Arizona Republicans Would Let Gov. Jan Brewer Start Her Own Militia

The Phoenix Times reports that via Senate Bill 1495, initiated by Senator Sylvia Allen, would give Governor Jan Brewer a “blank check” to a establish a state guard to do her bidding, “whatever that bidding might be.”  (h/t Think Progress)

Under statute, the governor can already call up a state guard under an emergency situation where the state National Guard has been called into active service by the feds.

But some Republicans, in both the Senate and the House, want to include a phrase that allows the governor to call up a state guard, “for any other reason the governor considers to be necessary.”

No money has been appropriated, and no one has said how much this will cost, especially if the governor’s army were to go haywire and start arresting or shooing people, bringing even more lawsuits to that state.

SB 1495 is already being touted by white supremacist and hyper-militaristic sites. What’s more, as indicated by a Southern Poverty Law Center report, there are 512 extremist “Patriot” groups across Texas, Michigan, California, Indiana, Oregon, New York, and Kentucky itching to see similar legislation. Oklahoma and Montana have already obliged. Should these efforts succeed, states risk sanctioning a level of blind hatred that will — and has — only ended badly.

By: Alan

Alan Colmes is the publisher of Liberaland.