A few laws our legislators forgot to pass

Starting Friday, we’ll have a few hundred new laws, courtesy of the Legislature. I know. I’m excited, too. Our leaders created a new law to protect guns from destruction, but they weren’t so keen on offering similar protections to people.

They created a law requiring fire districts to be more transparent with their financial records, but they again took a pass at becoming more transparent about freebies they take.

They passed new laws making it easier for them to run for another office and to collect more cash when they run for office. But, alas,

they did nothing to help us sort out who is really funding campaigns in Arizona.

In all, the Legislature and Gov. Jan Brewer created 256 laws this year. This, on top of the 719 new laws they enacted over the previous two years.

That’s nearly 1,000 laws in just three years, and still they’ve missed a few.

I’m telling you, there ought to be a law ...

... to protect not just guns but people. The Legislature this year decreed that no longer can those demon city officials melt down the guns they confiscate or acquire through buyback programs. As of Friday, guns have a right to life. Perhaps next year, our leaders could extend similar protections to people — specifically, with a ban on high-capacity magazines, to at least try to lower the body count when a crazed gunman approaches, or maybe by requiring a back- ground check before you can buy that AR-15.

... to require the financial whizzes who handle investments for the state’s woefully underfunded Public Safety Personnel Retirement System to actually make money for the trust before they can score five- and six-figure bonuses from the trust.

… to require legislators to be held to some (any?) ethical standard. I’d call it Shooter’s Law, after Sen. Don Shooter, who barged into a school classroom this spring then bought his way out of a misdemeanor prosecution. Or perhaps Begay’s Law, honoring Arizona’s newest senator, Carlyle Begay, who lived in Gilbert until he suddenly lived in Apache County, where he was appointed to an open Senate seat. Apparently, the law requiring you to live in a place for a year before you can represent it in the Legislature doesn’t apply to him, just as last year it didn’t apply to Darin Mitchell, who was found by a judge to be in violation of the residency law. And was seated anyway.

… to lift the shroud that increasingly is hiding campaign money in Arizona. To be fair, legislators did tackle campaign finance this year. They passed a law that will allow people to give them more money when they run for office. Five times more money, in fact. Perhaps next year they could plug the well-publicized holes in Arizona’s campaignfinance laws, gaping openings that allow dark money to flow and prevent you from knowing who is funding campaigns to influence your vote. Curiously, the Legislature has shown little interest in this loophole.

… to require politicians to finish what they start. This year, the Legislature eliminated the state’s long-standing resign-to-run law. Starting Friday, no longer do our leaders have to wait until the last year of their term to start running for another office. Now, how about a law that says they can’t resign to run? Really, is it asking so much to expect our leaders to finish the job they asked taxpayers to give them before they abandon it to go after a higher office?

... to at long last either ban legislative gifts or require immediate disclosure of the freebies and junkets they enjoy. It’s been two years and five months since the Fiesta Bowl fiasco oozed into public view, giving us a rare glimpse into the various junkets, jaunts and freebies that flow freely forth at the state Capitol. In all, 28 current and former legislators took free football tickets and/or trips, along with their assorted spouses, in-laws, grandchildren and second cousins once removed — all paid for by the Fiesta Bowl. A number of them “forgot” to disclose their junkets.

This, despite laws that prevent legislators from accepting free football tickets and require them to disclose gifts over $500.

Naturally, no one was held accountable.

It’s now been two years and two months since House Speaker Andy Tobin vowed reform, yet don’t look for anything to change on Friday.

Shocking, I know.