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Friends of agriculture: Arzbergers served rural Arizona and farming and ranching for 24 years
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| Distinguished service: From left, Arizona Farm Bureau President Kevin Rogers and Cochise County Farm Bureau President Jim Graham honor Gus and Marsha Arzberger of Willcox for 'distinguished service to agriculture' last week at the Cochise County Farm Bureau 2008 Annual Meeting, held at the Willcox Elks Lodge. (Carol Broeder/ARN) |
By Carol Broeder/Arizona Range News
A "unique couple" from Willcox was honored last week by the Cochise County Farm Bureau at its annual meeting.
"For 24 years, Sen. Gus Arzberger and Sen. Marsha Arzberger have served as a team representing their community and agriculture in the Arizona legislature. In honor of their service, Cochise County Farm Bureau is proud to honor this unique couple with the 2008 'Distinguished Service to Agriculture Award."
A native of the Kansas Settlement area in Cochise County, Gus served in the Arizona House of Representatives from 1985 to 1988, and in the state senate from 1989 to 2000.
While in the Senate, Gus served on the Natural Resource, Ag and Environment, Transportation, Appropriations, and Joint Legislative Budget Committees.
He served as the Legislative Liaison Officer for the Arizona Civil Air Patrol.
Gus also served on the Joint Select Committee on Arizona General Stream Adjudications, the Joint Legislative Committee on Federal Mandates, Joint Legislative Study Committees on Community Colleges, and Environmental Education curriculum review committee.
Throughout his career, Gus worked on property rights bills, but even more importantly, he got the Ag Employment Relations Board reinstated after it was "sunset-ed."
He also worked to prohibit water transfers that would allow for cities to transfer water from rural Arizona to metro areas.
Outside the state legislature, Gus served for 13 years on the ASCS (now called the NRCS) board for Cochise County, five of those years as its chairman.
He also served as president of the Willcox Democrat Club and state delegate to the Arizona Democratic Convention for several years.
Marsha has been one of Arizona's "go to" lawmakers for agriculture and rural concerns.
When it comes to issues on water, transportation, property rights, energy, environment, health, taxes, state land, and many more, Marsha could be counted upon to provide clear thinking and leadership in the state Senate.
She served in the state senate from 2001 to 2008.
Marsha served as co-chair of the Rural Physicians Study Committee; chair of the Ad Hoc Study Committee on State Retirees; Co-chair of the Blue Ribbon Task Force on Effluent Reuse; and Joint Legislative Study Committee on State Employee Compensation.
Legislative highlights during Marsha's career included sponsoring and passing landmark legislation for a new pesticide approval process.
In 2005 and 2006, she sponsored the Department of Agriculture omnibus bill with the input and cooperation of all agriculture and cattle industry.
Five bills introduced and passed in 2004 were SB 1246 - New Pesticide Approval Process; SB 1001 -- Fertilizer Transport; Transaction Privilege Tax; SB 1174 - Use Fuel Refunds; Use Taxes; Water Amendment; and Private Property Rights.
€ The New Pesticide Approval Process was the result of a year's cooperation between the agriculture industry and the Department of Environmental Quality.
It will facilitate approval of newly developed products that are less costly to growers, safer for workers, and more environmentally friendly. This bill passed unanimously through Senate and House committees and final vote.
€ The Fertilizer Transport; Transaction Privilege Tax helped a local industry in District 25 that was prohibited from shipping fertilizer products by rail within the state because of a glitch in state sales tax law that taxes rail shipments, but not shipments by truck. This bill passed unanimously through Senate and House committees and final vote.
€ Use Fuel Refunds; Use Taxes. This bill benefited agriculture, contractors, and other small businesses that use off-road diesel fuel. It creates a new streamlined process for deducting use tax at the time highway tax rebates are submitted.
€ Water Amendment. An Arzberger amendment to water legislation allows public notice when assured water supply certificates are transferred to another company. Local residents have the opportunity to submit information or comments.
€ Private Property Rights. An Arzberger amendment protects property owners from tax assessments in new recreational corridor districts unless more than 50-percent of the owners agree.
SCM 1001 - Immigrants; Legal Worker Program -- was a bill introduced and passed in the state legislature in 2003. This Senate Concurrent Memorial (SCM) is an official request to Congress and the President of the United States to take action to address the serious illegal immigration problem in Arizona by creating a legal work program that allows immigrants to enter this country through official ports of entry and be documented.
This would free law enforcement agencies focus their efforts on stopping criminals and drug smugglers.
