having a California marriage license include: divorce petitions, child custody disputes, adoptions, use of a church's facilities for a celebration ceremony, and the list goes on.

Since the May 15 decision in California, opponents of the proposed Arizona marriage amendment have been alleging the California ruling won't impact Arizona. Legislators who oppose the marriage amendment in the state Senate are telling constituents that Arizona courts have upheld the Arizona marriage law so there's no need to worry.

Don't be fooled by this argument! What the California court did to the California law, an Arizona court can do to the Arizona law. In 2001, California voters approved the California law defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman by a 61% vote. That's the law that four judges on the California Supreme Court declared unconstitutional. The California law defining marriage as one man and one woman was similar to Arizona's current law. While one Arizona appellate court upheld the Arizona law in 2003, that ruling does not mean the current Arizona Supreme Court or another state court would follow that ruling. The new legal challenges resulting from the California court decision inevitably will lead to challenges to Arizona marriage laws, thus giving courts the opportunity to define marriage, not the people. It's only a question of when - not whether - Arizona's marriage laws will be challenged.

The only means to block the state courts or the state legislature from redefining marriage in Arizona is to amend our state constitution to say:

"Only a union of one man and one woman shall be valid or recognized as a marriage in this state."

(2) Travelers Beware

It's summer vacation time, and that means travel and staying in hotels for many Arizona families. But, beware that pornography remains pervasive at hotel chains. Pro-family groups recently met with representatives from the Marriott to draw attention to some of the filth that the chain is making available in its rooms. The hotel's reps were shocked, although it is unclear whether the Marriott will follow competitors Drury Inn, Ritz Carlton, and Omni hotels in eliminating pornography as an option. Pornography hurts families in countless ways and having it readily available in hotel rooms is only asking for more trouble. As you travel this summer, protect yourself and protect your family by staying in a porn-free hotel.

In this issue:

(1) Two Briefs Filed Today
(2) Gear Up for Voter Registration!
(3) Marriage Update

(1) Two Briefs Filed Today

CAP's attorneys filed two briefs today - one with the Arizona Supreme Court and one with the U.S. Supreme Court.

• In the U.S. Supreme Court, attorneys for CAP and the Alliance Defense Fund filed a brief asking the Court not to review the "Choose Life" license plate case. In January, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Arizona is not allowed to discriminate against the "Choose Life" message and must issue the plates. Unbelievably, in spite of the multi-billion dollar budget shortfall, the state of Arizona decided to spend your tax dollars to appeal this case to the U.S. Supreme Court. CAP and ADF are asking the Supreme Court to reject review of Arizona's appeal so that production of the license plates can begin as soon as possible.

• In the Arizona Supreme Court, CAP filed a friend-of-the-court brief in a case deciding the constitutionality of the closing-hours law for sexually-oriented businesses. The closing-hours law was upheld by the appellate court in Maricopa County but struck down by the court in Pima County. The Arizona Supreme Court will resolve this dispute and decide whether the Arizona Constitution requires more protection for sexually-explicit speech than the federal Constitution. CAP's brief explains why the framers of the Arizona Constitution could not have intended for the Arizona Constitution to offer greater protection for sexually-explicit speech.

(2) Gear Up for Voter Registration!

Holding a nonpartisan voter registration drive at your church is one way YOU can make a difference. Some studies estimate that as many as 50 percent of church-attending Americans are not registered to vote. Partnering with CAP makes it easy to hold a drive! CAP has developed a free Voter Registration Kit to help plan your drive, and our goal is to have voter registration drives in 1000 churches across Arizona. Request a free kit, and ask your pastor about planning a drive in honor of Independence Day on July 4. The Arizona Primary Election deadline for voter registration is August 4, so don't delay!

(3) Marriage Update

On Friday, the attorneys general (AG's) of ten states asked the California Supreme Court to delay the implementation of its decision to redefine marriage to include same-sex couples. Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard was not one of those ten AG's.

