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TED: COMING UP IN THE NEXT HOUR OF LOCAL NEWS ON ARIZONA PBS.
ON "ARIZONA HORIZON," IT'S THE JOURNALISTS' ROUNDTABLE, A LOOK AT SOME OF THE WEEK'S TOP STORIES, INCLUDING A CENSURE AGAINST STATE SENATOR WENDY ROGERS AND GOVERNOR DUCEY'S DECISION NOT TO RUN FOR U.S. SENATE.
>>> ON CRONKITE NEWS, MEMORIAL DAY TO RECOGNIZE THE LASTING IMPACT OF THE PANDEMIC AND REMEMBER THOSE LOST TO COVID.
>>> AND ON "BREAK IT DOWN," A CLOSER LOOK AT POLITICAL ACTIVISM IN SPORTS.
ALL AHEAD IN THE NEXT HOUR OF ARIZONA PBS.
ANNOUNCER: THIS HOUR OF LOCAL NEWS IS MADE POSSIBLE BY CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE FRIENDS OF PBS, MEMBERS OF YOUR PBS STATION.
THANK YOU.
TED: GOOD EVENING, AND WELCOME TO "ARIZONA HORIZON."
I'M TED SIMONS.
IT'S FRIDAY, AND THAT MEANS IT'S TIME FOR ANOTHER EDITION OF THE JOURNALISTS' ROUNDTABLE.
JOINING US TONIGHT FOR A LOOK AT THE WEEK'S TOP STORIES, JEREMY DUDA OF THE "ARIZONA MIRROR," HOWIE FISCHER OF CAPITOL MEDIA SERVICES AND MARY JO PITZL OF "THE ARIZONA REPUBLIC."
LOT TO TALK ABOUT, MARY JO, START WITH YOU, WENDY ROGERS, CENSURES, ENGAGED IN CONDUCT UNBECOMING A SENATOR, HUH?
>> WHAT 24 MEMBERS OF THE 30 MEMBER SENATE DECIDED, YEP, IN A PRETTY BIPARTISAN VOTE.
TED: WHY WAS SHE CENSURED?
>> A LOT BECAUSE OF COMMENTS SHE MADE THE PREVIOUS WEEKEND AT THE AMERICA FIRST POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE CONFERENCE.
SHE TALKED ABOUT HANGING HER ENEMIES, BRINGING OUT NEW GALLOWS TO SCARE PEOPLE.
SHE CALLED WHITE NATIONALISTS PATRIOTS, MADE A LOT OF ANTI-SEMITIC REFERENCES AND TALKED ABOUT NEW ADMIRATION.
>> AS THEY START TALKING CENSURE, SHE SENT OUT A MESSAGE SAYING I WILL POLITICALLY DESTROY ANYONE WHO GOES AGAINST ME, AND SO YOU HAD PEOPLE LIKE TJ HOPE IS WHO SAID, LOOK, HOWIE, IT'S ONE THING TO SPEAK AND SPEAK YOUR MIND, ANOTHER THING TO THREATEN YOUR COLLEAGUES HERE.
THAT'S WHAT DROVE IT OVER THE EDGE.
TED: THE THREATS OF VIOLENCE, THAT SEEMS TO BE A FOCUS HERE, THE ANTI-SEMITIC LANGUAGE, THE HATE SPEECH, IS THAT MENTIONED IN THE CENSURE?
>> NO, AND WE SAW THE DRAFT OF CENSURE THAT RACIAL INCITEMENTS TO RACIAL AND RELIGIOUS BIGOTRY, THAT WAS REMOVED, AND I ASKED KAREN FANN WHY WAS THAT TAKEN OUT BECAUSE RODGERS HAD PUT OUT -- TRAFFICKING IN ANTI-SEMITIC TROPES ON SOCIAL MEDIA IS AND ASKED KAREN FANN WHY IT WAS TAKEN OUT, A FREEDOM OF SPEECH ISSUES, MEMBERS DIDN'T WANT IT IN THERE BECAUSE IT'S FREEDOM OF SPEECH.
