♪.

STEVE: COMING UP NEXT ON "ARIZONA HORIZON," IT'S THE JOURNALISTS' ROUNDTABLE.

WE'LL LOOK AT THE WEEK'S TOP STORIES, INCLUDING ARIZONA SENATE RECORDS FROM THE RECOUNT OF ARIZONA'S 2020 ELECTION BEING TURNED OVER TO THE FBI.

THAT AND MORE ON THE JOURNALISTS' ROUNDTABLE NEXT ON "ARIZONA HORIZON."

.

STEVE: GOOD EVENING, AND WELCOME TO "ARIZONA HORIZON," I'M STEVE GOLDSTEIN IN FOR TED SIMONS.

IT'S FRIDAY, TIME FOR THE JOURNALISTS' ROUNDTABLE.

JOINING US HOWIE FISCHER FROM CAPITOL MEDIA SERVICES, DENNIS WELCH OF CBS 5 AND 3TV AND JIM SMALL FROM THE "ARIZONA MIRROR."

THANKS FOR BEING HERE.

HOWIE, IT'S 2020 ALL OVER AGAIN.

WHAT'S GOING ON WITH STATE SENATE PRESIDENT WARREN PETERSEN, WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THE SUBPOENA, TURNING OVER CERTAIN RECORDS, FROM THE RECOUNT TO THE FBI?

>> OBVIOUSLY I DON'T KNOW IF WE NEED TO REVISIT THE TRUMP THAT DONALD TRUMP SAYS I WON, IN MY THIRD TERM AS PRESIDENT.

EVERYTHING ELSE I DESERVED 11 ELECTORAL VOTES.

WHAT HAPPENED IS THE SENATE, WARREN PETERSEN WAS HER SORT OF LIEUTENANT PUT TOGETHER THIS AUDIT.

I USED TERM LOOSELY, HIRED CYBER NINJAS.

DISAPPEARED FROM BUSINESS, AND THEY SAID THERE ARE IRREGULARITIES IN THERE.

MOST INTERESTINGLY, WHEN THEY COUNTED THE BALLOTS GIVEN TO THEM, IT SHOWED JOE BIDEN WON BY A LARGER MARGIN THAN THE OFFICIAL TALLY.

THAT HASN'T ENDED THINGS.

WE THOUGHT IT WAS ALL BURIED AND TRUMP BACK IN OFFICE AS THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, IS TOLD TO GO AFTER THE STUFF.

THEY'VE GONE AHEAD AND SUBPOENAED THE AUDIT RECORDS.

WHAT'S IN THERE?

WE'RE NOT SURE.

WE KNOW THERE WERE A LOT OF NOTES IN STUFF.

WHAT ISN'T IN THERE IS THE BALLOTS BECAUSE THE STATE LAW REQUIRED THEM TO BE DESTROYED, LIKE 23 MONTHS AFTER THE ELECTION, AND THERE ARE REASONS FOR THAT.

WHICH PROBABLY UNDERMINES THE WHOLE EFFORT TO SAY, WAIT, THERE ARE 42 DIFFERENT KINDS OF PAPER IN HERE INCLUDING BAMBOO AND STUFF IMPORTED FROM CHINA.

STEVE: KRIS MAYES SAID HER PREDECESSOR MARK BRNOVICH TRIED TO WALK IT BACK, THE LATE MARK BRNOVICH, BUT HIS OFFICE DID SO MUCH WORK AND DISCOVERED THERE IS NOTHING THERE.

WHY ARE WE SEEING THIS AGAIN?

>> BECAUSE TRUMP CAN'T HANDLE THE FACT THAT HE LOST.

THAT'S WHAT IT COMES DOWN TO, RIGHT?

TRUMP AND ALLIES CAN'T HANDLE HE LOST IN 2020 IN ARIZONA AND NATIONALLY, WE'RE GOING TO RELITIGATE ALL THE STUFF ALL OVER AGAIN AND HEAR ALL THE SAME LIES ABOUT THE ELECTION BROUGHT UP ALL OVER AGAIN.