The AG's from Alaska, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Michigan, Nebraska, New Hampshire, South Carolina, South Dakota, and Utah asked the court to consider that the new California definition of marriage would result in "extensive and burdensome" litigation in other states that could be avoided if the California voters pass a constitutional amendment in November defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman.

Join David Schweikert with special guest, NRA Past President Sandra Froman as we celebrate....
the 2nd Amendment and pledge to protect our rights!

Thursday, June 19th
5:00pm to 8:00pm

14860 N Northsight Blvd, Scottsdale, AZ

Private Reception with Sandra Froman
from 5 to 6 pm
Time on the Scottsdale Gun Club’s tactical range with automatic weapons and ammunition provided ($750)

General Reception
from 6 to 8 pm
Range time, use of firearms and ammunition provided ($150)

Or by phone 480-659-9383

Who's a better shot... you or David? Prizes given for high scores. Raffle prizes to be won!
David Schweikert has a long history defending our rights. In the legislature he was a prime sponsor of the Arizona Concealed Carry law. David was previously endorsed by the NRA in 1994.

David is an avid defender of 2nd amendment rights. David and his family collect antique and historical firearms and enjoy shooting trap and targets..





Range Master's help for new shooters.

You won't want to miss this incredible evening of music, passion, life and hope! Eric Genuis, the world-renowned musical performer and talent extraordinaire, will be performing musical pieces from a mix of his four fabulous albums. Eric has recorded with the famed Maestro Allan Wilson of London and the Slovak National Symphony Orchestra. His concerts are a definite must-see and have proven a riveting experience for audiences of all ages.

When: Friday July 25th, 2008

Where: City of Grace Campus - Worship Center
Building 5
655 University Drive
Mesa, AZ 85203

Time: 7:30pm - 9:30pm

General Admission: $20
Students & Clergy: $10
Families: $40

Special Discounted Group Rates Available
Contact John Jakubczyk at (602)-468-0030 for more information

Call AZRTL at 602-285-0063 or email azrtl@azrtl.org to reserve your seat.

Come join us on Friday July 25th for a celebration of music, passion, life and hope!

To listen to Eric's Beautiful Music, Click Here
(one of the best clips is "Tradition")

You won't want to miss this incredible evening of music, passion, life and hope! Eric Genuis, the world-renowned musical performer and talent extraordinaire, will be performing musical pieces from a mix of his four fabulous albums. Eric has recorded with the famed Maestro Allan Wilson of London and the Slovak National Symphony Orchestra. His concerts are a definite must-see and have proven a riveting experience for audiences of all ages.

When: Friday July 25th, 2008

Where: City of Grace Campus - Worship Center
Building 5
655 University Drive
Mesa, AZ 85203

Time: 7:30pm - 9:30pm

General Admission: $20
Students & Clergy: $10
Families: $40

Special Discounted Group Rates Available
Contact John Jakubczyk at (602)-468-0030 for more information

Call AZRTL at 602-285-0063 or email azrtl@azrtl.org to reserve your seat.

Come join us on Friday July 25th for a celebration of music, passion, life and hope!

To listen to Eric's Beautiful Music, Click Here
(one of the best clips is "Tradition")

By Matthew Ladner, Ph.D.

AIMS has suffered what ought to be its final indignity. The legislature passed "AIMS Augmentation" in order to allow 6,000 high school seniors to graduate despite an inability to pass what at most amounts to a test of basic skills.

f you can't pass a tenth grade level test, the original thinking went, you don't deserve to graduate from high school. A diploma should mean something, and students need an incentive to work hard. After delaying the graduation requirement several times, the legislature has effectively killed it through easily obtained bonus points.

Using AIMS as an exit exam was never the best idea. Florida uses their testing regime to identify students who aren't reading by the third grade. Students who don't learn reading in the early grades typically drop out before getting close to graduation. So, if improved student learning is the ultimate goal, focusing on earlier grades makes more sense.

