Posted by AzBlueMeanie:
There appears to be some dispute as to who is the craziest John Bircher of all: the Arizona Capitol Times gives credit to Rep. Terri Proud (R-Tucson) for SB 1507, but the Arizona Republic gives credit to Sen. Judy Burges (R-Sun City West) for SB 1507. Regular readers know that both are batshit crazy. Your call.
What is SB 1507? It is the "one world order" conspiracy theory nightmare of all nightmares for John Birchers.
First, the Arizona Capitol Times (subscription required) Bill aimed at stopping United Nations takeover of U.S. advances | Arizona Capitol times:
The Arizona House of Representatives on Wednesday gave initial approval to a bill that some proponents say is aimed at stopping a United Nations conspiracy to take away the rights of American citizens.
* * *
The bill, SB1507, would make it illegal for any government entity in the state to abide by any tenet or principle of the non-binding United Nations Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, adopted by the international group in 1992.
The declaration includes 27 principles, such as promoting sustainable communities, managing natural resources and working toward the eradication of poverty.
Rep. Terri Proud, a Tucson Republican and proponent of the bill, said in a mass email to her supporters that the non-binding declaration “will take away our rights as Americans by allowing the United Nations to mandate laws on our soil.”
“It’s very real and it is happening,” Proud’s email warns.
[Rep.] Jack Harper, a Surprise Republican, said the declaration is connected to the “occult” of sustainability.
To your underground bunkers! Get yer guns! The U.N. blue helmets are a comin'!
Because SB1507 would make any state actions or funding that even align with the declaration illegal, the bill’s critics say that things like funding the Department of Economic Security would become illegal because it falls into the broad definition of working toward the eradication of poverty.
Likewise, critics say public-private solar and wind energy projects could become illegal because they are part of the effort to develop sustainable energy solutions, which the Rio Declaration also promotes. And sustainability research at the state’s three universities could be put into jeopardy because of the same reasoning.
House Rules Attorney Tim Fleming said in late March, when the bill moved through the Rules Committee, that worries about the bill making such state efforts illegal are warranted.
House Minority Leader Chad Campbell, D-Phoenix, [asked] whether someone would be able to bring a lawsuit against the state for participating in or funding anything that could be construed as aligning with the declaration’s broad principles.
Fleming said that would likely be the case.
Oh, now I understand. This is yet another one of those bills that empowers citizens who dabble in wild-ass conspiracy theories to bring lawsuits to pursue their conspiracy theories. The courts are over-burdened with frivolous lawsuits now, why make it any easier for someone a few bricks short of a full load to engage in malicious prosecution of a case that is a frivolous lawsuit?
Next up, the Arizona Republic's take on this bill. Arizona 'tea party' anti-sustainability bill advancing:
On Wednesday, the Arizona House, in a preliminary voice vote, approved SB 1507, a measure sponsored by Rep. Judy Burges, R-Sun City West, a tea-party member.
The bill takes aim at a 1992 U.N. declaration. Conservative groups such as the John Birch Society that do not believe in global warming contend the declaration aims to restrict citizens' choices, such as whether they can drive a gas-fueled car.
The Senate approved the Burges bill more than a month ago. The House still must hold a final roll-call vote during a third reading of the bill.
* * *
Under Burges' bill, the state, counties and cities could not accept or spend funds from "certain non-governmental organizations," including non-profit groups and contractors, for any of the declaration's initiatives. They also could not give funds to such organizations.
"I find it quite amazing that we have this on this floor, considering the issues of sustainability that are actually moving our economy forward," said Rep. Debbie McCune Davis, D-Phoenix, an opponent of the bill.
Earlier this month, Governor Jan "one world order" Brewer signed the toll road bill, HB 2491, into law before the ink was even dry on the engrossed bill, and Bircher Rep. David Stevens (R-Sierra Vista), flipped out. SV legislator: Sinister plot is behind toll-highway plan ("Stevens fears I-11 link between Phoenix, Vegas will doom US").
Governor Jan "one world order" Brewer also vetoed the bill by Bircher Rep. David Gowan (R-Sierra Vista) which would have required employees of federal law enforcement agencies to tell the elected county sheriff "before taking any official law enforcement action in a county in this state." Brewer rejects bill requiring notice by federal law officers.
And this week, the Arizona Senate rejected a proposed ballot measure by Bircher Sen. "Cap'n Al" Melvin (R-Tucson) to declare that the state has sovereignty over the air, water and other natural resources within its boundaries, Ariz. Senate rejects states’ rights ballot measure | Arizona Capitol Times, but the Arizona House on Monday approved a bill demanding that the federal government surrender control of public lands to the state. (Yeah, that's unconstitutional, even legislative counsel says so).
Call Governor Jan "one world order" Brewer and tell her to veto these crazy Bircher bills. Call Gov. Jan Brewer's Tucson office at 628-6580, or call Phoenix toll-free at 1-800-253-0883. Or email her using the form on her website: azgovernor.gov/contact.asp
I recall as a young kid seeing billboards in Southern Arizona that simply said "Get U.S. out of the U.N. - John Birch Society." That was back when the GOP establishment had kicked the fringe Birchers out of the GOP. Now they are back and serving in the Tea-Publican Arizona legislature. How far Arizona has regressed.
Recent Comments