ALL OF THE THINGS DEBUNKED, WHY THE CLAIMS ARE FALSE AND THERE'S NO EVIDENCE TO BACK THEM UP AND THERE NEVER HAS BEEN EVIDENCE TO BACK THEM UP.

THIS RIDICULOUS MONTHS LONG PARTISAN REVIEW DONE BY TRUMP ALLIES COULD NOT DIG UP ANYTHING OTHER THAN VAGUE IRREGULARITIES AND THINGS, WHICH MORE OR LESS BOIL DOWN TO THINGS THEY DIDN'T UNDERSTAND, WHICH THEY WALKED INTO THIS REVIEWING THE ELECTION NOT KNOWING ANYTHING ABOUT AN ELECTION AND HOW IT'S CONDUCTED AND ADMINISTERED AND CAME UP WITH THESE -- THEY REALLY WERE GRASPING AT STRAWS.

THE REPORT THAT CAME OUT, ESSENTIALLY POINTED AT THINGS AND SAID WE THINK THERE IS SOMETHING HERE, SOMETHING THERE, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON HERE, AND ALL OF THE ELECTION ADMINISTRATORS AND PROFESSIONALS SAID YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.

YOU'RE IGNORANT AND HERE'S WHAT THE TRUTH IS AND WHAT THE REBUTTAL IS, AND NOW WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH THIS AGAIN AND SEEING THE EXACT SAME LIES, AND THE EXACT SAME THINGS, THE FABRICATIONS ABOUT THE ELECTION COME BACK WITH A LOT OF THE SAME PEOPLE WHO WERE INVOLVED IN THE AUDIT AND THE BIG LIE CONSPIRACY NONSENSE ARE NOW IN THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION, AND THEY'RE DIRECTING THIS PROBE.

THAT'S WHERE WE'RE AT RIGHT NOW.

>> UNFORTUNATELY, TOO, IT'S ALL GARBAGE.

TRUMP DID LOSE THAT ELECTION.

THAT'S WHY HE'S NOT AUDITING OR SEEKING THE RECORDS FROM THE 2024 ELECTION BECAUSE HE WON THAT ELECTION.

APPARENTLY THAT ELECTION WAS FINE.

THIS DOES HAVE AN EFFECT ON THE VOTERS AND THE PUBLIC.

I DID SEE A POLL, I THINK IT WAS A PBS POLL THAT SHOWED TWO-THIRDS OF VOTERS STILL HAVE TRUST IN ELECTION SYSTEMS.

HOWEVER, THAT NUMBER HAD DROPPED FROM 70 SOME PER CENT TO 60 SOME PER CENT.

STUFF LIKE THIS KEEPS HAPPENING.

AVERAGE VOTERS WHO ARE BUSY, WORKING EVERY DAY, GETTING ON WITH THEIR DAILY LIVES, THEY SEE THE HEADLINES AND FILTERS IN THERE.

>> THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.

IT'S THE SAME THING GOING ON WITH ISSUES OF EARLY VOTING AND MAIL-IN VOTING.

GOING BACK TO KELLI WARD.

DON'T VOTE EARLY.

DON'T TRUST THE BALLOTS AND EVERYTHING ELSE.

WELL, PEOPLE DIDN'T VOTE EARLY, DIDN'T VOTE, AND THEREFORE, THE DEMOCRATS OUTPOLLED THE REPUBLICANS, AND TO THE EXTENT THAT IT MADE PEOPLE DISTRUST THE SYSTEM, THEY'RE NOT GOING TO VOTE.

MY VOTE DOESN'T COUNT.

STEVE: WE SAW IT IN ARIZONA AND GEORGIA AS WELL.

BOTH OF THE STATES HAVE TWO DEMOCRATIC U.S.

SENATORS.

HOW COULD THAT HAVE POSSIBLY HAPPENED?

THERE'S BEEN ERODING OF TRUST.

COULD WE SEE MORE OF THAT?

AND I GUESS I WONDER HOW MUCH SHOULD PEOPLE AS MUCH AS ADRIAN FONTES SAYS WE'RE GOING TO STOP IT, FIGHT AGAINST IT, HOW MUCH COULD IT AFFECT VOTING IN ARIZONA THIS YEAR?

