Senator Chuck Gray always knew he wanted to help people

Reprinted with Permission from Arizona Capitol Times - February 29, 2008

Spotlight On Senator Chuck Gray
By Anjanette Riley, anjanette.riley@azcapitoltimes.com

Sen. Chuck Gray’s ancestors were some of the original settlers of Mesa, and his great grandfather helped build the Mesa Arizona Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Sen. Gray is a fifth-generation Arizonan, born and reared in Mesa. The heritage helps him understand that he has an obligation to make sure his actions benefit later generations of people in this state.

“I always say I have a hundred-year perspective,” Gray says.

Growing up, Gray’s parents taught him about the importance of participating in government and respecting the laws of the country.

“They taught me that the Constitution was inspired by God, and the founding fathers were inspired to set up this government, and they did so at great sacrifice,” he says.

With this upbringing, Gray became a sort of expert in Revolutionary War ideologies, demonstrated by the many pictures that adorn his office depicting major moments in the founding of the nation.

One of these pictures displays the newly elected President George Washington, who is one of Sen. Gray’s role models.

“I admire all the founding fathers, but if you think about what Washington did, he did some things that set this nation in a particular path,” Gray says. “He was the commander and chief of the army and he could have been decided to be king, but he didn’t. He was the perfect example of what government officials should do.”

Gray, however, did not always want to be a politician. As a child, he aspired to be a police officer. Unfortunately, bad eyesight prevented him from doing so for several years.

“In first grade I sat near the middle or back of the room, and I couldn’t see the chalkboard so they moved me up to the front. That summer I got glasses,” says Gray, “and that is when I discovered that there were actually lines that ran between the telephone polls.”

Gray continued to wear glasses throughout high school and while serving as a missionary for the LDS church in Spain. He eventually qualified for the police academy after having radiocaratotomy (a surgery to correct eyesight).

But Gray says he was never really upset as a child by the idea that he wouldn’t be able to qualify to be a police officer.

“I don’t let things worry too much, I am not a fretter,” he says, “I am always looking forward to what is exciting on the horizon.”

Gray says that his experience as a police officer taught him the skills to properly represent his district.

“I learned how to go into a situation and get all the information and then back out and make a decision,” he says. “I learned I need to try to understand each of the situations down here legislatively before I make a decision.”

That was a practice that Gray put into action while serving as the vice-chairman of the Natural Resources and Rural Affairs committee. In order to make a more informative decision, Gray waited until all the testimonies had been made before asking questions regarding a bill dealing with water-well exemptions.

Gray eventually voted “no” on the bill because he felt that he still had questions that needed to be answered.

“A ‘no’ vote is a way of reminding me that I still need to look into the issue more in order to make an informed decision,” he says.

After ten years of service with the Phoenix police, Gray started an Internet business that sells automotive seat covers. His motivation for doing so, he says, is that he is always looking for new experiences.

“I really like learning new things,” he says, “I am not afraid of technology and I am not afraid of wading into new things.”

His desire to learn new things has resulted in many hobbies, one of which is writing poetry. On his Web site, Gray has included links to seven poems that he has written over the years. The topics often center on every person’s duty to help one another.

Camping is another one of Gray’s hobbies. As a child, his family would go camping regularly, a tradition that until recently he has continued with his own family.

“As I get older, living in a tent is not as fun as it used to be,” he says.

This childhood connection to nature, Gray says, has influenced his legislative dealings.

“It has taught me that on one hand we have a stewardship to protect nature, but on the other hand we have a responsibility to make sure they are still available for public use,” he says.

Gray also enjoys watching James Bond movies, and he says he owns all of them — the old series as well as the new ones.

“There is a lot of intrigue. I like the Bourne movies too because I like the intrigue.”

Gray hopes to take a trip with his family to Spain, where he lived for two years during his mission for the LDS church.

“I have always wanted to go back, but it is a money issue,” he says.  ?

Copyright © 2009, Arizona Capitol Times. All Rights Reserved.

