County court fines may fund DPS hikes , Presidential primary ,Kindergarten cutoff , Loyalty oath , DNA records

County court fines may fund DPS hikes

PHOENIX - Looking for a quick source of money, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted 7-2 Wednesday to take $5 million from the money that Pima and Maricopa counties collect through their justice courts on traffic fines and civil penalties

The measure is designed largely to support pay raises for Department of Public Safety employees. Ed Wren, a lobbyist for the Associated Highway Patrolmen of Arizona, said the DPS has trouble attracting new officers because it pays less than large police departments.

County officials criticized he move, saying it was not fair for the state to solve its budget woes on the back of local governments. The bill still requires full Senate approval.

Presidential primary

Republican lawmakers who control the Senate Judiciary Committee voted to kill the law that establishes a presidential primary.

With President Bush likely to face no opposition in a 2004 primary, Sen. Jack Harper, R-Glendale, said the $3 million expense can be better used elsewhere, such as for education.

Sen. Bill Brotherton, D-Phoenix, said if that's the case, any party that had a state-funded presidential primary in 1996 and 2000 should repay the cost to the state. By definition, that means only the Republicans; Democrats were banned by party rules in effect at the time from holding a primary in February, when the GOP primary was held, and instead funded their own primary in March.

Brotherton's proposal would recoup about $7 million from the GOP. That idea, however, proved unacceptable to the Republicans on the committee.

Arizona could still end up with a primary Feb. 3, 2004. That's because Gov. Janet Napolitano, a Democrat, supports the idea.

Kindergarten cutoff

Four-year-olds would no longer be able to enroll in kindergarten under the terms of legislation approved Wednesday by the Senate.

State law requires that children be 5 by Sept. 1 to get into school that year. SB 1131 repeals an exception that permits local districts to allow those who will be 5 by the end of the year if they believe it is in the best interests of the child.

Backers of the legislation said too many districts, hungering after the state aid that comes with students, were enrolling children who were not ready to learn and who were holding back their classmates. The bill now goes to the House.

Loyalty oath

The Senate voted Wednesday to require all elected officials and employees to swear that they are not terrorists.

SB 1257 is designed to update the oath requirement that has been in effect since territorial days. One section removes a requirement that signers vow not to belong to the Communist Party, a requirement that federal courts have said is illegal.

DNA records

The Senate Judiciary Committee refused Wednesday to require anyone arrested in Arizona to provide a DNA sample to police.

Foes were concerned about both the additional privacy invasion and the $14.7 million cost to administer the tests and maintain the information.

Capitol Media Services