THIS IS MORE ABOUT THE THREATS AND THE INCITEMENTS TO VIOLENCE AND THE THREATS OF RETALIATION AGAINST HER COLLEAGUES.
THOSE ARE FOLKS WHO PRAISED THE CENSURE AFTERWARDS WHO MENTIONED THE ANTI-SEMITIC STUFF, IN TERMS OF WHY SHE WAS CENSURED, THEY WERE FOCUSED ON THE ISSUES.
TED: YOU MENTIONED NICK FUENTES, WHO IS THAT?
>> OATH KEEPERS?
>> NO, THE WHITE NATIONALIST LEADER OF THE CONFERENCE.
TED: KIND OF THE HOST OF THE CONFERENCE THERE.
>> AND WHAT'S IMPORTANT IS HERE HE WAS, WHEN HE OPENS THE CONFERENCE, HE ASKED PEOPLE TO CHEER FOR RUSSIA INVADING UKRAINE.
HE MADE COMMENTS ABOUT, WELL, NAZIS AND WHAT'S WRONG WITH THAT?
SO AGAIN, MAYBE GUILT BY ASSOCIATION, BUT THIS IS A WOMAN WHO SPECIFICALLY DECIDED SHE NEEDED TO SPEAK TO THOSE PEOPLE.
THOSE ARE HER PEOPLE.
TED: THE NO VOTES, WARREN PETERSON, NANCY BARTO, WHAT DO THEY MAKE OF THAT?
GIVE A REASON OF VOTING NO?
>> BASICALLY SAYING IT'S UP THAT SHE DOESN'T CONDONE THE STATEMENTS BUT THIS IS UP TO THE VOTERS, I DON'T KNOW IF SENATOR PETERSON SAID ANYTHING, THAT WAS A STATEMENT THAT SENATOR BARTOW PUT OUT ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
TED: ADDITIONAL ACTION AGAINST WENDY ROGERS?
>> I GUESS WE'VE YET TO SEE.
SHE CERTAINLY HASN'T BACKED DOWN, BECOME MORE DEFIANT SINCE THE CENSURE.
SENT OUT A FUND-RAISING LETTER WHICH GOT PEOPLE UPSET ALL OVER AGAIN, AND SENATORS ARE DIGGING INTO SOME OF THE WORK OF NICK FUENTES, SOMEBODY THAT RODGERS ADMIRES, THERE'S A LOT OF LIKE, OH, MY GOSH, WHY ARE WE SUPPORTING THIS?
BUT THERE IS A FREEDOM OF SPEECH ISSUE, AND SHE'S SHOWING UP, SHE'S DOING HER JOB.
SHE'S ATTENDING COMMITTEE HEARINGS AND VOTING ON THE FLOOR.
>> I TALKED TO KAREN FANN TODAY SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THIS.
FIRST OF ALL, THE SENATE PRESIDENT HAS THE POWER TO REMOVE HER FROM COMMITTEES UNILATERALLY, DOESN'T NEED ANYBODY ELSE TO SAY SO, BUT KAREN SAID SHE'S GETTING COMPLAINTS FROM SOME OF WENDY'S CONSTITUENTS, ETHICS COMPLAINTS AND A CERTAIN POINT IF THE ETHICS COMPLAINTS ARE FILED, IT WILL GO TO THE ETHICS COMMITTEE UNLIKE THE CENSURE THAT WENT RIGHT TO THE FLOOR AND HAVE TO DECIDE WHETHER OTHER ALLEGATIONS AGAINST HER COMING UP, MERIT REVISITING IT AND GOING BEYOND THE CENSURE TO PERHAPS, IN FACT, EXPELLING HER FROM THE SENATE.
>> THE COMPLAINTS OF A SIMILAR NATURE AS THE CENSURE MENTIONED?
>> PRETTY MUCH A SIMILAR NATURE.
THERE ARE THINGS ABOUT HER, WHETHER SHE PAYS ATTENTION TO CONSTITUENTS.
THAT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS, BUT EXPULSION IS VERY RARE, I'VE COVERED ONE IN ALL THE TIME AND THAT HAD TO DO WITH CAROLYN WALKER, CAUGHT UP IN AZCAM, AND WOULDN'T QUIT, IT TAKES A TWO-THIRDS VOTE, WE SAW FROM THE CENSURE, YOU CAN GET A TWO-THIRDS VOTE FROM THAT.