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Reprinted with Permission from Arizona Capitol Times

Original Article published February 29, 2008

http://www.azcapitoltimes.com/freestory.cfm?ID=8234

April 13, 2009

You are probably well aware of an upcoming event to protest tax increases and irresponsible government spending. The non-partisan movement called the National Tea Party, is locally referred to as the Arizona Tea Party and will be hosted in several cities across the state.

The two locations for the Tax Day Tea Party in our area are as follows::

Gilbert:
Gilbert Administration Building
Wednesday, April 15th – Tax Day
Noon – 1:00 PM
50 E. Civic Center – 85296

Phoenix, State Capitol:
Arizona State Senate
Wednesday, April 15th – Tax Day
5:30 – 7:00 PM
1700 W. Washington – 85007

For more information on the event as well as a list of other locations, please visit http://arizonateaparty.com

I fully support this event as do several other legislative members who will also be participating in the Tea Party.

Senate members include: Jack Harper, Russell Pearce, Pamela Gorman, Ron Gould, Jonathan Paton, Thayer Verschoor, Sylvia Allen, and Al Melvin

House members include: Samuel Crump, David Stevens, Frank Antenori, Cecil Ash, John Kavanagh, Warde Nichols, Richard Murphy, Doug Quelland, Laurin Hendrix, Judy Burges, Carl Seel, and Nancy McLain

Thank you for your support.

Sincerely,

Senator Chuck Gray
Mesa – LD 19

It’s 2 am …do you know where your Government is?

When it comes to sunshine, Arizona has plenty – so much so, that more of that sunshine is being shed on the inner workings of Arizona government than in most other states.

We all understand that we have a right to know what our Government is up to. This is National Sunshine Week, which provides us with an important opportunity to learn about improved Government transparency and its importance to us all.

Arizona is one of the few states that require legislative committee agendas to be distributed at least 5 days prior to committee hearings – all of which are posted online. Many states require little or no notice and very few post online. Additionally, all committee agendas, bills, and amendments are available on our website http://www.azleg.gov. Legislative press releases are also posted here.

This year, the Arizona Legislature was recognized a top performer in a national study by Granicus regarding government webcasts. Out of 518 government agencies in 2008, we ranked 4th in the most archived webcasts created, and 7th in the most live webcast viewers. Through our online archive of streaming video, we have made it possible for constituents to participate in the legislative process from home. These webcasts are available on our website and can also be viewed on cable TV through Arizona Capitol Television (ACTV) on Cox Channel 123. Senate Republicans also have a twiter account at http://twitter.com/AZsenateGOP

Constituents play an important role in the legislative process and transparency in government helps the public stay informed and involved in legislative decisions. With Arizona on the brink of bankruptcy, openness within our budget and policy making process is critical to an accurate understanding of the decision making process.

Important decisions about the future of Arizona are being made every day and it is my hope that these tools will help Arizonans shed just a little more light on what is happening at the Legislature. As we move into the 2010 budget decisions, I hope we will all will take advantage of these tools and maintain involvement in our political process.

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The Sacred Freedoms we enjoy.

The sacred freedoms we enjoy daily were secured to us through great risk and personal sacrifice by courageous men like General George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, Benjamin Franklin and many others.

As the Father of this country, General Washington gave us the American legacy of hope, optimism, innovation, self-reliance, hard work and true independence. That is the spirit of America. That is the independence that for over 200 years has made America great.

There was no cry from our founding fathers asking England to dole out subsistence to fledgling colonies. In fact – just the opposite was true as Americans cried out for independence. We cut the strings of dominating oppression so smothering to the entrepreneurial spirit. We went to war for the right of self-determination. We fought for the freedom to succeed and learn from our mistakes, knowing that it is through our failures that we become wiser and stronger.

This is our sacred legacy, left to us by courageous men of integrity whose passion and dedication to action led a rabble of British subjects to become a nation of freemen – masters of their own destiny. As your Senator I hope to continue that fight.

Split the Ninth Circuit Court

Column for E.V. Tribune on splitting the Ninth Circuit [“Break it up,” March 9, 2008]

By Sen. Chuck Gray

Eighteen years ago, on the advice of his attorney, accused murderer Maxwell Hoffman refused the state of Idaho’s plea deal of a life sentence in prison and instead went to trial. He was subsequently convicted and sentenced to death for helping murder a government informant.

