BILL KONOPNICKI

Arizona House Speaker-elect Kirk Adams has made his selections for who will chair the House's standing committees in the next session of the legislature.

Daniel's News & Views, the blog run by state Representative-elect Daniel Patterson (D-Tucson), had the announcement posted Wednesday.

According to Patterson, the list is:

Appropriations – John Kavanagh
Commerce – Michele Reagan
Education – Rich Crandall
Environment – Ray Barnes
Banking & Insurance – Nancy McLain
Government – Sam Crump

Leaders in the Arizona House told PolitickerAZ.com they are predicting some tough choices in the next session as the Legislature and governor work out a fix on the projected $1.2 billion deficit for 2009, but say they are looking forward to working in a spirit of cooperation.

"The governor came up with about $300 million in agency cuts," said Majority Leader-elect John McComish (R-Ahwatukee). "We need to sit down with her folks and see the particulars. We don't know what will be on the chopping block."

Rep. Bill Konopnicki (R-Safford), who chairs the House Financial Institutions and Insurance Committee, added there may be another $150 million in sweeps, but after that, "everything becomes extremely difficult."

"It's not going to be a pleasant experience," Konopnicki said.

Thursday night, twelve Arizona legislators were honored at the annual Governor's Celebration of Innovation awards for their work to help facilitate technology development in Arizona.

The awards, backed primarily by the Arizona Technology Council and presented by Tech Council CEO Steve Zylstra and Jan Lesher, chief of staff to Gov. Janet Napolitano, included the "Tech 10" - ten legislators who were highlighted for their contributions to technology advancement - plus two "Outstanding Legislator" awards to those who were especially influential.

Legislative preview, House districts 1-5

LD1
This district is strongly Republican and should see no change. Republicans Lucy Mason and Andrew Tobin are both running for re-election. The Democrats have put up only one candidate in hopes of garnering more votes and picking up one of the district seats, but Dennis Grittner is unlikely to get enough votes.

Joshua Kilroy has run a great campaign early for Tim Nelson.  Find out why this week he is a winner and why Susan Bitter Smith makes the losers list. This week's Winners and Losers.

On Friday the Navajo Board of Supervisors chose state house candidate Sylvia Tenney Allen to fill the seat left open with the death of LD5 Republican Senator Jake Flake.  But with the time frame to turn in nomination signatures passed, it was up to the local LD5 Republican committee to select who would be on the ballot in November.  Whoever received that honor would effectively become the winner of the November election as there was no Democratic opponent. 

The Navajo County Board of Supervisors named Sylvia Allen to the state Senate, to fill out the remainder of late Sen. Jake Flake (R-Snowflake)'s term.

“I will fight for our County,” said Allen in a statement from Navajo County. “I will fight for our rural issues. I will move forward to work as well as I can. I will do everything in my power to ensure you do not lose faith in me.”

Allen was chosen over Snowflake councilman Charlie Hendrickson and former Show Low mayor Gerry Whipple by the Board. The three were selected Thursday by a citizens panel comprised of prominent members of Najavo County.

A citizens panel of Navajo County luminaries has selected three candidates to fill the seat of state Sen. Jake Flake (R-Snowflake), who died Saturday of a heart attack at age 72. Topping the list is Sylvia Tenney Allen, who is also running for the state House.

"That's just so humbling," Allen told PolitickerAZ.com of her nomination. "I'm so filled with pride and humbled. [Sen. Flake] was a great friend and a great senator." 

Allen, however, still plans to go up against state Rep. Bill Konopnicki (R-Safford) at a meeting of Republican precinct committeemen on Saturday, in hopes of being selected to replace Flake on the Republican primary ballot. Republican insiders have related that both Allen and Konopnicki have been gathering support behind them since the beginning of the week.

Even as tributes continue to pour in, the clock has started ticking to fill the seat of long-serving state legislator Jake Flake (R-Snowflake).

A citizens panel has been formed and has the task of picking three people who are eligible to replace Flake in the state Senate. According to a Republican Party insider, some names should start to surface soon. Flake's seat must be filled by a Republican.

Sen. Flake's passing has cast uncertainty on an election where Flake was running unopposed. A two-part process is under way to first fill his seat and to replace him on the primary ballot.