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>>> Coming up next on "Arizona
Horizon," the latest political
news and our weekly update with
the "Arizona Capitol Times."
And we'll discuss Arizona issues
from a congressional point of
view, with U.S. Representative
Paul Gosar.
Those stories next on "Arizona
Horizon."
"Arizona Horizon" is made
possible by contributions from
the Friends of Eight, members of
your Arizona PBS stations, thank
you.
>>> Good evening, and welcome to
"Arizona Horizon," I'm Ted
Simons.
A federal judge ruled today that
Arizona and Kansas can require
proof of citizenship when
residents use a federal form for
voter registration.
Both states sued the Federal
Election Assistance Commission
after the commission had refused
to add a state mandated proof of
citizenship on federal
registration forms.
Arizona Secretary of State Ken
Bennett said he was "delighted"
with the ruling.
State Senator Steve Gallardo
criticized the decision, saying
that college students in
particular will be harmed by the
judge's ruling.
The state Senate released its
budget this week, and lawmakers
again attempted and failed to
undermine Arizona's new
education standards.
Here now with our weekly
political update is Jim Small
with the "Arizona Capitol
Times".
Good to see you.
>> Good to join you.
>> I think the House compared
today.
What do you say, comparing and
contrasting what the governor is
looking for?
>> The legislative proposals
want to spend less than what the
governor is calling for, and
they anticipate less in
revenues, also.
They got out of the committee
along party line votes,
Republicans supporting and
Democrats opposing.
They are meeting bright and
in the morning, to
go to the floor and debate the
bills and they will come back
sometime later in the afternoon
and vote on the bills and send
them over to the House.
>> On both House and Senate
side, any grumbling going on
there?
From the Republican side in
particular, that's where the
problems were last session.
>> Right now, no.
Even the breakaway Republicans
from the Senate from last year
in the fight over the Medicaid
expansion look like they are all
going to vote for the budget
when it comes out of the Senate
tomorrow.
There's a sense of trying to
move the negotiations along and
realize this isn't the final
budget.
Whatever gets out of the Senate
or the House next week is going
to have to go to the governor.
They are going to have to work
things out with her to figure
out where they are going to end
up.
>> One of those things I'm sure
is the business for no new
funding for a common core
assessment, a common core test.
Is that a place-holder or
serious business?
>> Looks to be serious business
right now.
$13 million, something like
that, $15 million for this
assessment.
The state hasn't signed on to it
yet.
We don't know which one the
State is going to sign onto.
Until the state decides which
one it's going to pick and gets
bids back on doing this test, we
shouldn't allocate any money to
it.
The business community, four
major business groups, the
Arizona Chamber, the Greater
Phoenix Chamber, the Greater
Phoenix Leadership and Southern
Arizona Leadership Council sent
a letter to all 90 lawmakers and
said the Senate budget does some
really good things, but any
budget that doesn't include the
funding for this assessment is
something that needs to be
fixed.
Essentially, why do we have
these standards?
And if we don't have a test to
measure how students are being
taught, we're not going to know
anything about whether they are
effective or what needs to be
fixed.
They said basically they would
be flying blind in education.
>> Coming into the session, the
new child welfare agency, the
Senate version wants much less
money for the CPS successor.
I think people thought there
would be a little arm-wrestling
going on with that.
But the assessment for common
core, did anyone see that being
a major issue for this session?
>> Some people did.
We heard from people in the fall
that, you know, keep your eyes
on this idea of this test.
Last year there was a big fight,
there was basically a bill to
get rid of the AIMS test and
replace with it a test called
the Parks test to test
standards.
That bill got through one
chamber and went to the Senate
and it ran into some roadblocks.
They ended up with a really
stripped down version of that
bill through the legislature
last year.
That was kind of a harbinger of
what we're seeing now.
It seems to be stronger in the
Senate than the House, but the
House frankly hasn't had any of
these bills come to the floor
yet.
>> We just had three more bills
to essentially undermine common
core in a variety of ways.
Those are addressed, voted down
with the help of some
Republicans.
>> And largely it's the
Republicans that voted for the
Medicaid expansion last year for
the budget with the governor.
The Governor has been a strong
supporter of the common core
standards.
They were implemented under her
administration, the state board
of education did that in 2010.
She supported them from the
beginning.