But Hoffman found a friend in the infamous Ninth Circuit Court. In July of 2006, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit concluded that Hoffman got bad legal advice and gave Idaho the option of giving Hoffman the same plea deal he had turned down in 1989, or letting him go.

Under that logic, all defendants should turn down every plea deal, spend enormous state resources to go to trial, and if the defendant loses his case, he can always take the plea deal he was originally offered. Now that’s justice San Francisco style.

Thankfully the Supreme Court has decided to review the case, but the Ninth Circuit Court’s lunacy goes on. Remember, this is the same court that ruled the Pledge of Allegiance is unconstitutional due to the words “one nation under God.” The Supreme Court quickly overturned this.

But the Ninth Circuit Court is notorious for having its decisions overturned. In fact, this court is the most overturned of any of the circuit courts. Sometimes the rate of reversals can reach 100 percent.

In the 2002-03 Supreme Court term, 10 of the 28 criminal cases accepted by the Supreme Court were from the Ninth Circuit. All 10 were overturned. And with the Ninth Circuit’s annual caseload of approximately 4,000, one might wonder how many other cases SHOULD have been reversed.

In the course of that year, more than one-third of the Supreme Court’s time and consideration regarding criminal law was spent fixing defective rulings from the Ninth.

To add insult to injury, the Ninth Circuit is the largest circuit court in the nation. Its perverse logic affects one-fifth of the nation’s population. It is more than double the size of the majority of the circuit courts.

The Ninth Circuit is too big, too liberal and does not reflect the values of most Arizonans. Citizens of our state deserve a circuit court that will rule fairly on the issues most important to us. In order to boost efforts to split the Ninth Circuit Court, I have introduced legislation urging Congress to divide it into a new Twelfth Circuit Court that would hear Arizona and other states’ appeals.

I am not the first to make this plea and will certainly not be the last until Congress fixes this overloaded and poorly representative court. Much has changed since the creation of the Ninth Circuit in 1891 when it contained only 3 percent of the nation’s population. The court now includes one-fifth of our country’s population with nine states, one territory and one commonwealth. This, the largest circuit, takes more than 15 months to decide cases, exceeding the national average from notice of appeal to disposition.

Consistency among the court’s decisions is also a problem. Hearing 21.7 percent of all federal circuit appeals in the nation, Ninth Circuit Court judges are too busy to read all of the court’s other opinions. With so many divergent rulings among the Ninth Circuit judges, the court seems to send mixed messages. This severely frustrates the development of stable circuit law. Ultimately, these structural flaws affect case outcomes, which is largely due to the court’s size. Congress needs to act so our citizens no longer have to suffer the consequences of such an inefficient court.

Another issue that is hard to deny is that the Ninth Circuit’s rulings do not reflect the vales of Arizona, let alone those of most Americans. Rather, they seem to reflect the ideals of Los Angeles and Hollywood. We can no longer allow the liberal views of west coast states like California to affect justice in Arizona. Arizonans perceive this federal court as a remote institution that is unfamiliar with the problems and points of view of Arizona. Public confidence has truly been eroded. Our citizens deserve a court that reflects the values of Arizona.

The Circuit Court of Appeals Restructuring and Modernization Act of 2007, introduced in the U.S. Senate, is another bill that would split the Ninth Circuit. It was referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee in February 2007, but no further action was ever taken. Congress cannot keep ignoring this issue.

The time to split the court is long overdue. If Congress acts, it will go a long way towards restoring citizens’ confidence in our judicial system.

Chuck Gray is a state senator representing District 19 in Mesa. He is the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our Heritage of Independence

On this 4th of July, I pray that the true spirit of American independence will beam proudly from deep with-in us. The sacred joys that freedom brings should fill our thoughts as we ponder the liberties endowed to us through great risk and personal sacrifice by courageous men like General George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, Benjamin Franklin and many others.