EXPELLING SOMEBODY BECOMES A DIFFERENT ISSUE AND DOWN TO WHO REPLACES HER?
>> RIGHT.
JEREMY, I WILL NOT APOLOGIZE SAYS WENDY ROGERS, I WILL NOT BACK DOWN SAID IMMEDIATELY AFTER.
OTHER FOLKS, OTHER REPUBLICANS CALLING ON WENDY, MATT SALMON, GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE, ARE WE SEEING MUCH IN THE WAY OF REPUBLICAN RESPONSE?
>> SOME.
YOU'VE SEEN FOLKS STAYING QUIET.
SOME FOLKS ARE BEING A LITTLE BIT MORE FORCEFUL.
YOU MENTIONED MATT SALMON, A LOT OF US WERE SURPRISED TO SEE HIS CALL FOR HER TO RESIGN FROM HER SEAT, TO AFTER THE CENSURE, TWO OF THE FOUR REPUBLICAN GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATES PUT OUT STATEMENTS, STEVE GAYNOR THE MOST STRIDENT.
MATT SALMON DIDN'T MENTION ROGERS BY NAME, AND COUPLE OF DAYS OF HER CONTINUING TO BE DEFIANT, TALKING ABOUT HER RESPONSE AND SAYING SHE'S UNFIT FOR OFFICE, SHE HAS TO STEP DOWN.
THE OTHER CANDIDATES WHO HAVE TIES TO WENDY ROGERS, KARI LAKE ENDORSED BY WENDY ROGERS, HER CAMPAIGN TOLD ME SHE DOESN'T THINK SHE WILL RESIGN BUT WILL NOT RESPOND TO THE OTHER STUFF.
KARRIN TAYLOR ROBSON BRAGGED ON TWITTER LAST YEAR AS THE CHAIR OF THE CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE WOULD HELP GET ROGERS ELECTED.
WE HAVEN'T HEARD A SINGLE WORD FROM HER, HASN'T RESPONDED TO CALLS.
TED: THEN WE HAVE THE GOVERNOR.
>> HE WAS ASKED BY JEREMY, ACTUALLY, ABOUT SOME OF THE COMMENTS THAT ROGERS MADE, AND HE INITIALLY SAID BECAUSE HE -- HIS PAC PUT A HALF MILLION DOLLARS INTO ROGERS' CAMPAIGN TO DEFEAT THE DEMOCRAT IN THE RACE FOR STATE SENATE, AND SAID, NO, I STAND BEHIND THAT, IT'S BETTER TO HAVE BASICALLY -- HE DOESN'T SAY EXACTLY, BUT BETTER TO HAVE WENDY ROGERS THAN TO HAVE A DEMOCRAT.
TED: RIGHT, RIGHT.
>> AND BLEW IT AGAIN EARLIER THIS WEEK.
HE WAS ASKED, SO WHAT DO YOU THINK?
NOW THAT YOU KNOW SOMETHING?
THE GOVERNOR WAITED UNTIL AFTER THE SENATE ACTED AND PUT OUT A STATEMENT HOURS LATER PRAISING THE CENSURE, NEVER MENTIONING WENDY BY NAME, NEVER MENTIONING THE ALLEGATIONS AGAINST HER BY NAME THERE, AND ONE OTHER POINT ABOUT MATT SALMON, I APPRECIATE WHAT JEREMY IS SAYING.
CONSIDER TWO THINGS, ON ONE HAND IN MATT'S FAVOR, I'VE KNOWN MATT SINCE HE WAS A LAWMAKER, HE'S A STRAIGHT SHOOTER AND I THINK HONESTLY OFFENDED.
THE OTHER PIECE, HE'S RUNNING BEHIND KARI LAKE.
THIS GOT HIM A LOT OF FREE MEDIA WITH THE FACT HE CAME OUT AND SAID SOMETHING, HE'S BEEN ALL OVER THE AIRWAVES, ALL OVER THE PRINT.
