More than 30 members of the Fountain Hills Republican Club (FHRC) followed the lead of Kurt Pare, Club board member and organizer of an excursion to the Arizona State Capitol.

Pare coordinated the tour details with Senator John Kavanagh, who acted as the group’s guide. The party members converged on the Arizona State Senate lobby and followed Kavanagh into the Senate hearing room where they observed the Senate in action.

FHRC members observed Kavanagh make a case when introducing one of his bills to rectify the water situation in the Rio Verde Foothills.

According to FHRC spokesperson, Chris Brant, Kavanagh explained that the County Supervisors would provide the water source so that Scottsdale’s water conservation plans would not be affected and residents of Rio Verde Foothills, who would pay fully for the service, would continue to be able to receive water for their families, horses and other livestock.

Lobbyists for Scottsdale warned that granting the residents of Rio Verde Foothills this provision could be used across the state for similar “Wildcat” subdivisions, Brant said.

“Three members on the committee agreed and voted no,” Brant said. “However, the ayes sent the bill out of Committee, where it will go to the full Senate for debate.”

After the decision was made for the bill to go to the full Senate the group followed Kavanagh to the House Chambers where the tour continued along with his presentation and follow-up questions were answered.

While in the House Chambers, the new Speaker of the Arizona State House, Ben Toma, introduced himself and welcomed the visitors to the building.

For the Fountain Hills group it was time for lunch, but for Kavanagh, it was back to work to address the Committee again where another one of his bills was to be heard.

The group continued on to visit the Arizona Capitol Museum. The museum has several interesting historical exhibits, Brant wrote, one of which included several items that defined the political fight for Arizona’s statehood which reached a fever pitch in 1910 and concluded in statehood in 1912.

“But before that decision was made a vote had to be taken as to whether Arizona should be combined to form one new state with New Mexico,” Brant said.

On the top floor of the Capitol was the original State House Chambers which, according to Brant, looked more like a medium-sized classroom with all the desks and chairs appropriately lined up.

“Back down on the second floor is a masterpiece of home workshop model building,” he continued. “The intricate model buildings are arranged together to form easily recognizable cities in the state.

“The whole model takes up the space of a very large room. The creators of these exquisite models were present at the exhibit as they directed the eyes of individuals to the Court House area of Prescott, the Flagstaff train station, along with the fine, miniature buildings of the original down-town Tucson and even the Grand Canyon.”

The creators were on site, showcasing a model of the state in all its finery, which was punctuated by electric train traffic crisscrossing the vast home-made model of the state.

According to Brant, a tour of the Arizona State Capitol makes a worthwhile excursion.

“A great way to spend the day and for those who missed it, you should look forward to joining a similar event that will be arranged by the in the future by the Fountain Hills Republican Club.”