Archive for Legislative Updates

Hi everyone, This is such a short update that I’m writing it as an e-mail rather than as an attached Word document.  The attached document is info about the big musical benefit happening in the ballroom at the Riordan Mansion on May 21st.  Since there will only be 100 tickets sold, and they are being [...]

RIORDAN STATUS: The Arizona Historical Society (AHS) Board met on March 26th in Yuma. Karen Washabau represented RAN at the meeting and gave a short synopsis of RAN’s history and future plans for supporting the Riordan Mansion State Historic Park (RMSHP). Renee Bahl, Director of AZ State Parks also spoke. The AHS board gave Ann Woosley, Director of AHS the authority to sign the agreement which would turn over the operation of the park to AHS for three years with options for two more three-year agreements. The agreement has to be reviewed by the AZ Attorney General’s Office. The Park will continue its present schedule (Thursday – Monday with tours on the hour) without interruption. Volunteers: Please continue to stay informed and in touch. The Park and staff will need you more than ever.

As you probably have been reading in the papers and hearing on the news, the financial situation for ASP worsens. However, several of the parks slated for closure have worked out partnerships to keep them open or are still in negotiations. That doesn’t mean that the state parks system is healthy or will survive. We (all of you) need to continue our efforts to try to convince legislators and the governor to act NOW to keep the state parks system alive and parks open. (See Marilyn’s personal legislative plea below.)

Hi everyone, HCR2040 is in danger of dying in the House Appropriations Committee, because Rep. Kavanagh (chair) will not schedule it for a hearing. This is the piece of legislation that would put the vehicle registration fee to support State Parks on the ballot in Nov. to allow the voters to decide. It is bipartisan [...]

At the State Parks Volunteer Venture event in Camp Verde yesterday, Director Renee Bahl announced that AZ State Parks (ASP) administration will be recommending to the ASP Board on March 17th that the Riordan Mansion stay open for the next year under lease from the Arizona Historical Society (AHS) with the assistance of RAN and the volunteers in partnership with No. AZ Pioneer Historical Society (NAPHS). The lease is still being worked on and will have to be approved by the ASP Board on March 17th and the AHS Board on March 22nd. It is not a done deal but is far enough along that Director Bahl feels comfortable including the recommendation in the packet going to the ASP Board this week.

John Kavanagh, Chair of the House Appropriations Committee has decided to hold HCR2040 hostage and not allow it to be heard in committee. If he does not place it on the agenda, it will die. This is the proposed referendum that would allow the voters in Nov. to decide upon a vehicle registration renewal fee [...]

In these days of immense challenges and stress, a couple of bits of good news. Yesterday late afternoon, HCR 2040, the vehicle license tag/park access fee proposal took its first steps on its path through the legislature by passing out of House Natural Resources.  The Referral has been amended to now be a $12 fee, [...]

One piece of good news from the Arizona Legislature was that HCR2040 sustainable state parks fund (Jones, Brown, Ch. Campbell, et al) passed out of the House Natural Resources and Rural Affairs Committee 5-1-0-2. Thanks to everyone who signed in via the Request to Speak system, to everyone who emailed their legislators, and to those [...]