THIS MAY BE THE BOOST HE NEEDS TO GET AHEAD OF KARI LAKE.
TED: ARE WE GOING TO HEAR MORE FROM GOVERNOR DUCEY, ESPECIALLY AFTER REPORTERS ASKED HIM FOR HIS THOUGHTS ON WENDY ROGERS, AND THAT'S WHAT GOT US TO WHERE WE ARE, BASICALLY SAYING AS MARY JO MENTIONED, A DEMOCRAT WOULD NOT HELP HIM GET HIS AGENDA ACROSS, SO SHE'S BETTER THAN A DEMOCRAT.
>> UNLESS RODGERS DOES SOMETHING ELSE THAT IS EGREGIOUS, IF YOU HAVEN'T NOTICED OVER THE PAST SEVEN YEARS, HE TENDS TO BE CAUTIOUS ON EVERYTHING HE SAYS IN PUBLIC.
TED: AND ONE MORE THING ON THIS, KELLI TOWNSEND ADDRESSES CONGRESSIONAL BID, NO GOOD, NO MORE?
>> THIS IS A VERY COMPLICATED THING, THE REDISTRICTING LINES WERE DRAWN, THERE WAS A LAST-MINUTE APPROACH TO TAKE FOUR BLOCKS AROUND WENDY ROGERS'S PLACE, WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN IN THE DISTRICT WITH THE NAVAJO RESERVATION AND PUT HER IN A SAFE REPUBLICAN DISTRICT.
THIS WOULD BE A DISTRICT THAT KELLI TOWNSEND WOULD BE IN, ACTUALLY, LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT.
KELLI DECIDED WHETHER ONE WAS RELATED TO THE OTHER, SHE WAS GOING TO GO AFTER CONGRESS.
KELLI DID NOT GET THE ANTICIPATED TRUMP ENDORSEMENT IN HER CONGRESSIONAL RUN.
THERE ARE THREE OTHER REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES IN THERE.
SHE TOLD ME TODAY, YOU KNOW, I'VE GOT TO CONSIDER MY OPTIONS HERE.
IT COULD BE I'M GOING TO GO TO LAW SCHOOL.
MAYBE I'M GOING TO GET MY Ph.D. GO FOR COUNTY RECORDER, OR SHE SAID I'M GETTING CALLS FROM PEOPLE WHO WOULD NEVER SUPPORT ME IN THE PAST BECAUSE OF HER ATTITUDE.
THEY'D RATHER HAVE ME THAN WENDY ROGERS.
TED: THAT SOUNDS LIKE A ROUGH RACE THERE.
THAT COULD BE SOMETHING TO WATCH.
>> CERTAINLY WOULD PROBABLY BE ONE OF THE HIGHEST PROFILE STATE LEGISLATIVE RACES IN THE NATION AND ARIZONA FOR A LONG TIME, IF IT'S ROGERS VERSUS TOWNSEND.
FOR THAT TO HAPPEN, TOWNSEND HAS THREE MORE TERMS SHE'S ELIGIBLE IN THE SENATE.
THIS IS THE FIRST YEAR, CANDIDATE FILINGS OPEN TOMORROW.
THEY CLOSE ON APRIL 4th.
YOU'VE GOT TO GET OUT THERE WITH PETITIONS, GET SIGNATURES AND THAT GIVES HER A MONTH TO DO THAT IF INDEED SHE WANTS TO TAKE THAT ROUTE.
>> I WOULD GUESS FROM PRIOR TO DECIDING ON THE CONGRESSIONAL RACE, HAS THE SIGNATURES TO RUN FOR RE-ELECTION IN THE SENATE.
THE BIGGEST CONCERN IS WENDY ROGERS RAISED $2.5 MILLION LAST YEAR AND 1.6 MILLION LEFT ON-HAND AT THE START GOING INTO 2022.
NO LEGISLATIVE CANDIDATE EVER RAISED THAT MONEY IN ARIZONA, BUT HOWIE MENTIONED PEOPLE AS FAR TO THE RIGHT AS TOWNSEND, OUTSIDE GROUPS MIGHT LOOK AND SAY, WE DON'T LIKE A LOT OF YOU BUT LIKE YOU A HECK OF A LOT MORE THAN WE LIKE WENDY ROGERS BACK.
