Veteran Mesa lawmaker Russell Pearce will take the helm of the Senate in January after being elected by his Republican colleagues on his promise to run the chamber with a Tea Party philosophy.
"We are going to focus on states' rights and we are going to focus on fiscal responsibility," Pearce told Capitol Media Services. "And we are going to focus on the things that I think made this country great."
What that means is lower taxes and smaller state government. He also wants to focus on private property rights and parental rights "and all those God-given rights we thought our founders protected that government has encroached upon."
Pearce said his new position doesn't mean he's giving up his perennial fight to pass new state laws to curb illegal immigration. But one of the first acts will be for the Senate, where Republicans increased their margin from 18 to 21, to take up a package of tax cuts and incentives.
The House approved such a plan earlier this year crafted by Speaker Kirk Adams, R-Mesa, to slash individual and corporate income taxes and business property taxes, with an eventual price tag of $950 million. But it stalled when current Senate President Bob Burns, R-Peoria, refused to let it be considered.
Burns said at the time he could not support the proposed massive reduction in state revenues while the state was still digging its way out of a multi million-dollar hole.
The deficit still exists and now could be approaching $900 million after voters rejected two ballot propositions which would have given lawmakers access to some special funds. But Pearce said that, unlike Burns, he's not deterred.
"It's time to roll things back," he said. "That's what the Tea Party movement's about: Less government, more freedom." He said the key to fixing Arizona's economy is getting government out of the way.
"Government consumes wealth; private industry is what produces wealth," he said. "And we're going to focus on private jobs."
Pearce brushed aside questions about how to deal with the immediate gap between revenues and expenses.
"Nobody has the magic wand," he said. "But we're going to kick-start it (the economy) as fast as we can."
Even if Pearce is now on the same page as Adams, just reelected speaker on Wednesday, that doesn't mean clear sailing. Gov. Jan Brewer also has said she isn't interested in a package of across-the-board tax cuts until the state's fiscal situation improves.
Rep. Michele Reagan, R-Scottsdale, newly elected to the Senate, said the choice of Pearce by the 21-member caucus should be no surprise.
"I think voters made it pretty clear what they want to see us working on - on jobs and on the economy," she said. "If Russell does what he has pledged to do, which is allow those of us that are interested in job growth and job attraction to be working on that, and he's supportive of it, then I'm fine."
Pearce, who has been a legislator since 2002, said he recognizes that taking the position of the Senate president is "a different role" than simply being one of 90 lawmakers. But he said that doesn't require him to give up his own agenda.
In the past, that agenda has specifically included laws aimed at illegal immigrants, ranging from a voter-approved 2004 measure to deny them benefits, to a 2007 law which allows state judges to suspend or revoke the business licenses of firms that knowingly hire undocumented workers.
Most recently, Pearce gained national attention with SB 1070 which contains a series of provisions designed to put state and local police in a front-line role in the fight. That includes a mandate that officers check the immigration status of those they have stopped if there is "reasonable suspicion" they are in this country illegally.
A federal judge in July enjoined the state from enforcing some of those sections. But that is on appeal. And Pearce said lawmakers from 34 other states have contacted him in their bid to enact copy-cat laws.
The next item on Pearce's agenda is crafting a law that will challenge federal court rulings that the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution guarantees U.S. citizenship to those born in this country, even if their parents are not here legally.
"It's an unconstitutional application of birthright citizenship which was never intended," he said.
Pearce also disputed the idea that his fight to enact state laws aimed at illegal immigration is in any way controversial.
"America supports this, three to one, across this country," he said. More to the point, Pearce called Arizona "the model for this nation" in how to deal with the problem.
"We have a debate going coast to coast," he said. "And Arizona is on the front of the parade in almost every one of those debates."
Pearce's new position gives him a great deal of influence over the entire legislative process.
He gets to pick who will run the various committees through which all bills must pass. And then he decides where to assign each of those bills, with the knowledge that the makeup of a specific panel can guarantee approval or doom it to failure.
And the senate president has the ultimate power to decide whether to bring any legislation to the floor for a vote.
Slabside posted at 4:29 pm on Wed, Nov 3, 2010.
BWA HA HA HA HA! Bingo, you poor baby... your white supremist just got re-elected by the MAJORITY. Rich, and Forked please take note... the MAJORITY has spoken.[beam]
Rich posted at 6:32 pm on Wed, Nov 3, 2010.
Actually Slab I'm laughing. Pearce and Brewer handling a budget deficit like the one over their heads, and you have to add their I.Q.s together to get a three digit number? You and the MAJORITY, voted yourselves a world of pain. About all you guaranteed is that Arizona will be as good at economic recovery as they have been at education.