>> THAT REMAINS TO BE SEEN.

A LOT OF TIME BETWEEN NOW AND THE ELECTION.

WHAT WE'RE SEEING, WHAT YOU'RE SEEING IS THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION JUST CAME OUT, THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE IN THE FILINGS SUING OVER THE BALLOT DATA.

THEY MADE AN AUSTENTACIOUS CLAIM, WE'RE NOT GOING TO TRUST THE RESULTS OF THIS ELECTION.

WE'RE NOT GOING TO BELIEVE THE RESULTS OF THE ELECTION IN THE FALL, WHICH BY THE WAY, REPUBLICANS IN POLLING ARE -- THEY'RE POLLING DISMALY.

VERY GOOD CHANCE REPUBLICANS TAKE OVER ONE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE DEMOCRATS UP AND DOWN BALLOTS ARE GOING TO PERFORM WELL AND YOU'LL SEE REPUBLICANS LOSE AND THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE IS SAYING WE DON'T KNOW WE'RE GOING TO TRUST THE ELECTIONS BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO SUCCESSFULLY BULLY STATES INTO DOING THIS GIVEN THE DATA THEY'RE GOING TO USE IT FOR, ALMOST CERTAINLY TO TARGET SPECIFIC GROUPS OF VOTERS.

THEY DON'T WANT TO BE ABLE TO CAST BALLOTS, AND SO IT'S A SELF-FULFILLING PROPHECY.

EVERYTHING WE'VE SEEN, THE END GOAL IS TO SHAPE CONFIDENCE IN ELECTIONS IN ORDER TO SEIZE AND CONTROL POWER THROUGH WAYS THAT NORMALLY, AMERICAN DEMOCRACY WOULD NOT PUT OUT.

>> WHAT'S THE COST/BENEFIT ANALYSIS?

YOU WANT TO LOOK BIG PICTURE HERE.

IF YOU ARE SPENDING ENERGY, RESOURCES, TIME, GOING AFTER AN ELECTION FROM SIX YEARS AGO THAT HAS BEEN AUDITED, POKED AND PRODDED OVER AND OVER AGAIN AND NOTHING HAS COME UP THAT WOULD SUGGEST THAT ANYTHING WOULD CHANGE IN THAT ELECTION, WHAT'S BEING LOST ON THE OTHER HAND?

YOU'VE GOT THE FEDERAL AGENTS AND PEOPLE LOOKING AT THAT.

I DON'T KNOW, I'M LOOKING AT THE HEADLINES TODAY, MAYBE THERE ARE OTHER THINGS PEOPLE COULD BE DOING.

WE'RE AT WAR AND OVERSEAS, THERE ARE OTHER THINGS GOING ON.

DON'T HAVE YOU BETTER TIME TO USE PUBLIC RESOURCES?

>> YOU MEAN LIKE THE EPSTEIN FILE?

[LAUGHTER] >> SORRY.

>> WE'RE ALL GOING TO BE SKEPTICAL AND CYNICAL ABOUT ALL OF THIS, BUT WHEN DO WE GET TO A POINT WHERE EVEN THOSE WHO VOTED FOR PRESIDENT TRUMP LEGITIMATELY VOTED FOR HIM, NOT THE HIDDEN BALLOTS, SAY TO THEMSELVES IS THIS BENEFITTING ANYBODY EXCEPT HIM?

>> A LOT OF THEM HAVE REACHED THAT POINT.

THEY SAID, YOU KNOW, FOR THE GOOD OF THE PARTY.

LOOK AT -- I'M NOT HERE TO ENDORSE GINA SVOBODA, BUT FOR EXAMPLE, THERE ARE CONSPIRACY THEORIES WHY IS IT TAKING SO LONG TO DO VOTES?

GINA WHO IS HEAD OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY DID GREAT WHITE BOARD PRESENTATIONS ONLINE AND SAID HERE'S WHAT HAPPENS HERE, HERE'S HOW THIS GOES DOWN HERE, HERE'S HOW IT WORKS AND SAYS TO PEOPLE, LOOK, YOU'VE GOT LEGITIMATE QUESTIONS, FINE, BUT DEAL WITH THE LEGITIMATE ISSUES, DON'T JUST KEEP THROWING STUFF AT IT, THERE ARE REASONS IT TAKES SO LONG.