>> EVEN THOUGH IT'S A HEAVILY REPUBLICAN DISTRICT, 60-40 REPUBLICAN, CAN A DEMOCRAT GET ELECT BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT WENDY IS SO FAR OFF THE NORMAL THERE, THEY COULD LOSE THE SEAT TO A DEMOCRAT.
WOULD THEY BE WILLING TO PUT THE MONEY INTO KELLI TOWNSEND.
>> INTERESTING TO SEE THE GOVERNOR'S PAC, WHO THE GOVERNOR MIGHT CHOOSE IN THAT PARTICULAR RACE.
SPEAKING OF THE GOVERNOR, MARY JO, TO NO ONE'S SURPRISE, BUT APPARENTLY THE OFFICIAL IS OFFICIAL AND TECHNICALLY FORMERLY OFFICIAL, HE'S NOT RUNNING FOR U.S. SENATE.
>> OH, DEAR, WHAT A SHOCK.
NOT MUCH OF A HEADLINE.
THE GOVERNOR HAS BEEN SIGNALING FOR SOMETIME.
I LIKE MY JOB, AND YEAH, THAT'S NOT A HARD NO, BUT HE MADE IT PRETTY CLEAR, HE SEES HIMSELF AS AN EXECUTIVE.
HE MAKES DECISIONS, NOT ONE OF 100, AND HE'S NEVER ADVANCED THE IDEAS THAT HE MIGHT RUN FOR THE SENATE.
A LOT OF THAT IS OUT OF D.C. >> WISHFUL THINKING.
>> WHICH ALSO SUGGESTS THE PEOPLE IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, MR. McCONNELL IN PARTICULAR AREN'T PARTICULARLY IMPRESSED WITH MARK BRNOVICH AND THE REST OF THE CROWD.
>> BETTER GET IMPRESSED, THE FIELD IS OPEN NOW, SO THE FUNDING THAT THE GOVERNOR MIGHT HAVE RAISED FOR HIMSELF OR THEY MIGHT HAVE RAISED FOR HIM, THAT GOES TO THE CANDIDATE OF THEIR CHOICE.
WHO'S IT GOING TO GO TO?
>> THAT'S HARD TO SAY.
BRNOVICH, AMONG THOSE LEFT, PROBABLY LEADS BY VIRTUAL NAME ID.
LOOK AT THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT SOME OF HIS FOES HAVE.
AND YOU SATURATE THE AIRWAVES BETWEEN NOW AND EARLY AUGUST, AND YOU COULD MAKE A REAL DIFFERENCE.
TED: FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP WASTED NO TIME IN SAYING GOOD RIDDANCE, WE DON'T NEED YOU IN THE PARTY, AND THE GOVERNOR DROPPED OUT BECAUSE HE SAW THE TEA LEAVES.
IF I DON'T SUPPORT YOU, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO WIN, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.
>> YEAH, TRUMP TOOK CREDIT FOR THE GOVERNOR NOT RUNNING, PROBABLY AS ACCURATE AS FALSE CLAIMS ABOUT THE ELECTION BEING RIGGED.
I DON'T HAVE A HARD TIME SEEING DUCEY INTERESTED IN THE SENATE.
WE KNOW THIS GUY WELL, BEING ONE OF 100, NOT HIS STYLE.
HE WANTS TO BE THE GUY MAKING THE DECISION.
TED: WHAT DOES HE DO?
>> THAT'S HARD TO SAY.
THIS YEAR HE'S NOT GOING TO RUN FOR EVERYTHING, HE'S GOING TO LEAVE OFFICE.
IF HE WANTS TO RUN FOR SENATE COUPLE YEARS DOWN THE ROAD.
KYRSTEN SINEMA IS UP FOR RE-ELECTION, WHO KNOWS WHO OTHER OPTIONS ARE OUT THERE.
YOU CAN JOIN THE CABINET IN THE NEXT ADMINISTRATION.
