Sat, Jul 04, 2009

Arizona / West

Putting twins in same class not up to parents, veto says

Capitol Media Services
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 05.13.2008
Parents will not be able to dictate whether their twins, triplets, quadruplets or whatever get to stay together or are put in separate classes at school.
Gov. Janet Napolitano vetoed legislation Monday that would have required schools to honor the wishes of parents of multiple-birth siblings. HB 2039 was pushed by a mother who said their twins learn better when kept together.
But the governor said these kinds of decisions should be made on a case-by-case basis involving both educators and parents.
"Legislative intervention on a statewide level is unwarranted," she wrote in her veto message.
Senate extends right to pull gun
The Senate voted 19-7 Monday to let people who feel threatened unholster a gun without being charged with a crime.
Current law already allows individuals to use deadly physical force when a reasonable person would believe it is "immediately necessary to protect himself against the other's use or attempted use of unlawful deadly physical force" or to protect a third person or prevent arson of an occupied structure. And individuals can threaten to use deadly physical force to get someone off their property.
But Rep. Russell Pearce, R-Mesa, said someone who simply feels intimidated can be charged with a crime for drawing a weapon.
SB 2629 says someone can take out a gun in situations where a "reasonable person" would believe that physical force is necessary to protect oneself.
Pearce said just drawing the gun could prevent an attack. But foes have argued it could escalate what might otherwise be a minor fight into a shooting. The measure now goes to the House which passed a slightly different version of the bill.
Sex-with-minor penalty upped for teachers, clergy
Without dissent, the House unanimously approved legislation increasing the penalty for having sexual contact with a minor if the perpetrator is a teacher or member of the clergy.
Under current law the normal prison term for someone who has sex with a minor at least 15 years old is one year in prison. But that penalty increases to 3 1/2 years if the perpetrator is a parent, step-parent, adoptive parent, legal guardian or foster parent. SB 1336 expands that list to include the minor's teacher, clergyman or priest. The measure now goes to the governor.