WE CAN GET INTO THE QUESTION SHOULD WE STOP EARLY VOTING ON THE FRIDAY BEFORE, MAKE IT SO WE CAN GET RESULTS THE SAME DAY?

MAYBE.

IF WE GOT RID OF ALL EARLY VOTING AND EVERYONE SHOWED UP AT THEIR OWN PRECINCT, WE'D GET RESULTS THE SAME DAY, BUT DO YOU REALIZE HOW MANY VOTING PLACES YOU NEED SET UP?

THE OTHER THING WITH PRECINCT VOTING, THE OTHER PART OF THE CONSPIRACY THEORY, IT'S VOTE CENTERS THAT ARE DOING IT.

VOTE CENTERS ALLOW ME TO GO NEAR WORK, NEAR THE STATION, NEAR ANYWHERE ELSE AS OPPOSED TO HAVING TO GO LAVEEN TO GO TO VOTING PRECINCT THERE.

THAT'S WHAT GETS LOST IN ALL THIS.

I'M SURE IF WE FIX THIS, EVERYTHING WILL BE FINE.

>> I LOVE TO SPECULATE.

DENNIS, I WILL START WITH YOU.

PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS SAID THAT THE SAVE ACT, WHICH A LOT OF PEOPLE WORRY WE DISENFRANCHISE A LOT OF VOTERS, HE'S NOT GOING TO SIGN ANYTHING ELSE, NOT GOING TO SEE ANY OTHER LEGISLATION FROM CONGRESS, UNLESS THEY SEND HIM THE SAVE ACT TO SIGN.

ADRIAN FONTES SAYS IT'S A WAY THE FEDS TAKE OVER LOCAL ELECTION.

DOES IT FEEL LIKE PART OF A PATTERN?

>> MAN, I DO NOT WANT TO JUMP INTO THAT SPECULATION POND.

I COULD GET MYSELF INTO ALL SORTS OF TROUBLE WITH THAT ONE.

STEVE: OKAY.

>> THE AVERAGE PEOPLE I TALK TO ON THE PHONE OR THE STREETS ARE WORRIED ABOUT WHERE THIS IS ALLING ABOUT IT GOING.

LOOK AT THE BIG PICTURE HERE, IT LOOKS LIKE THE MIDTERMS COULD BE DISASTROUS FOR REPUBLICANS.

I'M NOT SAYING IT'S GOING TO END UP THAT WAY.

POLITICS CAN CHANGE QUICKLY AT THIS POINT.

IF YOU LOOK AT NUMBER OF RETIREMENTS, REPUBLICANS ON CAPITOL HILL, THE POLLING DATA, THE ANALYTICAL STUFF, PAYING $5 A GALLON FOR GAS.

THAT CAN'T HELP THE INCUMBENT PARTIES OUT THERE.

SO IF THEY'RE DOING ANYTHING WITH THAT, I THINK THE PRESIDENT MAYBE CONCERNED ABOUT WHERE THIS IS HEADED.

>> THERE'S TWO IMPORTANT POINTS.

NUMBER ONE, ARIZONA HAS THE SAVE ACT.

WE'RE ONE OF THE FEW STATES, THERE WAS A BLIP GOING BACK TO 1990s, ARIZONA IS ONE OF THE FEW STATES YOU CANNOT REGISTER TO VOTE UNLESS YOU PROVIDED PROOF OF CITIZENSHIP.

WE'RE ALREADY THERE.

THE OTHER THING ABOUT THIS IS THAT, OKAY, HE'S NOT GOING TO SIGN ANYTHING, DOES HE NOT UNDERSTAND THE NATURE OF A POCKET VETO?

IF HE DOESN'T SIGN SOMETHING, IT BECOMES LAW ANYWAY.

AND MAYBE FOLKS IN CONGRESS SAYING, WHOA, WAIT, I SEE AN OPPORTUNITY HERE.

I DON'T THINK HE THINKS THESE THINGS OUT.