General Washington holds a special place in history as the Father of our country and the primary figure in securing our independence. On this 4th of July, let us feel a renewed sense of the true meaning of American independence.

Several years ago I walked the grounds of General Washington’s Mount Vernon where our first president worked and lived. I could feel the spirit of independence, the rugged individualism, the spark of hope and optimism that Washington portrayed. At every turn I saw evidence of his hard work and innovation. I beheld the rewards of personal investment and achievement. Here was a man who made his own way and succeeded in the face of all obstacles. Here was a man of independence.

He set a tone that is the spirit of America. That tone is the unfailing spirit of independence that for over 200 years has made America great. There was no cry from our founding fathers for England to dole out subsistence to fledgling colonies. In fact – just the opposite was true as Americans cried out for independence. We cut the strings of dominating oppression so smothering to the entrepreneurial spirit. We went to war for the right of self-determination. We fought for the freedom to succeed and learn from our failures, knowing that it is through our failures that we become wiser and stronger.

This is our sacred legacy, left to us by courageous men of integrity whose passion and dedication to action led a rabble of British subjects to become a nation of freemen-masters of their own destiny. Where is that American spirit today? Where can we find that same spirit of independence? Where are those persons of integrity who fight for our freedoms and can lead this nation, as did our founding fathers? They are all around us. They are our police officers, fire fighters, engineers and bricklayers. They are our mothers and fathers, teachers and doctors. We are Americans building a nation of hope, independence and love for freedom.

Washington reminded us, “The preservation of the sacred fire of liberty and the destiny of the republican model of government are … entrusted to the hands of the American people.“

I think that trust is well founded. We are the future of this nation. Our dedication to the cause of freedom can only be passed on to our children through example. Independence is not “cradle to grave” security. Independence is the exhilaration that comes from making your own way, like General Washington. By succeeding in the face of trials, we become a better people – a better nation, a better America. Happy Independence Day America!

Senator Chuck Gray (R) – Mesa, Arizona

Unelected Judges Pander to Illegals

What has happened to our system of justice? It seems to have taken a turn towards protecting the guilty and putting the innocent at risk. A recent study revealed that Maricopa County judicial officers let out dangerous criminal illegal immigrants at the rate of 160 per month. This is unacceptable.

Jocabed Dominguez-Torres was arrested for extreme drunk driving, killing 20-year-old Chris Miller. Torres admitted she was here illegally and had bought forged documents, yet Maricopa County court Commissioner Kathleen Mead set her bond at $150,000 – in direct violation of Proposition 100, which allows NO BOND in theses cases for illegal immigrants.) The court, in its infinite wisdom, decided to require official confirmation of illegal residency before denying bond. That did not happen because Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) apparently was not available but later confirmed Torres’ illegal status and put immigration hold on her. Inexplicably, less than a week later, Commissioner Michael Barth reduced her bond to $50,000 – again in violation of Prop. 100.
Whether it is a lack of understanding of the new law or blatant disregard, the problem is rampant in Maricopa County Superior Court. Many of these judicial officers are blocking justice and putting the public in serious jeopardy – decisions that are literally death sentences for some.

Mesa Police arrested Ruben Perez Rivera, an illegal alien, for kidnapping and assaulting his ex-girlfriend by dragging her by the hair and forcing her into his car. After his arrest, ICE believed him to be here illegally and requested a hold, but court Commissioner Joan Sinclair set bail at $10,000. Later, Commisioner Mindi Mendez ordered his release on his own recognizance. Later that same day, Commissioner James T Blomo set bail at $10,000. Three different Commissionaer defied the voters. The courts eventually released Rivera to ICE without any bail being paid. Kidnapping is a Class 4 felony and because of his illegal status, Rivera should have been held without bond. ICE deported him but was back in Mesa 11 days later allegedly stabbing to death Theodore Cruz Perez. Death is a high price to pay for judicial pandering to illegal immigrants.

Interestingly enough, Maricopa County, with its appointed Judges and Commissioners, is awash in these senseless rulings while the counties who elect their judges, do not seem to have this same lapse of judgment. Those judges actually seem to be accountable to the people and the laws we pass.