TAKE OVER A NONPROFIT OR BUSINESS GROUP.
HE'S GOT A LOT OF OPTIONS.
>> HE'S STILL THE CHAIRMAN OF THE REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR'S ASSOCIATION, SO HE'S GOING TO WORK ON GETTING REPUBLICANS ELECTED AT STATE HOUSES ACROSS THE U.S., IF HE'S SUCCESSFUL IN THAT, A LOT MORE ALLIES AND A LOT MORE OPTIONS.
>> I THINK HE HAS SOME FORM OF POTOMAC FEVER, SOMEBODY IS WHISPERING INTO HIS EAR, PRESIDENT DUCEY.
TED: MIGHT BE.
HOWIE, WE'LL STICK WITH YOU, REPUBLICANS WENT TO THE SUPREME COURT AND BASICALLY SAID THE CONSTITUTION, EVERYTHING WE'VE BEEN DOING SINCE WE STARTED EARLY VOTING WAS UNCONSTITUTIONAL.
GET IT OUT OF HERE.
>> THEY SUDDENLY DISCOVERED NOW THAT DONALD TRUMP SAID EARLY VOTING, BAD, BECAUSE THAT'S HOW HE LOST.
WE'VE HAD EARLY VOTING FOR DECADES IN SOME FORM.
WHEN I CAME TO ARIZONA, YOU SIGN AN AFFIDAVIT THAT SAID I'M OUT OF THE PRECINCT ON ELECTION DAY.
IF YOU GO INTO WORK, YOU'RE IN THE PRECINCT.
IT WAS A DONE DEAL.
1991, NO EXCUSE, EARLY VOTING, APPROVED.
BIPARTISAN.
SIGNED BY I GUESS IT WOULD HAVE BEEN GOVERNOR FIFE SYMINGTON.
AND EVER SINCE THEN, YOU GO ON A VOTING LIST, NO LONGER PERMANENT LIST, OBVIOUSLY, AND THE ATTORNEYS FOR THE REPUBLICAN PARTY BELIEVE THEY FOUND LANGUAGE IN THERE THAT TALKS ABOUT ON INITIATIVES THAT YOU VOTE AT THE POLLS.
TED: IN PERSON AT THE POLLS.
>> IN PERSON AT THE POLLS AND THAT CAN'T YOU POSSIBLY MEAN ANYTHING ELSE.
I THINK THAT'S STRETCHING IT A LITTLE BIT.
NOT LIKE IT'S THAT CLEAR IN THE LEGISLATION.
YOU ADD SOMETHING AT IT, LET'S SEE WHAT THE JUSTICES DO.
TED: JEREMY, APPARENTLY IN A SUIT, THEY MENTIONED A PENNSYLVANIA CHALLENGE, AND A COURT DID SAY, IT IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL, PENNSYLVANIA SUPREME COURT IS LOOKING AT IT, BUT THIS HAS WORKED ELSEWHERE SO FAR.
>> PENNSYLVANIA'S CONSTITUTION HAS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT, SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT LANGUAGE THAN ARIZONA, AND SPECIFICALLY, I THINK WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE IS THE PENNSYLVANIA CONSTITUTION, THE LANGUAGE THE COURT RELIED ON FOR THE RULING, WHICH IS GOING TO BE APPEALED TO THE STATE SUPREME COURT ANYWAY IS ON THE SECTION ON ELECTIONS, HOWIE MENTIONED THIS IS LANGUAGE FROM THE SECTION ON CITIZEN INITIATIVES AND REFERENDA.
THAT'S NOT IN THE SECTION THAT PERTAINS TO ELECTIONS AND SUFFRAGE.
IF YOU ARE ZERO TIMES IN THAT SECTION, THERE'S NOTHING IN THERE THAT SAYS IT HAS TO BE IN PERSON.
I'VE SPOKEN TO LAWYERS, THIS IS A TORTURED INTERPRETATION OF THE CONSTITUTION, DRAWN AN INFERENCE FROM ONE SECTION AND THE REASON THEY SAID AT THE POLLS IS THAT'S HOW PEOPLE VOTED BACK THEN, A WAY OF SAYING PEOPLE ARE GOING TO VOTE ON THESE MEASURES, IF THEY WANTED TO SAY, IT HAS TO BE AT POLLS IN PERSON, THEY WOULD HAVE SAID IT HAS TO BE IN PERSON.