Florida has required tens of thousands of students behind in third grade reading to repeat the third grade. Apparently, it's working: Florida's low-income students now outscore the average of all Arizona students in fourth grade reading. In short, Florida sets kids up to succeed, rather than to fail--and they have improved statewide test scores to show for it.

State policymakers should rethink our entire system of testing. Parents, teachers, administrators, and policymakers all require a credible and transparent system of student testing. The AIMS/TerraNova exam is not delivering.

Dr. Matthew Ladner is the Vice President of Research at the Goldwater Institute.

In this issue:

(1) Same-Sex "Marriage" Spreads Across the U.S.
(2) CAP and ADF Defend Religious Freedom in Yuma
(3) Chandler Truth Project Training Event!


(1) Same-Sex "Marriage" Spreads Across the U.S.

The ripple effects from the California decision redefining marriage to include same-sex unions have begun. California announced yesterday that marriage licenses would be issued to same-sex couples starting June 17. New York Governor David Paterson recently directed New York government agencies to recognize same-sex "marriage" licenses from other states and countries, a unilateral action effectively changing over 1,300 state laws and regulations.

The New York development shows one example of what we can expect following the California Supreme Court's decision. Time is short before an Arizona couple will travel to California, get "married," then come back and ask Arizona courts to overturn our state laws and recognize their "marriage."

That's why the marriage amendment pending in the Senate is so very critical. Our laws could be changed by a judge - or even by an executive order or Attorney General directive - until Arizona voters adopt the amendment to our state constitution saying specifically that "only a union of one man and one woman shall be valid or recognized as a marriage in this state." If you haven't contacted your state Senator to ask him or her to support the marriage amendment, please do so today.

(2) CAP and ADF Defend Religious Freedom in Yuma

On Wednesday, CAP's attorneys teamed up with attorneys from the Alliance Defense Fund to file a federal lawsuit on behalf of a church in Yuma. Centro Familiar Cristiano Buenas Nuevas is a vibrant, bilingual congregation in the city of Yuma. In order to continue its growing ministry, the church bought a building in downtown Yuma. The building, a former J.C. Penney department store, has been vacant since 1993. But the city of Yuma denied the church's request for a permit to use the building as a church.

Federal law prohibits cities from making land-use decisions that discriminate against churches. In Yuma, however, nonreligious "assembly" land uses - such as theaters and private clubs - are treated more favorably than churches.

Centro Familiar's exciting cross-cultural mission has a lot to offer downtown Yuma! Please be in prayer for the church's ministry in Yuma and for this case as it moves forward. You can read more about this case in ADF's media release.

(3) Chandler Truth Project Training Event!

Join CAP as we host a 4-hour Truth Project Training Event on Saturday, July 19, at Chandler Christian Church. Partner Training events are designed for those who are already committed to leading The Truth Project as a small group. The agenda focuses on training and vision components, your role as a leader, the expectations of your small group, and a sampling of the curriculum via DVD. The cost is $89 per individual or couple and includes the 7-disc DVD set. Register online today!

The County Attorney's Office today filed a brief with the Arizona Supreme Court asking the court to terminate or, at minimum, refer to an independent special master all State Bar inquiries regarding the County Attorney and other prosecutors in related matters due to serious ethical misconduct by Bar officials and attorneys.

The petition for special action was filed after evidence has mounted that former members of the Maricopa County judiciary improperly enlisted the State Bar, which is an arm of the judiciary, to begin retaliatory investigations of Thomas and other prosecutors due to their criticism of several county judges last year. This sudden flood of investigations occurred right after Thomas criticized members of the county judiciary over their handling of Proposition 100, the ballot measure approved by 78 percent of Arizonans that ended the right to bail for illegal immigrants accused of serious felonies. Growing evidence has made clear the Bar investigations, which legal experts have unanimously concluded are frivolous, were intended to retaliate for the Proposition 100 controversy, as well as to intimidate prosecutors into not criticizing county judges.