Maricopa County Superior Court Pretrial Services sent a memo advising its employees: “Due to recent changes in legislation and the liberty interest implications, we will no longer be asking defendants any questions regarding their citizenship…” A subsequent memo told employees “we do not ask defendants any questions regarding their citizenship and that question should not have any response listed on our… paperwork.”
Even our veterans are at risk. Decorated Arizona veteran Army Ranger Jason Okon was stabbed in his own front yard by Armando Martinez-Lozano. At the initial hearing, Commissioner James R. Morrow found there was no proof he was in the country illegally despite arresting officers’ notes on a report that he was “definitely is an illegal alien.” No mention of the defendant’s illegal status appeared in the Pretrial Services Agency report that court employees prepare.

After State Legislators held a press conference highlighting these horror stories, the Supreme Court instituted Simpson hearings to ensure the court examined whether someone was here illegally. The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office reports that after the Simpson hearings were adopted, of 187 cases of suspected illegal immigrants committing Class 4 felonies or above, 100 percent were held without bond at the initial appearance, but only 14 percent were held without bond only hours later at the Simpson hearing. This means that 86 percent of dangerous, probably illegal immigrants in Maricopa County received bond and were back out on the streets.

Other counties in Arizona, however, are not so ready to set low bonds for these dangerous criminals. In the counties where judges are not appointed, (13 of 15 counties in Arizona still elect their judges) those Superior Courts are either not allowing bond as stipulated in Prop. 100 or are setting bonds so high that most defendant can’t possibly post bail. They protect the public, not the criminal. But in Maricopa County it does not look as promising.

The situation is bleak. While other counties are enjoying the protections of responsible jurisprudence, it is discouraging to know that Maricopa courts are putting us all at risk. Maybe it’s time to elect judges again in Maricopa County and make them accountable to the voters.

Written by Senator Chuck Gray (R-Ariz.)

Romney seeks to lift free speech gag

In March, Governor Mitt Romney came out squarely against the landmark McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform bill. In the aftermath of the past year’s campaign corruption scandals in Washington, it’s easy to see why.

Sens. John McCain R-Ariz., and Russ Feingold D-Wis., brought this legislation to the Senate floor in 2002. It promised an election process free from the corrupting influence of money. As it turns out, just the opposite was true.

Money is not only as pervasive as ever in federal campaigns, but thanks to McCain-Feingold, it’s easier for deep-pocketed individuals to swing elections and it’s harder for ordinary Americans to make their voices heard in Washington D.C.

Just look at the 2004 campaign, the first held under McCain-Feingold rules. Not only did we see a record half-billion dollars in political donations (more than triple the 2000 figure of $146 million), but we saw the rise of shadowy groups created and funded almost exclusively by deep-pocketed individuals.

The Wall Street financier George Soros, for example, dumped more than $23 million of his own money into so-called “soft money” liberal groups.

Ever since Watergate, politicians in Washington have been making elections laws more complex and harder to understand – which is perfect if you’re an election lawyer but terrible if you’re a citizen. Consider the situation of non-profit organizations – that can’t easily afford the $500-an-hour legal experts needed to make sense of the new election laws.

In 2004, a pro-life group wanted to run television and radio ads asking Wisconsin voters to call their elected representatives (including Senator Feingold) and tell them to stop filibustering President Bush’s judicial nominees. McCain-Feingold was used to prevent these ads from running.

This Free Speech Blackout Period – also called the “electioneering communications ban” – is at odds with a free and open issues debate and should be repealed.

Unless you have very deep pockets and the ability to set up a separate political soft-money operation, your rights to free speech are severely limited by McCain-Feingold.

Was this just an example of good intentions mugged by reality? I don’t think so. I believe that the unstated goals of McCain-Feingold were to use the law to protect incumbents from criticism, limit the ability of citizens to fund focused and upstart issue campaigns, and place more political power in the hands of the wealthy and the media.

We a need a President who is a proven turn-around expert to lead this nation in a new direction; someone from outside Washington. I believe Republican Gov. Mitt Romney is that man. Romney makes the case that we should repeal McCain-Feingold and bring greater transparency and disclosure of contributions to our campaign finance system.