>> AND THE PENNSYLVANIA LAWSUIT INVOLVES PENNSYLVANIA'S EARLY VOTING LAW WAS INSTITUTED TO DEAL WITH COVID?
IT'S FAIRLY NEW.
ARIZONA HAS HAD ABSENTEE VOTING SINCE 1925, AND EARLY VOTING BY MAIL SINCE '91, AND THROUGH ALL THE DECADES, NOBODY RAISED A QUESTION ABOUT THE CONSTITUTIONALITY OF THIS AS THE LAWS HAVE CHANGED AND GONE THROUGH THE LEGISLATURE.
NOBODY RAISED A RED FLAG SAYING THIS IS POTENTIALLY UNCONSTITUTIONAL.
>> WHO WANTS THIS, HOWIE?
WHO IS PUSHING FOR THIS?
>> REPUBLICAN PARTY, YOU KNOW, KELLI WARD.
>> REPUBLICAN PARTY LEADERSHIP OR THE REPUBLICAN PARTY EN MASSE?
>> THE REPUBLICAN PARTY LEADERSHIP SINCE IT'S NOT LIKE THEY DID A POLL OF REGISTERED REPUBLICANS, WHAT DO YOU THINK?
IF THEY DID A POLL, THEY'D COME UP WITH A DIFFERENT ANSWER.
LOOK AT THE FOLKS, THE 80-90% DEPENDING ON THE DISTRICT YOU'RE IN WHO VOTE EARLY.
LOOK AT THE FOLKS WHO LIKE GETTING THAT EARLY BALLOT, TAKING IT, PUTTING IT ON THE KITCHEN TABLE, SEEING WHAT THEY WANT TO DO AND MAILING IT BACK OR TAKING IT DIRECTLY BACK.
HERE'S THE OTHER THING, LET'S ASSUME FOR ARGUMENT'S SAKE THAT THE ATTORNEY WERE TO SUCCEED.
I WOULD BET YOU YOUR SALARY, MINE AND MAYBE MARY JO'S, THAT SOMEBODY WOULD PLACE A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT FOR THE NEXT ELECTION TO SAY EARLY VOTING IS OKAY.
TED: ONLY BECAUSE 89% OF THE PEOPLE VOTE INCLUDING OFF THE LAWMAKERS.
>> YEAH, LOTS OF THEM.
SOME OF THEM DON'T BECAUSE THEY LIKE TO VOTE EARLY BECAUSE THEY CAN BE OUT AT THE POLLS ON ELECTION DAY.
TED: EXACTLY.
>> CANVASSING.
THE STATE SUPREME COURT SAID THEY WILL ACCEPT THIS AND SET ACCELERATED TIME TABLES, WHICH SUGGESTS THEY WANT TO GET THIS DEALT WITH QUICKLY.
TED: WRAP IT UP WITH EARLY BALLOT MEASURE FOR EARLY BALLOT ID.
TALK TO ME ABOUT THIS, YET ANOTHER -- I'M SORRY, ID REQUIREMENT FOR EARLY BALLOTS.
I'M GETTING CONFUSED.
>> SURE, THIS IS AN OUTGROWTH OF THE FALSE ALLEGATIONS YOU HEARD ABOUT, EARLY VOTING, SUSCEPTIBLE TO FRAUD, WHICH IT'S REALLY NOT.
NORMALLY AS THINGS HAVE GONE SINCE 1991, YOU VOTE EARLY, YOU SIGN THE BALLOTS, ELECTION OFFICIALS COMPARE YOUR SIGNATURE TO SIGNATURES ON FILE TO IDENTIFY YOUR IDENTITY, AND IF IT MATCHES, THEY COUNT YOUR BALLOT.