And she continues to support
them.
I think those votes from those
Republicans, they look at it and
say, look, the Governor wants
these standards and the business
community wants these standards.
Why would we vote to get rid of
them and go back to nothing?
Essentially if you say the state
can't use these common core
standards, we have to go back
and develop all new standards or
go back to the ones in place
almost 15 years ago.
>> Sounds like there's still a
bill out there that needs to be
decided, in regard to requiring
districts to develop their own
standards.
They keep on rolling through.
>> They do.
That bill -- we'll see if it
comes to the Senate floor or
not.
>> That's true.
>> I don't think it's going out
too far on a limb to expect it
to meet the same fate as similar
bills.
>>> APS and the idea of solar
panels and a property tax hike
on solar panels, which would be
a tax hike.
Correct me if I'm wrong here:
APS says we have no interest or
position on this, but everyone
who talks to APS says, oh, they
do have a position on this.
>> The Department of Revenue
reinterpreted a statute and put
a tax on residential solar
rooftop panels that hadn't been
taxed before.
The old interpretations say they
aren't taxed and the new one
says they are taxed to get
something firmly in state law.
The solar industry folks have
said for months APS is involved
in this, they want this tax to
be in place.
APS says consistently, we have
no position on this bill,
nothing that we're involved
with.
But we've heard from the
governor's office they have met
with APS tax folks to discuss
this issue, among others.
Also some legislators, House
Majority Whip Rick Gray told one
of my colleagues, yeah, I met
with an APS lobbyist and he was
supportive of this tax.
Representative gray represents
the Sun City area.
The solar industry has installed
a lot of rooftop solar on
community centers and also on
people's homes, selling them on
the idea, you're on a fixed
income.
If you can reduce your energy
costs that's a good thing.
>> Sounds like the property tax
assessment would hike perhaps
the average resident, maybe
seeing 50 $70 a month insurance,
right?
>> If this tax goes into effect,
and essentially the tax will be
on, say, a company like Solar
City.
But it'll be passed on to the
consumer.
You essentially wipe out any
energy savings they would have
right there on the average unit
with the average tax.
>> We're going to make sure this
assessment doesn't happen, and
another says we're going listen
to what APS says they are not
saying, but apparently they are,
and look at this tax.
>> A couple of competing things
out there, one of them is in
this tax conformity bill,
something the state does every
year to make its tax line up
with federal tax code changes.
There's a provision that would
codify a to interpretation of
the law and say this tax
happens.
Just yesterday the Senate
Elections Committee heard a
strike everything amendment that
does the opposite.
No, we're going to make sure
this tax doesn't happen.
Michelle Reagan, the sponsor of
that amendment, said look, I was
here when we put in that
exemption for this rooftop
solar.
The point was specifically to do
that, to make sure people aren't
paying a tax on it, in order to
encourage use of it.
We're not going to go back and
try to rewrite the rules that
DOR basically was acting out of
order when it went and
reinterpreted that statute.
>> Definitely to be continued.
>> We will talk more about this
with Congressman Gosar.
Tesla, I don't know if it's a
striker or not, but they can't
sell their cars here, there's a
move to change that?
>> Arizona's law requires you to
basically have a dealership in
order to sell vehicles here.
They can't actually sell you a
vehicle there, they have to jump
through some hoops to do that,
you can't test-drive and
inspection like that.
There's a bill to open that up
and it says we'll allow direct
sales to the consumer.
Dealerships aren't terribly
happy about it.
I think they see some potential
harm to them down the line if
all of the car companies or
other major car companies decide
to do the same thing and
essentially put them out of
business.
>> Jim, good to see you.
Thanks for joining us.
>>> Just off I-10 in the town of
Quartzite stands a pyramid
gravestone to a curious name
still celebrated in these parts.
Hai jolly.
He was an immigrant who came to
the United States and worked for
the army as a caretaker of a
herd of animals used in an
experiment aimed at
experimenting with a new way to
transport goods in the desert by
camels.
Hai jolly remained a faithful
Army scout for some 30 years and
died in Quartzite in 1932.
Some believe they still roam the
desert a haunting and romantic
legacy.
>>> Expand your horizons with
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Show your support for "Arizona
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>>> Republican Congressman Paul
Gosar represents the 4th
Congressional District which
covers western and northwestern
parts of the state and stretches
through the Phoenix metro area.