Most of all, Governor Romney stands squarely for the rights of grassroots activists, who often perform the vital service in our democracy of informing their neighbors and all voters about critical policy issues. McCain-Feingold has had the perverse effect of gagging these grassroots activists; Romney wants to lift the gag, and permit those activists to make sure their voices are heard. I say, let’s help him do it.

Written by Senator Chuck Gray (R-Ariz.)

Pay Day Loans

Well, the fight is on to stop the ‘loan shark’ type practices of the payday loan industries.

There is bipartisan support to clean up this problem. Last year we saw a similar group come to us and ask for legislation condoning this type of loan practices and we send them home empty handed. We really should not encourage or allow any business to prey on the poor and underprivileged through ultra-high priced financing.

Chuck Gray

Opening Day – and it begins:

Well, so much for bi-partisanship in the Arizona House. Just when Democrat minority leader, Phil Lopes was singing the “Let’s all work together” song, he gets himself nominated as Speaker of the House along with Republican Speaker Jim Weiers. Quick thinking Bob Robson (Republican) moved for a roll call vote and the Lopes nomination was withdrawn. I guess someone did not want to go on record for that vote. We’re hoping it won’t be that rocky in the House from now on. If so it will be a long two years. Weiers was made Speaker of the House by acclamation.

Chuck Gray

Unanimous Supreme Court decision strikes down unconstitutional use of line-item veto power by Napolitano

This was released a few days ago but in case you missed this landmark Arizona case:

 

 

Arizona Legislature

1700 West Washington, Phoenix, Arizona 85007-2844

Senate President Ken Bennett (R-1) 602-926-5584
House Speaker Jim Weiers (R-10) 602-926-4173

News Release September 12, 2006

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Unanimous Supreme Court decision strikes down unconstitutional use of line-item veto power by Napolitano

(State Capitol, Phoenix) – In a victory for the constitutional doctrine of separation of powers, the Arizona Supreme Court today unanimously struck down Governor Napolitano’s abuse of her line item veto power.

In the 5-0 decision, the court found that Napolitano overstepped her authority. The decision undoes Napolitano’s unconstitutional line-item veto of a portion of the state employee pay raise bill.

The Arizona constitution is clear that the governor may accept or reject specific items which appropriate money, but is otherwise limited to signing or vetoing legislation in its entirety. Today’s ruling represents a rebuke of actions Governor Napolitano has engaged in to illegally expand the powers of the executive branch in Arizona.

President Bennett said, “Abusing the power of the office and overstepping her constitutional bounds has been the norm for this governor from day one. Finally having an opportunity for the court to rein her in is a great day for representative democracy in Arizona.”

“Common sense and the constitution won in this case,” House Speaker Weiers said. “The Supreme Court upheld the constitution and the people’s right to a representative government. The Legislature is not going to tolerate a power grab by the governor, no matter who sits in the Ninth Floor office.”

Senate Majority Leader Tim Bee (R-30) said, “Today Governor Napolitano has been reminded in no uncertain terms by the Supreme Court that she is currently the governor of our state, not the czar. Arizona belongs to the people of Arizona – no governor is free to ignore the constitution just because he or she wants to.”
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For further information contact:
Nick Simonetta, Communications and Policy Advisor to the Majority
Arizona State Senate : Office: (602) 926-5418, e-mail: nsimonet@azleg.gov
OR Barrett Marson, Director of Communications Arizona House of Representatives

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Senator Gray

Don Goldwater asks supporters to help Republican Len Munsil beat Governor Napolitano.

Don Goldwater sent out the following email to his supporters:

“I just wanted to take a quick moment of your time to say “Thank You” for your generous support you have given me and my campaign these last 13 months. No campaign is about one man or woman but rather the ideals expressed by the supporters of the campaign and I hope I represented those ideals in a positive and productive way.

I will be heading back to my work in finance and real estate development with good memories of the people of Arizona that I had the great fortune to meet.