STEVE: DO YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS ON THAT?

>> NO, I THINK WE KNOW DONALD TRUMP WANTS TO TAKE OVER ELECTION.

HE'S TALKED ABOUT WANTING TO NATIONALIZE ELECTIONS, COMING INTO A HANDFUL OF STATES THAT HE FEELS ARE NOT GOOD FOR REPUBLICANS AND TAKE OVER THEIR ELECTIONS, AND YOU CAN READ INTO THAT WHAT YOU WILL, WHY HE'D WANT TO DO THAT.

THE SAVE ACT, I THINK, THERE'S A LOT OF CREDIBLE ARGUMENTS HOW IT WILL DISENFRANCHISE PEOPLE, IT WILL DISENFRANCHISE AMERICANS AND IT WILL FORCE EVERYONE TO GET A REAL I.D.

WHICH, PERSONALLY, I FIND IT AN INTERESTING POSITION FOR REPUBLICANS TO BE TAKING NOW AFTER WATCHING THE LAST 25 YEARS WATCHING REPUBLICANS RAIL AGAINST THE REAL I.D., AND I'VE BEEN TO MORE PRESS CONFERENCES OPPOSING THAT THAN I CAN COUNT.

HERE WE ARE NOW WHERE THAT IS THE BEACON WE'RE GOING TOWARDS FOR ELECTIONS.

THERE'S A LOT GOING ON.

I THINK IT ALL CUTS IN A DIRECTION OF TRYING TO PUT THE THUMB ON THE SCALES TO HELP REPUBLICANS AND IN PARTICULAR TO HELP DONALD TRUMP LOOK GOOD IN ELECTIONS.

>> WHAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT IS, YOU CAN'T JUST TAKE THIS IN ISOLATION, THERE'S A COUPLE OTHER THINGS GOING ON.

NUMBER ONE, WE KNOW THAT HOMELAND SECURITY HAS BEEN AROUND AND ASKING FOR INFORMATION, YOU KNOW, STARTING WITH SOME OF THE DOCUMENTATION.

WE ALSO KNOW THAT THE ATTORNEY GENERAL AND THE SECRETARY OF STATE, WHO ARE CURRENTLY FIGHTING THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE IN FEDERAL COURT OVER ACCESS TO UNREDACTED VOTER REGISTRATION RECORDS, HAVE SENT A NOTE TO THE COUNTIES, LOOK, WE THINK D.O.J.

IS GOING TO TRY TO DO THIS AND RUN.

WE HAVE A NICE CASE IN COURT, AND THEY'RE GOING TO ASK A GRAND JURY SUBPOENA.

DO NOT OBEY IT.

I DON'T KNOW IF I'M AN ELECTED OFFICIAL, YOU TAKE YOUR GRAND JURY SUBPOENA AND PUT IT WHERE THE SUN DON'T SHINE, BUT IT IS AN INTERESTING QUESTION WE'RE PREPARING FOR THE NEXT FIGHT HERE.

STEVE: SO DENNIS, YOU REPORTED ON ANTI-SEMITISM, THAT IS FLOATING IN THE AIR QUITE A BIT THESE DAYS.

ONCE KARRIN TAYLOR ROBSON DROPPED OUT OF THE GOP GUBERNATORIAL PRIMARY, WE'RE LEFT WITH DAVID SCHWEIKERT AND ANDY BIGGS.

NOW DAVID SCHWEIKERT, FROM ALL MY YEARS OF INTERVIEWING HIM HAS A WAY OF ACT LIKE HE DOESN'T WANT TO ENTER THE FRAY.

MANY OF HIS CAMPAIGNS GET IN THE DIRT.

>> THAT'S A REALLY GOOD SUMMATION.

STEVE: HE WENT ON A RADIO SHOW, WHAT HAPPENED?

>> THEY PRINTED UP A FLIER, PASSED IT OUT AT EVENTS.

I'M TOLD IT'S GOING TO START HITTING MAILBOXES AND ACCUSES ANDY BIGGS OF PALING AROUND WITH WHITE SUPREMACISTS, ENGAGING IN ANTI-SEMITISM, AND HE WENT ON A LOCAL RADIO SHOW -- NOT LOCAL.