Thomas stated, "Proposition 100 is the law of the land today because I took on the judges who refused to enforce it. Now, some judges have reportedly retaliated by encouraging the State Bar to launch improper investigations of my prosecutors and me. Our office will not be intimidated. And I will continue to speak out and defend the will of the people."

Accompanying the brief were affidavits from five esteemed experts in legal ethics stating Thomas had acted properly in all areas being scrutinized by the Bar and had committed no violations of the rules of professional responsibility. These experts are: Thomas Zlaket, former Chief Justice of the Arizona Supreme Court; Jack La Sota, former Attorney General of Arizona; Ernest Calderon, former State Bar President; Geoffrey Hazard, former Yale Law School professor and perhaps the nations leading expert on legal ethics; and Michael Alan Schwartz, former chief counsel at the State Bar of Michigan.

In addition, Hazard and Schwartz were asked to opine on the propriety of actions by State Bar officials. Both concluded that senior Bar officials and attorneys in Arizona have acted improperly in their conduct of these inquiries.

Also released was an affidavit from Chief Assistant County Attorney Sally Wells. She affirmed she had spoken to a senior official at the State Bar who had said "retired judges" visited the State Bar last year and urged the Bar to "do something" about Thomas. They made this complaint because of Thomas' public criticism of county judges and judicial rulings, statements which Thomas had a clear constitutional right to offer. They urged retaliatory action by the Bar in the absence of any evidence that Thomas or any other prosecutor in his office had violated any of the rules of professional responsibility.

Immediately after this visit by retired judges in the fall of 2007, the Bar launched multiple investigations of Thomas and other prosecutors and attorneys working for Maricopa County. The Bar commenced six separate investigations of Thomas. It launched an investigation of Barnett Lotstein, a long-time senior prosecutor in the office, simply for writing newspaper columns defending Thomas from inaccurate criticism related to Proposition 100 made by Presiding Judge Barbara Rodriguez Mundell. The Bar also began an investigation of an attorney with the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office after he publicly criticized rulings of Judge Anna Baca. Her rulings eventually were overturned by the Arizona Court of Appeals.

In recent days, as Bar officials learned of the County Attorney's plans to file a special action with the Supreme Court, they abruptly announced, without explanation, they would terminate three of the six investigations of Thomas. However, those matters that remain are the subject of serious and continuing misconduct by Bar officials.

Maricopa County taxpayers have had to pay more than $300,000 in legal bills to defend against these inquiries. These bills continue to mount for Bar matters that, diverse legal experts unanimously agree, all lack merit.

The following misconduct by Bar officials and attorneys was identified in affidavits and exhibits submitted to the Supreme Court today:

After Superior Court judges urged the Bar to "do something" against Thomas, State Bar President Daniel McAuliffe launched a public relations campaign against the County Attorney intended to prejudice all attorneys and judges against him and his office. This included sending an article to every attorney and judge in Arizona in which McAuliffe claimed falsely that Thomas had accused every Maricopa County Superior Court judge of bias. There is strong evidence McAuliffe and other outside parties are involved in the investigations, as he and a public defender leaked news of these matters to the media weeks before Thomas received notice of them from the State Bar.

Chief Bar Counsel Robert Van Wyck, a Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Pro Tem, has admitted prejudice against the County Attorney's Office because of the County Attorney's handling of "illegal alien" criminal cases. He said he recused himself from all criminal cases filed by the County Attorneys Office because he saw a "conflict" due to his disagreement with the offices handling of cases against "illegal aliens" and the office's "plea policies." Yet he has refused to recuse himself from the Bar investigations.