I will continue my work as District 16 Chairman and member of the State and Maricopa County Executive Guidence Committees. I believe that the most important work I can continue to do is to work to secure our borders and help Len beat Governor Napolitano.

This is not a time for reflection but rather a time for action. Low voter turn out will not help in the general election. I ask each of you to work hard to turn out the vote in November. I look forward to
working with each of you in the future.

God Bless you and God Bless Arizona.
Sincerely,

Don Goldwater”

For more info on Gubinatorial Candidate Len Munsil click HERE

- Senator Gray

U.S. Congressional Republican nominee Randy Graf Gets National Support

I recieved the following Press Release:

 

“(Tucson, AZ) Randy Graf, the Republican nominee to replace retiring Congressman Jim Kolbe in the 8th Congressional District of Arizona, will be returning today from a highly successful trip to Washington, D.C.  During his trip to Washington, Randy met with the entire Republican leadership of the United States House of Representatives, including Speaker of the House J. Dennis Hastert and the Honorable Thomas M. Reynolds who chairs the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC).

The NRCC is the official election wing of Republicans in the US House.  Randy also met with Ken Mehlman who chairs the Republican National Committee (RNC).  The House Leadership, the RNC, and the NRCC have all pledged their total support to Randy and have offered their resources to help keep Arizona CD8 in Republican hands.”

 

For more information on Randy Graf click HERE.

 

Senator Gray

Private Property Protection Bill Sent to the Governor

May 25, 2006

The Arizona Senate passed out Senator Chuck Gray’s Private Property Protection Bill today by a vote of 19 to 8. The bill places reasonable restrictions on a municipalitiy’s ability to declare slum areas and limits use of this type of eminent domain to the clearance and removal of slum conditions in a slum area. It also precludes the use of slum clearance areas being redeveloped for the sole purpose of increasing tax revenues.

This has always been a David and Goliath type fight. The cities have all the money, lawyers and resources necessary to intimidate and overpower the owner of the property. The property owner is therefore left at a distinct disadvantage and many times must simply acquiesce to city demands for lack of resources to fight city hall. This bill will level the playing field and allow homeowners and small businesses to clean up any slum conditionswithnout the property being taken through eminent domain. If the property owner decides NOT to clean up the slum conditions, the city may still take the property but at least the owner has a fighting chance.

Arizona Education Needs More Competition

Why is it so difficult to provide a quality education for our children? I discussed this question last year with the dean of a well-known private university . In just a few moments of serious discussion, I came to realize the wisdom of his words.

During the course of our conversation, I commented how I would like to attract more headquarters of large corporations to Arizona for obvious economic reasons. He noted that our K-12 public education system is not competitive with other states and unless we produce a bettereducated student, we will continue to see industry leaders reluctant to move their headquarters (and their families) to Arizona.

When I asked how to overcome the bureaucracy of it all to ensure high quality teachers and curriculum, he answered with one word: competition. While we discussed many things regarding education, the one recurring thought I came away with was the importance of a free market education system.

If I need a phone, I have many options from which to choose. I can select the phone plan that best fits my needs and preferences. I can get service from the phone company, the cable company or cell phone companies. If one company has poor customer service or has a low quality product, I can choose another.

This is not the case with our public education in Arizona. While charter schools have been a step in the right direction, they offer a very limited form of competition. Private and parochial schools offer a very reasonable alternative in this state. The problem is it forces parents to pay twice for the same product — the education of a child. An attempt by the Legislature last year to expand that program to allow corporations to do the same thing was vetoed by the governor, which meant that private schools that offer viable competition would have remained likely only for parents with the means to pay twice. The Governor did sign a limited version early this year. I think she is begining to see the value of competition.

The current lack of serious competition is due to a near-monopoly by the government in our schools and is failing our children. But vouchers and school choice for parents would change all that.

Vouchers put the decision of who to pay directly in the hands of the consumer parent. If schools — private, charter or public — want to educate, they will have to show that their administration, teachers and curriculum produces a better student.

Since the introduction of charter schools, the state’s public schools have taken notice of this limited competition. Districts have hired consultants and commissioned studies to find ways to improve, thereby attracting more students.