A RADIO SHOW UP IN PAYSON AND BASICALLY SAID THE SAME THING.

IT MARKS A CLEAR SHIFT, I THINK, IN THIS REPUBLICAN PRIMARY WHERE, IT COULD BE GETTING -- THE FRAY IS PRETTY NASTY AT THIS POINT.

IF YOU'RE SCHWEIKERT AND LOOKING AT WHAT THE RACE IS RIGHT NOW.

WHAT LITTLE POLLING SUGGESTS BIGGS IS GOING TO BECOME THE NOMINEE EASILY.

YOU LOOK AT BETTING MARKETS OUT THERE, IF YOU TRUST THE BETTING MARKETS OUT THERE.

I BELIEVE CAL SHEEHAN HAVE SAID BIGGS HAS 80% OF WINNING THE RACE.

MAYBE ROUGH UP YOUR OPPONENT A LITTLE BIT, AND THERE'S A PLAY TO TURN INTO INTO DOLLARS TO GET NEW DONORS AND GET MONEY FOR THE CAMPAIGN.

>> SOME OF THE PROBLEM IS SELF-INFLICTED.

HIS FIRST ADS ARE I'M GOING TO BE HERE, 15 SECOND ADS, I'M GOING TO SECURE THE BORDER.

WE'VE DONE THAT.

HE IS DOING TWITTER, X, POSTING THINGS LIKE THAT, DISCUSSING THE NATIONAL DEBT AND DISCUSSING REAL ISSUES LIKE THE FACT THERE ARE THREE TIMES AS MANY OLD PEOPLE AS YOUNG PEOPLE CONTRIBUTING TO SOCIAL SECURITY.

NICE.

I LOVE ISSUES WITH NUMBERS LIKE THAT.

HE HASN'T FIGURED OUT WHAT IT'S GOING TO TAKE TO APPEAL TO VOTERS HERE.

WHETHER THAT'S GAS PRICES, WATER, THINGS LIKE THAT.

HECK, WE HAD ANDY BIGGS SAYING LET'S BUILD ANOTHER DAM TO CAPTURE THE NONEXISTENT COLORADO WATER, THAT IS ANOTHER STORY.

HASN'T FIGURED OUT TO FIND THE ISSUES THAT CARE ABOUT ARIZONANS, THIS IS A REAL DESPERATION MOVE.

NOW DOES ANDY BIGGS PAL AROUND WITH FOLKS WHO CALLED COVID A JEW DISEASE?

YEAH, OKAY.

I'M GOING TO GO WITH THAT.

BUT I'M NOT SURE THAT THIS IS REALLY WHAT STICKS.

STEVE: JIM, I GUESS I'M WONDERING, IS THAT THE BEST HE HAS TO OFFER?

I'M WONDERING HOW BIG A PERCENTAGE.

WE'VE SEEN MORE JEWISH FOLKS WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP IN ISRAEL, THEY'VE GONE A LITTLE MORE CONSERVATIVE.

THAT'S NOT A LARGE PERCENTAGE.

IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE, I IMAGINE SCHWEIKERT DOESN'T DARE MENTION JANUARY 6, HE WASN'T REAL FORCEFUL ON THAT DAY.

>> YEAH, I DON'T KNOW.

DO I WONDER IF IT'S AN OPENING SALVO INTO THIS RACE GETTING NASTY AND PERSONAL, AND YOU KNOW, THIS IS -- THIS IS JUST KIND OF THE FIRST SHOT BECAUSE -- AND I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT WOULD RESONATE AMONG REPUBLICAN VOTERS AND THE MAGA VOTERS YOU NEED TO GO THAT I DON'T KNOW THIS SEEMS LIKE SOMETHING YOU WOULD SEE IN A GENERAL ELECTION FROM DEMOCRATS AGAINST REPUBLICANS, LESS SO THAN REPUBLICAN ON REPUBLICAN IN A PRIMARY.