In letters to former special prosecutor Dennis Wilenchik and a second, currently employed county prosecutor, Van Wyck misrepresented the ethical rules in an attempt to compel them to reveal privileged information. Van Wyck has taken the position that attorneys may not assert the attorney-client privilege or any other privilege in Bar investigations. This position is plainly contrary to law and the Supreme Court's own rules. As a result of his efforts, Van Wyck succeeded in violating the attorney-client privilege in the Wilenchik matter.

When attorneys for Thomas complained to Van Wyck about these and other actions by the Bar, Van Wyck retaliated. He sent them another frivolous inquiry against Thomas that was three months old. This matter was dismissed recently, but only after taxpayers were forced to spend thousands of additional dollars to respond to it.

Van Wyck has pledged to give the privileged information he is seeking to adverse parties in current or prior litigation against the County Attorneys Office or Maricopa County. Van Wyck is openly coordinating his investigations with attorneys for the New Times in its recent lawsuit against Maricopa County officials. As a result, the State Bar is seeking to compel the production of privileged information from Maricopa County attorneys to hand over to a plaintiff in active litigation against the county. He is doing this even though legal experts have unanimously agreed Thomas did not violate the rules of professional responsibility in his handling of the New Times matter.

Thomas added that unless the Supreme Court intervenes, the attorney-client privilege effectively will have been repealed in Arizona. The Bar has taken the position that any third party can lodge a complaint with the State Bar and misuse the Bar's disciplinary process to extract privileged information and material from investigated attorneys. This includes complaints filed by plaintiffs or defendants in active litigation. This arrangement will disadvantage all individuals and businesses in Arizona that seek to rely on confidential legal advice, as that advice no longer is confidential. Serving as counsel for Thomas and the County Attorney's Office in this matter are Leo Beus and Dan Cracchiolo. They are two prominent Arizona attorneys who co-founded two of Arizona's leading law firms, Beus Gilbert and Burch & Cracchiolo.

Appearing at the press conference and speaking in support of the offices actions today were Sheriff Joe Arpaio; Jack La Sota, former Attorney General of Arizona; Beus; Michael Alan Schwartz, a former prosecutor from Brooklyn, New York, who served as chief bar counsel for the State Bar of Michigan; Wells and Lotstein.

Cracchiolo, who was out of the country and unable to attend the press conference, provided a statement to the media: "I am a registered Democrat, and I happen to disagree with a number of Mr. Thomas' policies on illegal immigration. However, I am very troubled by the actions of the State Bar towards him and his office. As a former prosecutor myself, I believe these actions should be of great concern to anyone who wants the Maricopa County Attorney's Office to be able to do its job effectively. I hope the Supreme Court will intervene and correct these injustices."

The State Bar reports to and is overseen by the Supreme Court, which is why this special action was filed directly with the court.

AMERICANS FOR PROSPERITY

Stop the $1.2 trillion global warming tax!

The U.S. Senate will begin debate next week on a massive new regulatory scheme known as “cap-and-trade,” a phrase the Washington Post described as a “pithy marketing gimmick.” It’s a tricky way to hide a massive energy tax hike by hiding it behind a complex regulatory scheme. The cap-and-trade bill, sponsored by Sens. Joseph Lieberman and John Warner and known as Lieberman-Warner, will increase federal revenue by $1.2 TRILLION dollars over just the first 7 years that it is in effect, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.

Senator McCain is leaning towards supporting this legislation. We say leaning because we firmly believe that he can still be persuaded to vote no, which makes it crucial that you weigh in against this massive tax-and-spend bill now.

Al Gore, in a little noticed 2006 interview, said that the energy tax he pushed in 1993, known as the BTU tax, was one of the leading reasons Republicans won the House in 1994. The lesson he learned was not that massive energy tax hikes are a bad idea, but rather that they have to be hidden from voters. That’s what cap-and-trade is all about.

