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IPFS

Bill SB 1495

Written by Subject: Arizona Laws and Arizona Founding Documents

Mr Hancock:

This past week, the bill that would enable our Governor to activate the Arizona State Guard as a State Defense Force under Title 32 of the US code went from our Legislature to our Governor's desk:

 

 

Our small group of Arizona Citizens have been advocating for the activation of the Arizona State Guard since early 2011.  We have been actively seeking the input and participation of Oath Keepers and Tea Party members all along the way.  Our efforts to date have been to encourage our Legislators to pass SB 1495.  Now that the bill has passed the last legislative hurdle, our efforts have transitioned to convincing our Governor to sign this bill into law.

 

Our group is headed up by retired US Army Lieutenant Colonel Luther "Luke" Taylor, a decorated officer who distinguished himself both in peactime and in war.  If you are interested, I can put you in contact with him.

 

LTC Taylor favors activating the Arizona State Guard as a separate, but parallel command structure, not under the control of the Adjutant General, who commands the Arizona National Guard. The current AG for Arizona, Hugo Salazar, has already gone on record as being not at all in favor of activating the State Guard under any circumstances.  That being the case, we certainly would not advocate putting the ASG under the command of an officer who does not see the value of Title 32 State Defense Forces .

 

The concerns you voiced are not directly addressed in the language of the bill SB 1495.  All that bill does is make it easier for the Governor to sign an order that would created the Arizona State Guard.  Making the Arizona State Guard into an organization that respects our Constitutions, both that of the USA and of our state, will require continual input and participation by good men and women who are the real Patriots of our nation. 

 

That is one of the reasons that we formed our group.  That is one of the reasons that I am reaching out to you.

 

What authorizes the states to have State Defense Forces is Title 32 of the US Code.  Briefly, that statute allows states to do this, but prohibits such SDFs from being forced into federal service.  The intent of the statute is to allow state Governors to create miltary forces that will remain exclusively under state control.

 

Even if the Governor does sign SB 1495 into law, all it will do is remove the current roadblocks that prevent our Governor from easily activating the Arizona State Guard.  The Governor would still have to subsequently sign an activation order.  We will begin working on that encouraing the signing of such an order once SB 1495 becomes law.

 

I think that you know enough about my past history to know that I would not be involved in this if it were not in keeping with the principles of our Founders.  Ours is an effort to create a state military force that can defend our state's people and principles, not abuse them.

 

If you are looking for background information on State Defense Forces, the laws and history surrounding them, I can put you in touch with John Stone, the Border Policy Advisor to Congressman John Carter of Texas.  John Stone is also one of the founders of the Freedom Foundation and is himself an officer in the Virginia State Defense Force.

 

I can also put you in touch with Jessica Zuckerman, who was research assistant to Dr James Carafano, who wrote a detailed white paper on SDFs for the Heritage Foundation last October.  Ms Zuckerman is also the author of one of the articles referenced above.

 

Al Garza, who you may recall from the Minuteman Project, has recently agreed to become our Public Affairs Officer, so please let me know if you wish for us to put you in contact with him.

 

For more information on our progress so far, please visit our website at http://www.arizonastateguard.com .

 

Please contact me if I can assist in any way.

 

Many thanks,

 

--Jack Foote, KE7FDZ

 

As a soldier, I see things a little differently than other folks sometimes.  Some folks might see an obstacle.  Other folks might see an opportunity.  I see a natural choke point with flank security.

 

 

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