MY GUESS IS THAT WE'RE GOING TO SEE MORE, MAYBE NOT OF THIS EXACT THING, BUT MORE IN THIS VEIN WHERE THERE ARE GOING TO BE MUCH MORE POINTED, MUCH MORE PERSONAL ATTACKS, LIKE YOU SAID, GETTING IN THE MUD, AND THAT MIGHT BE WHAT WE HAVE.

>> I THINK THAT'S PART OF SCHWEIKERT'S STRATEGY.

I DON'T KNOW HOW SUCCESSFUL THE STRATEGY IS IN A PRIMARY, BUT HE'S ON THE RADIO SAYING, LOOK, IF YOU'RE GOING TO ENGAGE IN THIS TYPE OF BEHAVIOR, THE DEMOCRATS ARE GOING TO BEAT UP ON YOU IN THE GENERAL ELECTION.

THAT'S GOING TO MAKE HIS OPPONENT UNWINNABLE IN THE FALL.

I DON'T KNOW HOW SUCCESSFUL THOSE CAMPAIGNS ARE.

OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, I CAN'T REMEMBER A PRIMARY FIGHT WHERE THAT ARGUMENT ACTUALLY WORKED WHERE PRIMARY VOTERS ARE LIKE, YOU KNOW WHAT?

YOU'RE RIGHT, WE SHOULD GET A MORE MODERATE CANDIDATE.

BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE.

PRIMARIES, THOSE VOTERS ARE OVERALL AS A GROUP DIFFERENT THAN THE GENERAL ELECTION VOTERS.

MAKING THAT ARGUMENT, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S A GOOD USE OF HIS TIME.

STEVE: HOWIE, LET'S MOVE ON, I GIVE YOU A CHANCE TO USE THE PHRASE, I'M GOING TO USE IT FOR YOU.

YOU WERE A CHILD OF THE 60s.

TELL US WHAT J.D.

MESNARD IS TRYING TO DO WITH MARIJUANA SMOKE.

>> TRYING TO RUIN MY HIGH.

LET'S TALK ABOUT IT HERE.

2006, VOTERS APPROVED MARIJUANA FOR MEDICAL USE, AND EVERYBODY SUDDENLY HAD GLAUCOMA -- I'M SORRY, THAT WAS 2010, 2020, THEY LEGALIZED IT FOR EVERYONE.

THERE ARE RULES AGAINST SMOKING IN PUBLIC PLACES, THINGS LIKE THAT.

THE PROBLEM HAS BECOME, AS YOU HAVE THE SUBDIVISIONS WHERE YOU HAVE 20 HOMES PER ACRE, YOU ARE OUT IN THE BACKYARD, SITTING BY THE POOL, YOU HAVE A BEER AND MAYBE A DOOBIE.

THE ODOR GOES OVER YOUR NEIGHBOR'S FENCE.

NOW MESNARD SAYS -- J.D.

MESNARD, A REPUBLICAN IN CHANDLER SAYS I HAVE TO TAKE MY KIDS INSIDE BECAUSE I'M CONCERNED.

MY OTHER NEIGHBORS HAVE A PROBLEM.

THE PROBLEM I THINK IS HE'S SINGLING OUT ONE THING.

THERE ARE LAWS AGAINST PUBLIC NUISANCE, BUT HE'S SAYING THAT MARIJUANA SMOKE IN PARTICULAR, NOT JUST SMOKE, ODOR OR SMELL OF ODOR OF MARIJUANA IS, IN FACT, A NUISANCE.

HE ORIGINALLY TRIED TO MAKE IT A CRIMINAL OFFENSE AND DIDN'T GO ANYWHERE, AND YOU HAVE CIVIL OFFENSE UNLESS YOU ARE DOING IT KNOWINGLY, AND AS LAUREN KUBY POINTED OUT, A DEMOCRAT FROM TEMPE, OKAY, I LIKE WHERE IT'S GOING.

WHAT ABOUT BARBECUE?

I'M A VEGAN, I HATE THE SMELL OF YOUR BURNING MEAT IN THE SUMMERTIME.

I THINK IT'S -- I APPRECIATE THE NATURE OF THE PROBLEM, APPRECIATE PARENTS ARE CONCERNED, BUT THEN AGAIN, WHAT MAKES MARIJUANA SMOKE BETTER OR WORSE THAN ANYTHING ELSE.

