Legislators unveil new, more secure ballot design

KINGMAN – On Monday, Mohave County’s three legislators updated the Kingman Republican Women on the results of the 55^th Arizona Legislative session.

Senator Borrelli (R) displayed a sample of a new ballot that is virtually impossible to counterfeit. The ballot features special paper with a hologram, a QR Code, and a copper infused image of the State of Arizona which can be scanned and if it doesn’t beep it is suspect.

Representative Cobb (R) announced to the group that $12 million was appropriated by the State for counties to print the new standard ballot. She noted that Mohave County officials, this morning, stated that it will only cost 8 cents more for Mohave County to print the new ballot.

Borrelli, who read an excerpt from the Democratic Party Platform regarding voting rights stated, “It was put into the state budget to protect voting rights and every democrat voted no, what about Page 56 of their platform?” He added that the Democrats actually introduced legislation to remove the new ballot from the budget.

Borrelli also updated the group on the status of the election audit and said there is a new subpoena being issued for the routers, passwords, and other requested items. He advised the group if the subpoena is not complied with, he will initiate an investigation with the Attorney General’s Office with possible charges being brought to bear which could result in the withholding of 10% (approximately $61 million) of shared state revenue from Maricopa County.

Representative Cobb (R) made an official announcement of her candidacy for State Treasurer to replace the current Treasurer, Kimberly Yee, who is term limited and is now a candidate for Governor.  She said one of the things that she has been doing over the last seven years is work on the budget.  “I have been a part of the Appropriations Committee for seven years and four of those years I have been the Chairman (of the Appropriations Committee).”

Cobb went on to say that the past session is the third longest session in the history of the State of Arizona.  “I’ve got to tell you, it was brutal,” she said.  “It was because there was only a one-person majority in the House and the Senate so each person in both houses could pull their vote at any time and a budget would not get passed.”

Accomplishments listed by Cobb included a really large tax cut by going to a 2.5% flat tax rate with a 4.5% maximum rate which she said kind of mitigates what Proposition 208 did to small business owners.

“We tried to do as much mitigation with Prop 208 as we could possibly do, and I am a plaintiff in the lawsuit against the Prop 208 proponents as Appropriations Chairman,” Cobb stated. “We are hoping that will take care of it, but if it doesn’t, we have done a great job with a lot of these things.”

Cobb advised the group that the Legislature made a lot of investments this year with broadband being one of them.  She stated $75 million was put into rural broadband with another $25 million to other suburban areas.  $100 million was appropriated for searching outside the State of Arizona for water.

“Whether we get it from the Mississippi, whether we get it from the Gulf, or from purchasing it elsewhere, that is huge because we haven’t been able to find it within our state,” she said.

Representative Leo Biasiucci (R) addressed the group on HB 2111, AZ Second Amendment Sanctuary State, which he sponsored. He stated it is a huge win for the State of Arizona. He said he knew that we had to do something to protect our rights from the current administration in D.C. “We knew we had to protect AZ because the 10th amendment is real. The states created the Federal government, it’s not the other way around,” he said, “We were able to get it across the finish line and so, now, this bill is very simple, it says if the Feds change anything that impacts your second amendment (rights), your God given right, it will not apply in Arizona.”

Biasicucci stated he is proud of HB 2889 regarding sex trafficking and child sex crimes, also sponsored by him. He said he looked at Arizona laws and found they were not adequate, and offenders were getting released early. With the new law if a person is charged with any type of child sex crime, they will get straight time with no early release with a mandatory 10-year sentence.  For second offenders, there is a mandatory life sentence with no chance of parole.

He related a story of battling the Maricopa and Tucson legislators for road funds for Highway 95. After spending a weekend videotaping the road conditions on Highway 95 to show those legislators that the work was needed, Biasiucci stated the bill passed 10-0.

He said we have to show those big city guys that we matter.  “We are not going to be forgotten out here and that is what it takes to get things done. We will take the arrows at the capitol, but you are the boots on the ground, you spread the word, and you are the ones that keep fighting to keep our area red,” he said.