New Arizona Laws

Capitol Media Services reporter Howard Fischer talks about some of the new State laws that take effect today.

Transcript:

Ted Simons: 363 new laws were passed by the legislature in the last session and now that it's been 90 days since the legislature adjourned those new laws are officially on the books. Here to talk about some of them is Howard Fischer of Capitol Media services. Howie, good to see you. 363. Is that more or less than usual after a session?

Howard Fischer: It's a little bit more than some sessions. We started off with like 1800 bills. Get news is most of the stuff died. Thank goodness for that because some of it was really garbage. It's a good filtration process but this is about normal. Most of them, as you say, took effect today. There's a few that are delayed, a few that took effect immediately as emergency clauses.

Ted Simons: Some of those did not take effect because of court action. Before we do that, studying the bible in public schools. That was a biggy when it was debated. What are the parameters? As far as literature, history, culture?

Howard Fischer: The idea is that so much of what we read in profane literature versus secular literature, in broader terms, is a biblical reference. You're older than Methuselah. If you don't know anything about Methuselah it doesn't mean anything. References to the old testament, the new testament are rife. Shakespeare is full of them. The idea was give kids that an option, make it an elective. There was at lot of concern about this. Because, you start studying the bible…Is it a book of stories? Is it literature? Or is it the word of God? They tried to build in some safeguards to make sure nobody will be prosthelytizing on it. Only the old and new testament is allowed to be studied here. If you want something out of the book of Mormon, forget it. If you want to understand the idea Mohammed can't come to the mountain the mountain will come to Mohammed. No.

Ted Simons: As somebody gets stopped occasionally, have a bit of a lead foot, the officer can ask for license, registration, proof of insurance and I find myself fishing around the glovebox. A lot of times you're buying insurance online. This allows I can whip out my trusty note pad and officer, here's my proof of insurance. He looks and says, well, yeah, you've got some insurance, which means I don't need to worry is it current, have I gotten the card in the mail, anything else. They built in an interesting safeguard on this, because a lot of people were concerned, giving your phone to an officer? What else he looking at just because you give it to an officer doesn't mean he can start looking through your personal pictures and whatever else you've downloaded.

Ted Simons: Ok, and you have to make sure it's in the car with you and book marked. 11

Howard Fischer: Oh, yes.

Ted Simons: Hunting with silencers and hunting with guns capable of five plus shells.

Howard Fischer: This got a lot of attention because, well, gun bills always get attention. Actually, the more bizarre ones, I'll call them that, didn't go anywhere. The idea of guns on campus and everywhere else. Proponents of the silencers say look, there's less recoil. They are more accurate. Of course it also means if you're living nearby you don't know somebody has been hunting. Some of the fun debate occurred over this issue that game and fish has a rule: Five shotgun shells, five bullets. That's it. You stop and reload. That load to the question, do you need a magazine with 10 or 20 which led somebody to say if you can't hit that bear in five shots you shouldn't be out there with a gun.

Ted Simons: A couple of laws that were blocked enjoined here. Ban on abortion after 20 weeks. That just happened. Planned Parenthood, the funding ban blocked as well.

Howard Fischer: The bill says if you also provide abortions you're not eligible for other family planning money even if it's federal money. The Planned Parenthood sued. The state in that case agreed to a temporary restraining order said we would like to debate this fully. Said we will agree not to enforce it until at least the middle of October to give the judge a chance to hear. Obviously the one just decided this past week was the state fought the idea of a temporary restraining order, one at the lower court level, the 9th circuit court said, no, we'll hold that off until at least October.

Ted Simons: Good stuff Howie, we'll leave the other 350 some-odd for another day. Good to see you. Thanks for joining us.