Good to see you again.
>> Good seeing you, Ted.
>> We talked about Tesla, what's
happening at the state level.
Considering this big old battery
plant, I guess, for Arizona.
The entire congressional
delegation signs off on this,
let's talk about this.
>> Isn't that amazing?
We can agree on something.
This is very, very important,
6500 jobs.
We want to show that Arizona is
open and willing for business.
So this is a good move.
>> Is there concern about that
state law that requires a
dealership to sell a vehicle?
Is that something that needs to
be looked at?
>> I think it's from the
standpoint of the governor and
the commerce authority and the
state legislature to look at.
As a federalist I want to make
sure the states have their
jurisdiction and work with them.
That's always what we've tried
to do.
We've had lots of inquiries from
other companies and
manufacturers and we want to
push them the same way.
We don't want to pick and choose
winners but we want to make sure
there's a job market open right
here in Arizona.
>> We've worked hard to create
one of the best business
environments in the country by
removing obstacles and we just
went through a time where a lot
of folks were making fun of
Arizona, right or wrong, that
image, how are we doing well by
that image?
People mentioned Tesla, they may
not want to do business in a
state with that kind of image.
Does that make sense to you?
>> I don't know that that's the
image, Ted.
We came into this image as the
last of the Lower 48 coming in.
The one thing you've got to do
that we are having a maverick
type attitude in this state --
and I think that's what
necessary for this next new
generation of Arizonans to
embrace and be the power of the
assessment I don't run from
that, I run to that.
We're willing to ask the
questions.
>> Was it concerning to you,
though, a firm that looks at
diversity and acceptance like a
Tesla might be concerned about
an SB 1062?
>> In a business model they
ought to look at this.
It's a golden opportunity for
them to be part of an historic
movement in Arizona.
Blue skies, batteries that are
state of the art.
Here we are the mining center of
the United States?
It's time to play business.
>> One more note on this: The
letter says a highly skilled
workforce was mentioned but
others are saying highly skilled
workforce, right now education
in Arizona is not emphasized
enough to make that kind of a
claim.
>> I disagree.
I think we have our own aspect
of growing pains and in
education.
We've got three great
Universities, MAU, ASU and U. of
A.
A, they are great steppingstones
and on the forefront of that.
We want oversight of our
educational system at the K-12
level.
We're tired of the status quo.
Instead of teaching to the
mediums, we want to teach to the
excellents.
>> Tesla is expected to decide
when?
>> Here shortly.
They are given notice they are
in the final evaluation.
It could be any time.
>>> Renewable energy on public
lands, what exactly are we
talking about here?
>> What we're trying to do is
bring local control to some of
the oversight on public lands.
That is in renewables like solar
and wind and geothermal.
Some of these royalties that are
expected to come back to the
state, they are divvied out in
their preparations.
25% goes to the county
jurisdiction so that the
counties that are most
responsible for having these
public lands, having to maintain
them, actually get the revenues
to come directly for them.
It also starts the process of
everybody having skin in the
game of the permitting process.
It's a win-win for the local
communities.
>> Is it revenue sharing with
oil exploration?
>> Absolutely, we want to be on
the same footing.
>> And infrastructure would be
one of the things that would
benefit, I would imagine?
>> Well, we would allow the
county and state to decide in
that regard.
There's another 15% that
actually goes to the permitting
process and streamlining and
establishing corridors for
endangered speeds&reserves.
>> What's the current situation?
>> It goes partly to the state
and partly to the federal
government.
Part of that reason in the last
budget process we split those
revenue on public lands 50/50.
That was extended to into% going
to the federal government and
only 48 coming to the state.
That's where what we need to do
is have an equitable type of
those royalties coming back to
home reserve.
>> Are we seeing renewable
energy production?
Are we seeing an increase, the
promise of an increase on
federal lands now?
>> I think the opportunity is
absolutely there.
Ted, instead of being a follower
we're trying to lead the way and
start that discussion, so that
everybody is utilizing our
public lands in an enhanced use
application.
>> Flood control issues are
always big in Arizona,
especially in rural Arizona.
>> We saw the budgetary plan, we
got three of those instances
moved forward.
One in the big South is lower
Santa Cruz.