THIS WOULD REQUIRE TO YOU PUT DRIVER'S LICENSE NUMBER OR THE LAST FOUR DIGITS OF SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER OR NONOPERATING IDENTIFICATION NUMBERS, DRIVER'S LICENSE, DOESN'T LET YOU ALLOW YOU TO DRIVE, AND USE THAT ALSO TO VERIFY YOUR IDENTITY.
THIS WILL GO TO THE BALLOT.
PEOPLE DECIDE WHETHER THEY WANT THIS, THE CONCERN THAT OPPONENTS HAVE IS THAT THIS WILL LEAD TO BALLOTS GETTING REJECTED.
PEOPLE HAVE BEEN DOING IT ONE WAY FOR SO LONG, AND FORGET THEY'RE NOT GOING TO DO THIS, PUT THE WRONG THING, AND WE'RE SEEING -- SAW THIS IN TEXAS WITH THE PRIMARY ELECTION THAT IMPOSED THIS NEW LAW WHICH IS MORE STRINGENT THAN ARIZONA AND DOESN'T HAVE THE SAFEGUARDS FOR REACHING OUT TO VOTERS IF THERE'S AN ISSUE.
WE SAW A MASSIVE SPIKE IN THE NUMBER OF EARLY BALLOTS GETTING REJECTED.
>> PART OF A MASSIVE THING TO MAKE CERTAIN THINGS HARDER ON PEOPLE.
SAME THING WITH THE ISSUE OF INITIATIVES.
A BUNCH OF BILLS TO PUTTING ISSUES ON THE BALLOT, KEEP THEM ON THE BALLOT.
LOOK, THERE'S A PHILOSOPHY AMONG CERTAIN ELEMENTS OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY ARE CONCERNED, A, THERE'S MASSIVE FRAUD, WHEN YOU EXTRAPOLATE OUT CERTAIN SIGNATURES THAT ONE OF THE CRAZIES FROM THE AUDIT DID, THAT 200,000 EARLY BALLOT SIGNATURES DID NOT MATCH.
>> TOTAL CROCK, BY THE WAY.
>> NEVER MIND IF THEY DON'T MATCH, YOU CALL SOMEONE UP AND SAY HOW COME YOUR SIGNATURE DOESN'T MATCH.
BY GEORGE, THIS IS PART OF THE BIG LIE.
TED: J.D.
MESNARD SAYS IT IS COMMON SENSE LEGISLATION, LOTS OF REPUBLICANS DO.
>> THIS WAS GOING TO BE AN INITIATIVE.
>> ALLEGEDLY.
>> AN ALLEGED INITIATIVE AND FOUND THE EASIER ROUTE THROUGH THE LEGISLATURE.
THIS IS A WAY TO TRY TO PERHAPS THREAD THE NEEDLE AND NOT DO AWAY WITH EARLY VOTING, BUT YOU'RE GOING TO REDUCE MOST LIKELY, IF IT PASSES, REDUCE THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO I GUESS SUBMIT AN EARLY BALLOT AND HAVE IT BE ACCEPTED.
>> AND MAYBE BE A POTENTIAL TURNOUT DRIVER FOR ONE OR MORE PARTIES.
REPUBLICANS CAN POINT TO THIS, MAKE SURE YOU VOTE YES, THESE ARE TRYING TO MAKE IT HARDER TO VOTE.
TED: YEA OR NAY, VOTERS PASS THIS?
>> I THINK YES.
TED: WHAT DO YOU THINK?
>> DEPENDS ON THE EDUCATION CAMPAIGNS, IT'S MAKING IT MORE SECURE, WHY NOT?
>> I THINK THEY PASS THIS AND IF TERRY GODDARD GETS ON WITH THE DARK MONEY, THAT PASSES TOO.
TED: THANK YOU, PANEL.
APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE.
THAT IS IT FOR NOW.
I'M TED SIMONS.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.
YOU HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND.
COMING UP IN THE NEXT HALF HOUR ON ARIZONA PBS, ON CRONKITE NEWS, CONCERNS OVER THE IMPACT OF GLOBAL WARMING ON WINTER SPORTS?
>>> AND ON "BREAK IT DOWN," HOW SPORTS HELP EXPOSE IMPORTANT SOCIETAL ISSUES IN THE COUNTRY?