An analysis commissioned by the American Council on Capital Formation and the National Association of Manufacturers projects the economic impact of the S. 2191 by 2020 to Arizona: 23,000 to 34,000 fewer jobs, $800 to $2,600 in lower annual disposable income per household, an annual hit to Arizona GSP of between $2.6 and $3.6 billion, and much higher energy prices — 20 percent to 67 percent higher for gasoline and 23 percent to 30 percent higher for electricity. The study also found that lower-income families — people who are least able to absorb higher energy costs — will be the hardest hit.

And what do we buy, environmentally, with this hit to the economy? Cap-and-trade is already failing to reduce emissions in Europe. And even if emissions targets are met, climate models show that the reductions would have only a miniscule impact on global temperature—less than 0.1 degrees Celsius in 100 years—and would not be detectable against the background of natural variation. That’s why leading climate alarmists have hailed a Kyoto-style cap-and-trade regime as just the first step of thirty to curb global economic activity, a recipe for permanently destroying the global economy.

Tell Senator McCain to vote NO on the cap-and-trade energy tax!

Americans for Prosperity (AFP) is the nation’s premier grassroots organization committed to advancing every individual’s right to economic freedom and opportunity. AFP believes reducing the size and scope of government is the best safeguard to ensuring individual productivity and prosperity for all Americans. AFP educates and engages citizens in support of restraining state and federal government growth, and returning government to its constitutional limits.

For more information, visit www.americansforprosperity.org

Preston Korn Files Nomination Petitions
For Immediate Release
May 29, 2008

(Flagstaff, Arizona) - Preston Korn has filed his nomination petitions with the Secretary of State on Tuesday, May 28th just after greeting the President's plane at Sky Harbor International.

Preston Korn was privileged to be an integral part of making it possible for four living generations of Eagle Scouts to meet the President of the United States.

Korn explained, "Tom Boggess IV had told me that his son, Shelton, would soon be earning his Eagle Scout. Shelton had worked very hard to earn his Eagle badge, particularly for his great-grandfather, Thomas Shelton Boggess, Jr., an Eagle Scout himself, whose health had been beginning to fail."

With Shelton's achievement, the Boggess family now had four living generations of Eagle Scouts.

"I believed that the Boggess family had achieved something unique and special and wanted to help in any way I could so that Tom Boggess, Jr. could meet the President with his descendents, who were also Eagle Scouts."

"I decided I was going to do what I could to help Mr. Boggess meet the President one more time. I contacted a few people who I thought could help and Ken Bennett came through with a phone call to Karl Rove. Eventually the call came from the White House, the arrangements were made, and Tuesday all four generations were able to greet President Bush at the bottom of the steps of Air Force One in Phoenix."

Korn says he "was honored to be there with the Boggess family."

Preston Korn is now the second Republican to file petitions for Arizona's First Congressional District.

"I believe it's important for the people to have a conservative representative who lives in this district and, thus, better understands the needs of those living in the district"

"Thank you to all those who have helped collect signatures to make this campaign possible." Korn concluded.

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The Eagle Scouts meeting with President Bush


Myself with the Boggess family.


Shelton Boggess was able to also meet several Arizona political officials.
From left to right: Myself, State Senate President Tim Bee, Senator Jon Kyl, Thomas Shelton Boggess V, Congressman Trent Franks


Myself and friend Tim Vest on Air Force One.
Paid for by Preston Korn for Congress
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Tuesday, May 27th, Trent Humphries filed 710 signatures with the Secretary of State’s office to qualify as a candidate for the state legislature in District 26. Humphries finished gathering signatures in February on Super Tuesday where campaign staff covered most northwest-side polling stations with signature petitions. With the exception of a candidate for state senate in the district, Trent Humphries was the first to complete the process of gathering the required signatures in District 26.
Trent Humphries has been acknowledged in the press as the front-runner in the District 26 House race. He has established himself as the solutions candidate in healthcare, education, public safety, and government spending holding bi-partisan public forums with expert panelists to define the issues.

For further information about Trent Humphries’ leadership on the issues, or for information on upcoming forums, please call Kevin Herring at 520-465-8594.