It's time to harness that water
and start to look at our growth
aspects, let's harness it and
make it the CAP of the South.
A constant battle trying to get
the Feds to figure up an
agreement in Flagstaff, and the
levy over in Winfield.
>> Protecting homes and rail
lines in Flagstaff, correct?
>> Oh, absolutely.
The southern part of Flagstaff
very episodically floods.
This channels that episodic
flooding away from those
businesses and allow good
transportation.
>> And this is $3 million?
>> We constantly go over and
over this thing until we get
this remedy done.
>> It also benefits to have more
than one lawmaker working on
this.
You teamed with Andrew Patrick
on this?
>> When we were elected we were
elected to represent everybody.
I'm a builder kind of guy.
The thing about it is that's
what enhances an economy.
It doesn't build an economy but
it enhances it.
The federal government in
article I, Section 8, is
responsible for structure
aspects.
>> Some of the business is not
even in your district, correct?
>> I was hired to help Arizona
and that's my intention, to help
anybody that needs my help.
>> You came out just recently
with a number of ideas, five I
believe, on cutting federal
costs on everything from plane
flights for congressional
members to bonuses to V.A.
members.
>> We've got to be serious about
waste, fraud and abuse.
We have to follow through oh on
our promises to the American
taxpayer that government is
riddled with fraud.
We have to start answering up.
What we've done in the budgetary
process, it gives you the
opportunity to put these ideas
forward and show the American
people we can cut these costs.
They are reasonable, sound and
common sense.
And then make her they are
applied into the budgetary
process.
>> When you talk about
prohibiting members of Congress
from flying first class, is it
wise to call that fraud?
>> I lead by leadership.
I walk a mile in my moccasins
and lead by that example.
We get upgraded when there are
empty seats and that's fine.
>>> Another one was these life
sized photographs of building
facades.
What is that all about?
>> When you do restoration
projects like what you see in
Washington, D.C., particularly
on the Washington monument, we
had to put these huge facades on
there to pretend nothing was
happening.
What's the problem with
discussing we're fixing the
Washington monument.
>> That's extra costs that we
can't afford right now.
>> And funding for the highway
traffic administration's
roadside survey, this is getting
a lot of attention.
If folks could pull you over and
start to ask questions and doing
all sorts of things.
>> This is bureaucracy run amok.
These are some of the little
things we've been able to pick
up in regards to the
bureaucracy, the spending
habits.
We don't have a habit of
throwing in revenues, we have a
big problem with spending.
>> With these five, there's
nothing here that breaks the
bank, tips the Bank One way or
the other, it's the message?
>> But they all add up.
Every mom and pop is tightening
their belt.
We didn't like sequestration
because it cut across the board.
This is the scalpel knife coming
in here, exposing and putting
light on the spending problems
in the bureaucracy.
Then let us answer and get it
done.
>> What kind of response are you
getting from these?
>> We're getting a lot.
You still have to go through the
rules process, but these are
common sense and I don't think
many people will have big
problems with them.
>> Back in Washington, we talked
about Arizona issues but for
national issues, the Ukraine is
major, I don't know what
Congress can do about it but the
missing Malaysian plane,
everyone is talking about that.
What's happening with foreign
relations around the world in
general?
>> We have lost our place as a
world leader and director of
what's wrong and what's good.
This is an exercise that you --
you exercise what you have done
in your history.
We make lines in Syria and then
don't follow through.
When you don't -- aren't sincere
about your actions they come to
rest here.
When you do do actions like the
Keystone pipeline, go across
that line we are going to
economically strangle you.
We've got the energy to export
to Europe.
All of a sudden it's very
different for Putin.
The only thing he has as
marketable assets is gas and
oil.
>> If you beat Putin down in
public, that's a good idea?
Or do you let him crow a little
bit and work under the scenes?
>> I'm more interested in what
we do as Americans building up a
trusted friend and ally.
Once you restore the respect for
the United States, Putin will
fall in line.
>>> Thursday on Arizona Horizon
we will talk about the economics
of marijuana from a business
journalist's point of view.
And we'll take a video tour of
the Deer Valley rock art center,
which feature as sizeable
collection of petroglyphs.
Those stories and are more
and 10:00 on
the next "Arizona Horizon."
That is it for now.
I'm Ted Simons, thank you so
much for joining us.
Just a great evening.
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