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Leadership ♦ Research ♦ Advocacy ♦ Newsletter ♦ Speakers ♦ Counties ♦ Alliances ♦ Calendar ♦ Contact
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By Richard De Uriarte, Maricopa County
 Maricopa County Supervisor Don Stapley and Attorney General Terry Goddard brought together leaders from law enforcement and drug prevention groups, as well as local governments, in a Meth Roundtable in Phoenix last week. It was called in conjunction with a release of a RAND Corporation report detailing a $23.4 billion economic cost to the nation due to meth use. The conference provided a forum for law enforcement and community members to share insights and new trends in the meth production and distribution in the state.Mr. Goddard called for a statewide analysis of Arizona, noting the Rand Report did not measure all of the costs associated with meth, such as clean up of environmental contamination, identity theft and other crimes. Supervisor Stapley noted an encouraging and significant decline of meth use among teenagers in recent years, a reduction reported first in the 2008 Arizona Youth Survey. He attributed the decline to the "Not Even Once" TV and radio ads produced by Arizona Meth Project, designed to warn teenagers of the dangers of meth. The decline in teenagers' use is particularly significant as law enforcement officials from the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office, Phoenix Police Department and other jurisdictions cope with drug dealers who have changed their tactics in response to police actions and new laws.  Dealers have responded to laws that placed non-prescription pseudoephedrine products behind counters by now purchasing small quantities of pseudoephedrine over the counter so as not to attract much attention. They do this over and over throughout the day in numerous stores all over the Valley, a practice known as "smurfing." Even buying the medicine at retail prices results in huge profits for the meth dealers, police said. A copy of the Rand report is available at here. The Arizona Meth Project is a large-scale prevention campaign that uses advertising and community action programs to reduce methamphetamine abuse. To learn more about Arizona Meth Project, visit its website at www.arizonamethproject.org. To view the Project's 2008 Arizona Youth Survey, click here. Arizona counties' legislative priorities got a significant boost this week with an expression of support from House and Senate leadership.
First, on Monday, one media source quoted President Bob Burns as citing CSA's HB 2236 county offices; business periods, sponsored by House Majority Whip Andy Tobin (R-1), as a bill that should be moving forward even as negotiations for the FY 2010 budget continue. "I wouldn't hold back on that type of a bill, because it helps them solve their budget problems," the President is quoted of saying at a recent Republican Caucus. The President noted that there was a bill in the House to help counties gain greater control over their personnel and utility costs.
On Monday, that measure passed out of the House Government committee unanimously. It was successfully amended to include other CSA cost-saving agenda items like:
The measure is moving forward as a county cost-savings omnibus that is a step in helping counties deal with the statewide budget downturn. Counties have also been impacted by over $60 million in state budget cuts and sweeps.
The next step is for the measure to move through the House Rules committee and then on to the Committee of the Whole before being transmitted over to the Senate.
 On Thursday, Richard Stavneak, the director of the Joint Legislative Budget Committee, informed the legislature that January revenue collections were significantly worse than expected. January 2009 revenue collections were down 22 percent below January 2008. The decline in revenues over a two-year period reached over 35 percent.
Although the budget that passed just weeks ago during the 2009 Special Session left a $90 million cushion to account for falling revenues, if the revenue trends continue, the state deficit for FY09 could grow to the point where additional legislative action might be needed. That would result in a third effort by the legislature to balance the FY09 budget.
To view the JLBC presentation on January revenues, click here.
The National Association of Counties' (NACo) Annual Achievement Award Program is a non-competitive awards program that recognizes innovative county government programs. Awards are given in a number of program categories, including arts and historic preservation, children and youth, community and economic development, jails/corrections, county administration, emergency management, environmental protection, health, human services, libraries, parks and recreation, transportation and volunteers. Applications for the NACo Achievement Award program are now available to download. Several Arizona counties have received the Award in past years. After over a month in session, the Senate has yet to hear a bill in committee. The House continued to move measures through committee but has not heard any bills on the floor.
On Monday, when the House deadline to introduce bills expired, 629 House bills had been filed, in addition to 469 bills in the Senate.
HB 2015 county retiree health insurance (Konopnicki) was held in House Public Employees, Retirement and Entitlement Reform.
HB 2080 contractors, payment (Reagan) was held in House Commerce.
HB 2024 law enforcement, duty fitness evaluations (Kavanagh) was held in House Military Affairs and Public Safety.
HB 2142 county water authority, Colorado River (McClain) passed 7-0 in House Natural Resources and Rural Affairs.
HB 2253 publication of notices; websites (Jones) failed 4-5 in House Government.
HB 2268 county and municipal budgets (Crump) was held in House Government.
HB 2236 county offices; business periods (Tobin) passed 9-0 out of House Government.
HB 2329 solar energy; permit fees (Boone) was held in House Water and Energy.
HB 2335 improvement districts, renewable energy (Mason) was held in House Water and Energy.
The legislature will consider the following proposals with county impact next week. Click here to watch the committee hearings live, or click here to view archived video of committees. (Agendas are subject to change; visit the legislative calendar for updates on daily calendars.)
HB 2177 national park support districts (Konopnicki) and
HCM 2006 state land; natural resources (Jones) and
HCM 2008 will be heard in House Natural Resources and Rural Affairs on Monday, February 16, at 2:00 p.m. in House Room 4. HB 2487 county tourism tax; tourism distribution (Antenori) and
HB 2583 excess property tax payments; repayment (Konopnicki) will be heard in House Ways and Means on Monday, February 16, at 2:00 p.m. in House Room 1.
HB 2424 illegal dumping; penalties (McGuire) will be heard in House Environment on Tuesday, February 17, at 2:00 p.m. in House Hearing Room 5.
HB 2268 county and municipal budgets (Crump) and
HB 2401 administrative rules oversight committee (Williams) and will be heard in House Government on Tuesday, February 17, at 2:00 p.m. in House Room 4.
HB 2015 county retiree health insurance (Konopnicki) and
HB 2060 law enforcement officers; hearings; evidence (Konopnicki) and
HB 2061 CORP; probation officers; customary employment (Konopnicki) will be heard in House Public Employees, Retirees, and Entitlement Reform on Tuesday, February 17, at 2:00 p.m. in House Room 3.
HB 2024 law enforcement officers; duty fitness examinations (Kavanagh) will be heard in House Military Affairs and Public Safety on Wednesday, February 18, at 9:00 a.m. in House Room 3.
HB 2329 solar energy; permit fees (Boone) and
HB 2335 improvement districts; renewable energy (Mason) and
HB 2336 community facilities districts; renewable energy (Mason)
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