Slabside posted at 7:23 pm on Wed, Nov 3, 2010.
Perhaps Rich, perhaps. Both candidates have done good things for the state yet no one remembers that.
rrjenn posted at 11:26 pm on Wed, Nov 3, 2010.
Commie scum are crying their eyes out tonight. I got a smile that wont go away. Now you commies be sure to write lots of cry baby garbage so we all can have a few laughs. Tell us all about your prophetic powers that tell you how the economy is going downhill because Pearce is now running the senate and Brewer is running the state. Heck, we won all the way around so you can cry about every little thing that goes wrong and we can laugh cause we won and you are losers. Sucks to be you.
abimopectore posted at 11:37 am on Thu, Nov 4, 2010.
McCarthyism at is best is being expressed on this board. This is exactly what these crazies would want you to believe in order to vilify whomever doesn't agree with their attitudes or positions. I'm going to step up to the plate and accept the election for what has happened and hope that the newly elected will finally start doing things that will help this state. They've been the majority in this state and we've seen nothing happen before except to inflame the extreme sides from either camp; however, I'm willing to wish them well and hope they start doing the right things regarding the issues that are TRULY impacting the people of Arizona. Only time will tell but I wish them the best.
Slabside posted at 11:56 am on Thu, Nov 4, 2010.
Well said abimopectore.
Rich posted at 12:29 pm on Thu, Nov 4, 2010.
"They've been the majority in this state and we've seen nothing happen before except to inflame the extreme sides from either camp..."
And the leopard will change his spots? Let alone we've just rewarded them for inflaming "the extreme sides from either camp..." What possible incentive could we have for a "hope they start doing the right things regarding the issues that are TRULY impacting the people of Arizona." Believing in Santa Claus is more realistic.
dragonwyk711 posted at 2:43 pm on Thu, Nov 4, 2010.
NAZI!!!!!!!!..... or a reasonable facsimile.
dragonwyk711 posted at 2:44 pm on Thu, Nov 4, 2010.
Arizona HAS fallen into a fascist manhole. It MAY recover someday but Hell is in session until that day comes.
dragonwyk711 posted at 3:19 pm on Thu, Nov 4, 2010.
COMMIE? What a cliche. Talk about living in the past?
The Fascists(Repugs,Tea Party and other assorted fools) want us to go back to 1931 and this last election will send us there. The stupids who label anyone who is NOT a fascist Repug or Tea Party idiot will get their payback. Too bad the rest of us who ARE aware of what is REALLY going down will have to suffer WITH them until either America wakes up or dies.
This entire election actually came out like it did because of RACISM( ANOTHER old attitude which should have PASSED). We ELECTED a President who is black and the old school dipsticks can't stand it.
Calling anyone who doesn't agree with killing our formerly free country a 'commie" just shows how filled with ignorance,malaise and reversion into the past America is.
Enjoy your stupidity and lemming-oid smugness while you may. It is only temporary.
rrjenn posted at 6:06 pm on Thu, Nov 4, 2010.
If none of you can see the socialistic movement that has been, up until Obama, been quietly taking over this nation then you must all have your heads tucked neatly up your ars. Now that enough people have woke up we are taking back our country from them. Call them what you want, but to me they are true American patriots
DataMan posted at 6:21 pm on Thu, Nov 4, 2010.
So Clown Pearce, can you tell me how you can do massive tax cuts when THIS year we are $850m from a balanced budget, and the projected shortfall for next year is over $2b?
Dang. Too many fools voted for this moron.
There's a story on the CBS5 website about AZ being one of the worst run states. (like 45th worse!) I see 50th worst in our near future.
rrjenn posted at 6:28 pm on Thu, Nov 4, 2010.
dragonwyk711, we are the same people who voted this black man into office. Without us he could never have won. This election is due to our eyes being awakened to what he actually represents. Black liberation theology, which Obama is a disciple, is nothing more than communism disguised as religion. He spent 20 years at Rev. Write's church listening to anti white rhetoric but we gave him the benefit of the doubt when he said Write's views didn't represent his views. Now we know that he is nothing less than a Marxist who plans to bring this country to it's knees, and we don't want a Marxist state. We want free enterprise because we know only free enterprise can create jobs, Why the heck do you think the old USSR disintegrated?
LinMesa posted at 7:39 pm on Thu, Nov 4, 2010.
Our new state motto:
"Arizona, the hate state"
With our fearsome threesome (Brewer, Pearce, and Arpaio) what could possibly be more appropriate.
Rich posted at 9:13 pm on Thu, Nov 4, 2010.