We can avoid the past insanities of continually throwing more money at our educational deficiencies while expecting a different result. Instead let us better the educational product by offering healthy competition and the ultimate accountability of the marketplace to improve our kids’ educational choices.

Senator Chuck Gray

Consumer Protections on Annuities Approved

On Monday, January 23, 2006 the committee on Financial Institutions and Insurance passed HB 2162. 

HB2162 requires an insurance producer or an insurer to have reasonable grounds for believing that the recommendation for the purchase of an annuity is suitable for the senior consumer based on the facts disclosed by the senior consumer. This provides certain protections for seniors when being advised to purchase annuities by a sales representative. 

The bill was amended in committee to extend the provisions of the bill to all consumers being advised in this way.

Republicans Vote to Protect Property Rights

On Monday, January 9th, 2006 the Federdal Mandates and Property Rights Committee of the Arizona House of representatives voted to protect private property rights from Government land grabs by passing the following five bills:

* HB2062 eminent domain; fees; costs; interest
Sponsored by Chuck Gray, Judy Burges, Russell Pearce

* HB2063 eminent domain; open meetings
Sponsored by Chuck Gray, Judy Burges, Russell Pearce, Rick Murphy Dean Martin, David Smith. Co-sponsored by Pamela Gorman, Bob Stump and Karen Johnson

* HB2064 eminent domain; fees and costs
Sponsored by Chuck Gray, Judy Burges, Russell Pearce

* HCR2002 eminent domain; presumption
Sponsored by Chuck Gray, Judy Burges, Russell Pearce

* HCR2003 takings; public use; jury determination
Sponsored by Chuck Gray, Judy Burges, Russell Pearce

You can read about the bills by clicking their respective links.

- Representative Chuck Gray

Opening Day 2006 – Does Government covet YOUR property?

Private Property Rights

By Chuck Gray

There will be a frenzy of activity at the legislature this year. The Speaker of the House has set a pace of an 82-day session for 2006. (42 days shorter than the 2005 session of 124 days.) In legislative terms that would require break neck speed. So in the interest of time, let’s get started.While many issues will be competing for the Legislature’s attention, some have already developed substantial momentum. Eminent domain is one of those issues and falls directly into my lap as the Chairman of the Arizona House Federal Mandates and Property Rights Committee.

Why the newfound public concern for the protection of private property rights? The issue reached critical mass this year when, in a severely misguided ruling, the United States’ Supreme Court put private property owners rights at serious risk nationwide.

In June of 2005, the US Supreme court dealt property owners a cruel blow when, they allowed the City of New London, Connecticut to take peoples’ homes along the waterfront and give them to a private developer because the new development would provide higher tax revenues to the city.

By those standards, even a church located on a major street or intersection would also be highly vulnerable to economic development as practiced by the cities. A church, which produces little or no tax revenues, would in the eyes of government have less public benefit than a hotel or shopping center. Wow! Government confiscating churches. That could never happen … right? Don’t bet on it. Under the Kelo decision, no home, no church, no family business, or farm is safe from the ravenous appetite of Government seeking more revenues.

Justice Sandra Day O’Connor in opposition to the Kelo ruling wrote, “The specter of condemnation hangs over all property. Nothing is to prevent the State from replacing any Motel 6 with a Ritz-Carlton, any home with a shopping mall, or any farm with a factory.” (Kelo v. City of New London).

The States will now have to offer the protections that were lost in the Kelo case. So … while the federal courts are busy eroding personal property rights, state legislatures across the country are gearing up to strengthen them. And the Arizona legislature is ready for this fight as well.

The good news is that our State Constitution affords Arizonans more private property rights protection than the US Constitution does according to the 5-4 split Kelo decision. A difference of just one Supreme vote would have had the effect of protecting the entire nation from confiscations of this type. (A sobering reminder why fighting for quality Supreme Court Justices is so important.)

But injustice could be just a council decision away. The public never knows for sure what deals are struck behind the closed doors of executive sessions. One thing I do know. The Legislature will be working hard this session to keep Governments’ hands off your property.