Senators John McCain, the late state Rep. Jake Flake, and former Congressman Jim Kolbe have all introduced a legal worker program bill in Congress.
In 2002, SB 1158 and HB 2104 plus two other related bills were introduced and passed.
The Effluent Reuse Task Force Continuation (SB 1158). Marsha is the co-chair of this committee, which examines science and new technology for the treatment of effluent and the conservation of water resources.
There were three private property rights amendments protecting property owners.
Marsha has also sponsored a State H2-A program for agriculture to meet labor needs.
State senate President Tim Bee (R-Tucson), who was in Willcox for the meeting, said that he and Marsha were elected the same year.
As Minority Leader, "Marsha is the highest ranking Democrat in Arizona," he told the audience.
"She serves with grace and dignity," Bee said. "Southern Arizona will be missing Marsha. She has made a difference in the state of Arizona."
Rep. Manny Alvarez (D-Elfrida) echoed Bee's comments on public service, saying, "If you like public service, the legislature is the place to be," adding that it is clear the Arzbergers have liked public service.
"I'm going to miss you guys," said Alvarez, adding that he believes that he and Rep. Jack Brown will be "the only two of us left who are farmers and ranchers" in the state legislature.
Rep. Jennifer Burns (R-Avra Valley) said that it has been good in the state legislature "having someone who knows the history... with not only Marsha's eight years of service, but their combined 24 years."
"Thank you so much for the work you've done," Burns said.
Arizona Farm Bureau President Kevin Rogers added his thanks, as well.
"Thank you Marsha for carrying the water for us," he said.
At last year's meeting, Marsha had talked about the employer sanctions bill. It was Russell Pearce, chair of the appropriations committee, who was pushing this bill, she said at the time.
Pearce wants to stop illegal immigration, but "I feel that he still doesn't understand that this would cause a labor shortage," she said at the time.
Marsha has tried to show that the farmers are already "stressing out" due to lack of employees when harvest time comes, she said.
"We need a legal way to bring workers into Arizona," Rogers said at the Aug. 16 meeting. "Nobody worked harder than Marsha did. Russell Pearce is my representative, and even Russell will admit that agriculture is unique."
"I commend Marsha," he said. "She got it all around to third base, but just couldn't quite get it home."
"I don't want to become dependent for my food like I am for oil," Rogers said. "We do need the labor, and we do need a way to work."
Marsha Arzberger is serving her final term in the state senate, due to term limits.
(Editor's Note: Information in this article was obtained from the Cochise County Farm Bureau.)
"For 24 years, Sen. Gus Arzberger and Sen. Marsha Arzberger have served as a team representing their community and agriculture in the Arizona legislature. In honor of their service, Cochise County Farm Bureau is proud to honor this unique couple with the 2008 'Distinguished Service to Agriculture Award."
A native of the Kansas Settlement area in Cochise County, Gus served in the Arizona House of Representatives from 1985 to 1988, and in the state senate from 1989 to 2000.
While in the Senate, Gus served on the Natural Resource, Ag and Environment, Transportation, Appropriations, and Joint Legislative Budget Committees.
He served as the Legislative Liaison Officer for the Arizona Civil Air Patrol.
Gus also served on the Joint Select Committee on Arizona General Stream Adjudications, the Joint Legislative Committee on Federal Mandates, Joint Legislative Study Committees on Community Colleges, and Environmental Education curriculum review committee.
Throughout his career, Gus worked on property rights bills, but even more importantly, he got the Ag Employment Relations Board reinstated after it was "sunset-ed."
He also worked to prohibit water transfers that would allow for cities to transfer water from rural Arizona to metro areas.
Outside the state legislature, Gus served for 13 years on the ASCS (now called the NRCS) board for Cochise County, five of those years as its chairman.
He also served as president of the Willcox Democrat Club and state delegate to the Arizona Democratic Convention for several years.
Marsha has been one of Arizona's "go to" lawmakers for agriculture and rural concerns.
When it comes to issues on water, transportation, property rights, energy, environment, health, taxes, state land, and many more, Marsha could be counted upon to provide clear thinking and leadership in the state Senate.
She served in the state senate from 2001 to 2008.
Marsha served as co-chair of the Rural Physicians Study Committee; chair of the Ad Hoc Study Committee on State Retirees; Co-chair of the Blue Ribbon Task Force on Effluent Reuse; and Joint Legislative Study Committee on State Employee Compensation.