Back up and relax people. The government has to fade, they spent about all they can, and yes, pocketed a bit. Now it's just about getting more out of you. Can you afford all this? I mean does the luxury of hating people who aren't like you, don't agree with you justify the cost of having a government that takes sides? I'm going to say something to you that got me a 'B' almost fifty years ago, on a question we haven't really settled yet. Top student in the class, highest marks, before I said: "This is America, eveyrbody's got a place. Segregation, we've got a place. Integration? We got it covered. Wetback? You're cute Sharon, want to go to the prom?" Got me a prom date and a 'B'. The point is freedom, and when we stop selling it, we're just used car salesmen with an old Pontiac.
forkedlift1 posted at 2:53 am on Fri, Nov 5, 2010.
I wonder what the last grade in school was that rrjenn finished....or dropped out of. The unregulated investment banking industry and Wall Street, both of whose top execs receive(d) multi-million dollar bonuses...and let's throw in Enron and AIG, have all been run by SOCIALISTS....or is it COMMIES today.
Oh wait, it's "illegal aliens" that are after and have taken over those jobs. This was accomplished by their well known invasion of our country from south of border.
CooperG posted at 8:17 am on Fri, Nov 5, 2010.
Assuming all 59% of the people who voted for Republicans are Tea Party members is a monumental stretch of the imagination and fairly arrogant. It's also arrogant to presume that the 41% who didn't vote for them are Tea Party members or are willing to go along with the dictates of a small group of right-wing activists. This demonstrates, again, how Pearce doesn't know how to understand the "Will of the People" or accept any notions that are different than his own.
Samuel Johnson said "Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel." Pearce, it seems to me, fits the bill.
Butters posted at 3:03 pm on Fri, Nov 5, 2010.
CooperG, there is no main Tea Party political party. They are all local groups loosely made up of people fed up with intrusive and out of control government.
To you left wing liberals such as Rich, Forkedlift, Cooper and others, remember, the dems have been in control since 2006, two years before Obama was elected. They got stronger in 2008 and have done a massive amount of damage to our country, including and especially our country's financial health.
Let me also remind you that it was Nappy and her crew who overspent in this state on entitlements that many people really aren't entitled to. At least Brewer has had the guts to take on the problems and deal with them. Pearce being the leader of our state senate is a blessing. He's also not afraid to tackle our state's problems. There's going to be pain in reduced spending. Many will leave this state and to those who do leave because we stopped giving you handouts you were never entitled to I say, Goodbye.
As for me, I'm not known for being PC. I'm glad as heck that we now have straight republican leadership not afraid to speak out for our state. Maybe now we can get back to being the CONSERVATIVE state that Arizona was before the left coast and carpetbaggers moved here and tried to turn it into another Oregon or worst yet, California.
What happened in the voting booths on Tuesday confirms that we do live in a Republic, where the voters do have a say in who runs our country. The voters have made it clear that the left's agenda is neither wanted or accepted. To those of you still pouting because the dems lost control, get over it. Majority vote still rules in this country. We have made it clear that you small group of socialist progressives are NOT going to control the majority of us who believe in smaller government, fiscal responsibility and a free market system. I'll also decide if, when and how I want to obtain health insurance. I'll thank you socialist progressives to mind your own darn business, worry about your own lives and STOP trying to run mine.
dragonwyk711 posted at 5:57 pm on Fri, Nov 5, 2010.
rrjenn-You are an illiterate fool and a stupid redneck! No further comment is needed to show others what an idiot you are. Pearce is a fascist. Racism is a tool for the stupid.
dragonwyk711 posted at 5:58 pm on Fri, Nov 5, 2010.
Patriotism is the virtue of the vicious.-Oscar Wilde
wdgnas posted at 6:04 am on Sat, Nov 6, 2010.
once again, the people that vote for republicans in this state blame the former governor, a democrat, for the state's economic woes while either failing to choosing not to remember the legislature with a republican majority was involved also...
Butters posted at 9:12 am on Sun, Nov 7, 2010.
Wdgnas, it was the former governor who pushed her budget through in a most deceptive way. What got our state into serious financial hot water, was Nappy's way of going around the legislature with her executive orders. The buck stops at the governor's office and like it or not, Nappy's liberal socialist progressive agenda was very costly to our state. Also, give me one example of Nappy asking for budget cuts or at least attempting to do what Brewer has been trying to do by way of balancing our state's budget. What's that, you say you can't? That's what I thought.
Dragonwack, got news for you, the tea party groups backed a number of black and Hispanic republicans who won office on Tuesday, including several black members of congress and the new governor for New Mexico. I suggest you spend less time watching Keith Olberman and more time studying up on the facts. Oh, sorry, I forgot, Keith Olberman was SUSPENDED without pay indefinitely. Amen to that.