Today I began on the floor, which was immediately resolved to go to caucus. This time, instead of watching the Democratic caucus, I went to the Republican caucus to see the other side. The Republican caucus seemed to contain much more debate than the Democratic caucus (though that may just be the bills debated or just the fact that their unity is not as necessary considering their majority), as representatives asked questions of each other and commented on their stances on different issues. Unlike the Democratic caucus, different members floated in and out of caucus over the course of the meeting, and of course, no bills were taken off the consent calendar. Furthermore, many representatives used this opportunity to argue for their own bills and praise each other on their work.
Next, I went to the floor, where there were more second readings of bills, meaning more debates and questions about bills. If you want to see the whole thing, be sure to click here[LINK]. If I haven't been clear before, let me explain second and third readings. When a bill is introduced, it is read the first time, after which it is assigned to one or more committees. After it passes those committees, it is read again on the floor in the second reading, where all the final amendments are adopted to the bill and needs to vote upon again to move onto a third read. At the third read, members cast their final votes, and if passed, is moved over to the senate.
However, before all of this, the House and specifically Rep. Rivero introduced the mayor of Puerto Penasco, as well as a Senator from Mexico, both gave a speech which was too long to quote but very moving, and so I encourage all of you to watch it here:
Thursday, February 23, 2017
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Hi Mimi! I was just looking at your blog because politics, and I noticed something kind of neat: Rep. Rivero, the aforementioned Mexican senator, and the Mayor of Puerto Peñasco were both in our office on Thursday meeting with Senator Flake, so they evidently had a busy day.
ReplyDeleteThat's so funny, did you get to meet them? I suppose if they came all the way from Mexico they would want to meet everyone...
DeleteThanks for checking out my blog!
Awesome that you got to meet Kiko Munro! I met him and supported his campaign in Puerto Penasco back in 2015 (we still have a campaign poster of his hanging in our garage). By the way, is the legislature only in session on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, or are those just the days that you visit?
ReplyDeleteThats great! The legislature is in session Jan-April and on weekdays, I only come in three days of the week
DeleteHey Mimi! Were you able to spot any differences between how the Democratic and Republican caucuses are run? And if so, are there any reasons for that?
ReplyDeleteThe Republicans were a lot more casual (probably because they don't have to worry as much because their bills have a higher chance of passing), and there was a lot more debate. In the Republican caucus there was debate about people's bills, whereas the Democrats either liked or disliked it as a whole (again, probably because they have to be more unified since they are a minority party, and the Republicans agree generally but get the chance to work out the finer details since it will be received more warmly)
DeleteI think you mentioned to me before about how these representatives don't do this as their full-time job, but as a side gig and I was really curious to know more about the dual lives that they lead. Are most of these people in law/public policy as their other job as well, or do some people lead totally different lives after they leave the state legislature? It would be really interesting to know. As always, keep up the good work!
ReplyDeleteI agree, it is always very interesting to see what the legislators do outside of the legislature. There are actually not very many lawyers at the legislature; however I have noticed that there are a lot of teachers and real estate agents (probably because their schedule is more flexible). However, there are all sorts of people, including retirees.
DeleteHi Mimi! I think you bringing up that bills are read three times over before they're passed is really interesting. I think the fact that representatives read it three times before passing or not passing it shows the importance of their work. I think it also reinforces how dedicated the legislators are to their job and how thorough they are.
ReplyDeleteActually, the readings are done really quickly, so I don't know if they actually get a chance to pay attention to the bill being read. However, I would agree that they are very thorough when deciding how to vote, there have been many debates about language and specific words used in bills to make sure it is as good as possible. I'll be sure to include a reading in my next post to show you what it's like!
DeleteHi Mimi! I remember reading a while back about opening prayers at the AZ legislature, but I'd never actually listened to one before clicking the link in your post. Is there an opening prayer every day?
ReplyDeleteHave you noticed any kind of difference between the issues focused on in the news and in the legislature?
Hey Grady! Yes, they do it every day, along with the pledge of allegiance. From what I've seen, the news tend to focus on many of the broad and controversial issues, like the bill to eliminate speeding cameras or prop 105. Many times, the news media focuses on the original bill, which becomes problematic as the bill gets amended throughout the legislative process. Thanks for asking, I'll be sure to include more of that kind of stuff in my future posts
DeleteWow mimi! Sounds like you have your hands full! Besides this, what have you noticed in the behavior of representatives, as I know they have connotations of being snobby and egotistical. Thanks, Zand.
ReplyDeleteThe Representatives have actually been very polite towards each other, and many seem to be dedicated towards the their constituents and their needs. For example, those from rural districts will always ask how this affects their districts and those areas, and the same with those who represent districts with universities or native american or latino populations. I agree that sometimes they get portrayed that way, and maybe sometimes for a reason, but from my experience they have been anything but.
DeleteHey Mimi! Glad to see that your project is going well- it looks like you've had quite the week. I was wondering why, as you said, the Republican caucus had members coming in and out of the meeting; does it have something to do with their importance or interest in the bills being discussed, or is it something else? Hope the rest of your project goes well.
ReplyDeleteI think it just has to do with whether or not they actually have questions about those bills, or if they have other meetings/ business to attend to during those times. Understandably, their schedules are always very full, and with so many people that are interested in talking to representatives it is difficult to find time to meet with people.
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