STEVE: SLIPPERY SLOPE.

>> ISN'T THAT THE QUESTION?

HOW DO YOU ENFORCE IT?

THEY WANT TO PASS THE LAWS.

I WILL TELL YOU LIKE A LOT OF FOLKS I TALK TO, THEY DON'T LIKE THE SMELL OF WEED.

YEAH, I LIKE THAT IDEA.

I GET THAT.

HOW ARE YOU GOING TO ENFORCE THAT, AND TO KUBY'S POINT TOO, WHAT OTHER SMELLS ARE YOU GOING TO FIND OFFENSIVE?

WHAT OTHER LAWS DO WE NEED OUT THERE?

PUBLIC NUISANCE LAWS EXIST AS HOWIE POINTED OUT.

IF IT GETS TO THAT POINT, IT'S THAT BAD, YOU COULD DO SOMETHING THERE, RIGHT?

STEVE: JIM, IT'S A SLIPPERY SLOPE?

>> I DON'T KNOW.

I DON'T KNOW.

STEVE: TELL US ABOUT YOUR MISSPENT YOUTH.

>> THIS IS A PRIME EXAMPLE OF LAWMAKER WHO SAID SOMEONE SHOULD MAKE A LAW -- WAIT A SECOND, I CAN MAKE A LAW ABOUT SOMETHING THAT BOTHERS THEM, AND WE'VE SEEN THIS BEFORE, J.D.

MESNARD ON THIS ISSUE IS CERTAINLY NOT THE FIRST AND WON'T BE THE LAST LAWMAKER TO BRING, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT BOTHERS THEM ON A PERSONAL LEVEL TO THE CAPITOL AND DRAFT LEGISLATION AND TRY TO CHANGE THE LAW IN ORDER TO ACCOMMODATE THAT.

STEVE: THERE'S A POSSIBILITY ENOUGH CONSTITUENTS CALLED, I DON'T LIKE THIS, MAYBE A COUPLE CONSTITUENTS CALLED, WE DON'T REALLY KNOW.

>> WE DON'T REALLY KNOW.

IT'S NOT INCUMBENT TO HEAR PEOPLE COMPLAINT.

YOU GO EVERYWHERE YOU GO, AND YOU DRIVE DOWN THE ROAD, YOU WALK DOWN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, YOU ARE LIKE, WHATEVER.

AND I GUESS IT'S A MATTER OF HOW MUCH DOES IT BOTHER YOU, AND HOW MUCH ENERGY ARE YOU GOING TO, YOU KNOW, COMMIT TO THAT AS OPPOSED TO JUST GOING ABOUT AND LIVING YOUR LIFE?

I DON'T KNOW, STINKS HERE, I'M GOING TO GO SOMEWHERE ELSE.

>> IF YOUR NEIGHBOR IS LIGHTING UP AND YOU GET THE REALLY SKUNKY SMELL COMING OVER THE FENCE, WHAT'S WRONG WITH JUST TALKING TO YOUR NEIGHBOR AND GOING OUT AND -- BRING A FAN OUT THERE.

>> BUY FEBREZE.

>> PAPER TOWELS AND DOWNEY LIKE COLLEGE KIDS USED TO.

STEVE: WAIT, HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT?

>> I WENT TO NAU, HOWIE.

BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT YOU'RE NIBBLING ON WHAT VOTERS APPROVED.

STEVE: IT GIVES YOU THE MUNCHIES?

>> I'M THE ONE WITH THE PROBLEM HERE.

YOU MAY NEED TO TAKE THIS BACK TO VOTERS.

THE LAW SAYS LEGISLATORS CAN'T INTERFERE WITH ANYTHING VOTED AND APPROVED WITHOUT FURTHERING THE PURPOSE.

IF HE HAS IT GO BACK TO VOTERS, I DON'T KNOW IF HE'S GOING TO APPROVE IT.

STEVE: DENNIS, HOWIE, JIM, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.

THAT IS IT FOR "ARIZONA HORIZON."

I'M STEVE GOLDSTEIN IN FOR TED SIMONS.

THANKS FOR WATCHING AND HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND.

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