Arizona House Republicans advance election bills after Biden victory here
PHOENIX – Republicans who control the Arizona House advanced a series of election-related proposals Thursday that they contend are needed to tighten the state’s election security. But Democrats call them part of an ongoing voter suppression effort by GOP lawmakers.
The House approved measures making sameday voter registration a felony offense, requiring people to specifically ask to register to vote, mandating notices on mailed early ballots telling recipients to “return to sender” if the person no longer lives there and boosting limits on the required disclosure of campaign contributions.
Another measure makes it a felony for an election official to send mail ballots to people who hadn’t requested them – a move prompted by a failed proposal last year by Maricopa County’s former recorder to mail all voters ballots during the pandemic.
The measures brought fierce opposition from Democrats, who said they add to a slew of GOP proposals that were prompted by former President Donald Trump’s loss in Arizona.
House Minority Leader Reginald Bolding said prohibiting state agencies from registering people to vote without them seeking it out is part of GOP efforts to make it harder for people to participate in elections.
“And once they are on the rolls, there are attempts to kick them off,” Bolding said. “And we are seeing those policies here at the Legislature in this cycle, not only in the House but in the Senate as well.”
Republicans defended the efforts as necessary to prevent fraud or abuse of the election process.
The ban on sending all voters ballots, sponsored by GOP Rep. Jake Hoffman, prevents county recorders from going “rogue,” a move he said could “compromise the integrity of our entire state election.”
Rep. John Kavanagh said his proposal to raise from $50 to $200 the amount that triggers being named in a campaign report is needed because contributors are being harassed by those opposed to candidates or measures they dislike, who often even call their employers.
“Campaign contributions are a First Amendment form of free speech,” Kavanagh said, “And giving people the information to dox and harass and threaten their livelihood is a suppression of free speech.”
Democrats noted that most lobbyists’s contributions are below $200, and Bolding called the proposal flat wrong. “The public has the right and should have the right to know what individuals are influencing candidates in their campaigns,” he said.
The House advanced the measures after debates, but they still need formal votes before heading to the Senate for action. There are many other election-related measures awaiting House action.
The Senate, for its part, is advancing its own measures tightening election laws. Those include a measure that would purge about 200,000 people from a list of voters who automatically get mail ballots, and one that would shrink the mail-voting period.
Proposals in both the House and the Senate to give lawmakers – not voters – the final say in selecting Arizona’s representatives in the Electoral College have been introduced without receiving committee votes.
DEAR SAVVY SENIOR – Where can I turn to find a good Medicare covered hospice provider? My husband’s mother has a terminal condition and wants to die at home, if possible, so I’m helping out where I can. – Sad Sandy
DEAR SANDY – Hospice is a wonderful option in the last months of life because it offers a variety of services, not only to those who are dying, but also to those left behind. Here’s what you should know about hospice care, along with some tips to help you choose one.
Understanding Hospice
Hospice care is a unique service that provides medical care, pain management, and emotional and spiritual support to people who are in the last stages of a terminal illness – it does not speed up or slow down the process of dying. Hospice’s goal is to simply keep the patient as comfortable and pain-free as possible, with loved ones nearby until death.
The various services provided by a hospice program comes from a team of professionals that works together to accommodate all the patients’ end-of-life needs.
The team typically includes hospice doctors that will work with the primary physician and family members to draft up a care plan; nurses who dispense medication for pain control; home care aids that attend to personal needs like eating and bathing; social workers who help the patient and the family prepare for end of life; clergy members who provide spiritual counseling, if desired; and volunteers that fill a variety of niches, from sitting with the patient to helping clean and maintain their property.
Some hospices even offer massage or music therapy, and nearly all provide bereavement services for relatives and short-term inpatient respite care to give family caregivers a break.
Most hospice patients receive care in their own home. However, hospice will go wherever the patient is – hospital, nursing home or assisted living residence. Some even have their own facility to use as an option.
To receive hospice, your mother-in-law must get a referral from her physician stating that her life expectancy is six months or less.
It’s also important to know that home-based hospice care does not mean that a hospice nurse or volunteer is in the home 24 hours a day. Services are based on need and/or what you request. Hospice care can also be stopped at any time if your mother-in-law’s health improves or if she decides to re-enter cure-oriented treatments.
How to Choose
The best time to prepare for hospice and consider your options is before it’s necessary, so you’re not making decisions during a stressful time. There are more than 4,300 hospice care agencies in the U.S., so depending on where you live, you may have several options from which to choose.
To locate a good hospice in your area, ask your mother-in-law’s doctor or the discharge planner at your local hospital for a referral, or you can search online at Medicare. gov/care-compare, which provides lists and ratings of hospice providers in your area.
When choosing, look for an established hospice that has been operating for a few years and one that is certified by Medicare. To help you select one, the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization offers a worksheet of questions to ask CaringInfo.org.
Medicare Coverage
Medicare covers all aspects of hospice care and services for its beneficiaries. There is no deductible for hospice services although there may be a very small co-payment – such as $5 for each prescription drug for pain and symptom control, or a 5 percent share for inpatient respite care. Medicaid also covers hospice in most states, as do most private health insurance plans.
For more information, see the “Medicare Hospice Benefits” online booklet at Medicare.gov/pubs/ pdf/02154-medicare-hospice-benefits.pdf.
Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book.