Legislative highlights during Marsha's career included sponsoring and passing landmark legislation for a new pesticide approval process.
In 2005 and 2006, she sponsored the Department of Agriculture omnibus bill with the input and cooperation of all agriculture and cattle industry.
Five bills introduced and passed in 2004 were SB 1246 - New Pesticide Approval Process; SB 1001 -- Fertilizer Transport; Transaction Privilege Tax; SB 1174 - Use Fuel Refunds; Use Taxes; Water Amendment; and Private Property Rights.
€ The New Pesticide Approval Process was the result of a year's cooperation between the agriculture industry and the Department of Environmental Quality.
It will facilitate approval of newly developed products that are less costly to growers, safer for workers, and more environmentally friendly. This bill passed unanimously through Senate and House committees and final vote.
€ The Fertilizer Transport; Transaction Privilege Tax helped a local industry in District 25 that was prohibited from shipping fertilizer products by rail within the state because of a glitch in state sales tax law that taxes rail shipments, but not shipments by truck. This bill passed unanimously through Senate and House committees and final vote.
€ Use Fuel Refunds; Use Taxes. This bill benefited agriculture, contractors, and other small businesses that use off-road diesel fuel. It creates a new streamlined process for deducting use tax at the time highway tax rebates are submitted.
€ Water Amendment. An Arzberger amendment to water legislation allows public notice when assured water supply certificates are transferred to another company. Local residents have the opportunity to submit information or comments.
€ Private Property Rights. An Arzberger amendment protects property owners from tax assessments in new recreational corridor districts unless more than 50-percent of the owners agree.
SCM 1001 - Immigrants; Legal Worker Program -- was a bill introduced and passed in the state legislature in 2003. This Senate Concurrent Memorial (SCM) is an official request to Congress and the President of the United States to take action to address the serious illegal immigration problem in Arizona by creating a legal work program that allows immigrants to enter this country through official ports of entry and be documented.
This would free law enforcement agencies focus their efforts on stopping criminals and drug smugglers.
Senators John McCain, the late state Rep. Jake Flake, and former Congressman Jim Kolbe have all introduced a legal worker program bill in Congress.
In 2002, SB 1158 and HB 2104 plus two other related bills were introduced and passed.
The Effluent Reuse Task Force Continuation (SB 1158). Marsha is the co-chair of this committee, which examines science and new technology for the treatment of effluent and the conservation of water resources.
There were three private property rights amendments protecting property owners.
Marsha has also sponsored a State H2-A program for agriculture to meet labor needs.
State senate President Tim Bee (R-Tucson), who was in Willcox for the meeting, said that he and Marsha were elected the same year.
As Minority Leader, "Marsha is the highest ranking Democrat in Arizona," he told the audience.
"She serves with grace and dignity," Bee said. "Southern Arizona will be missing Marsha. She has made a difference in the state of Arizona."
Rep. Manny Alvarez (D-Elfrida) echoed Bee's comments on public service, saying, "If you like public service, the legislature is the place to be," adding that it is clear the Arzbergers have liked public service.
"I'm going to miss you guys," said Alvarez, adding that he believes that he and Rep. Jack Brown will be "the only two of us left who are farmers and ranchers" in the state legislature.
Rep. Jennifer Burns (R-Avra Valley) said that it has been good in the state legislature "having someone who knows the history... with not only Marsha's eight years of service, but their combined 24 years."
"Thank you so much for the work you've done," Burns said.
Arizona Farm Bureau President Kevin Rogers added his thanks, as well.
"Thank you Marsha for carrying the water for us," he said.
At last year's meeting, Marsha had talked about the employer sanctions bill. It was Russell Pearce, chair of the appropriations committee, who was pushing this bill, she said at the time.
Pearce wants to stop illegal immigration, but "I feel that he still doesn't understand that this would cause a labor shortage," she said at the time.
Marsha has tried to show that the farmers are already "stressing out" due to lack of employees when harvest time comes, she said.
"We need a legal way to bring workers into Arizona," Rogers said at the Aug. 16 meeting. "Nobody worked harder than Marsha did. Russell Pearce is my representative, and even Russell will admit that agriculture is unique."
"I commend Marsha," he said. "She got it all around to third base, but just couldn't quite get it home."
"I don't want to become dependent for my food like I am for oil," Rogers said. "We do need the labor, and we do need a way to work."
Marsha Arzberger is serving her final term in the state senate, due to term limits.
(Editor's Note: Information in this article was obtained from the Cochise County Farm Bureau.)
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