Arizona: Melvin

by David Safier

I've heard rumors to this effect over the past month, and I guess Tedski has heard them as well.

A question fresh from the rumor mill: is Vic Williams contemplating a primary run against Al Melvin?

It would certainly make things interesting up here in my LD.

A SIDENOTE: About a week ago, I posted about Melvin referring to himself as a moderate and calling 2 Republican legislators who voted against budget measures "loser-tarians."

Tedski picked up the line in the post about the possible Williams-Melvin smackdown. But even more interesting, Ron Gould, one of Melvin's "loser-tarians," was a bit peeved by the designation. Seems he thinks old nanny-state Al shouldn't be calling other Republicans names.

Let the games begin continue.

Sen. Al Melvin, R-Tucson, said in a news release Monday that he has non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, a form of cancer that he said should not stop him from carrying out his state duties.
Melvin looked on the lighter side of things as he discussed his condtion, which, he said, should take the greatest toll on his hair as he proceeds with treatments.
 
“I don’t have a great deal of hair”, Melvin said in a news release, “so those that I do have are like members of my family. I’ve known them for so long and I’ll be sad to see them go, particularly with winter approaching.”
And, ...

read the rest of this post

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Earlier this year, our comic "hero" (sic) Cap'n Al Melvin (R-LD 26) sponsored legislation to expand the Pinal County Board of Supervisors from three members to five members, years before this will happen anyway in 2012 after the 2010 census, because "Republicans shouldn't have to wait that long to get a board" he believes the GOP would control by a 3-2 margin. Judge voids Pinal Board of Supervisors law

Cap'n Al disregarded the Arizona Constitution and the rule of law in his partisan quest to create two new Republican-dominated supervisor districts in Pinal County. Most people would call this an abuse of power, and rightly so.

by David Safier

Please, someone tell me the Onion has temporarily taken over the Phoenix Business Journal, or it's putting out its April Fools edition six months early. No one could really be talking about this, could they?

Talk of Russell Pearce heading state police swirls around Capitol

The already-tense fight over immigration in the state could get a lot more intense.

There is talk at the State Capitol of state Sen. Russell Pearce, R-Mesa, possibly being named head of the state police.

Sources familiar with the situation say Brewer could be replacing Arizona Department of Public Safety director Roger Vanderpool and Pearce’s name has popped up.

(At right, Cutman, AKA Russell Pearce, half of the legislative Dynamic Duo, Cutman and Melvin)