Gilbert Legislator blocks domestic violence legislation

It seems that State Rep. Eddie Farnsworth, (R-Gilbert) has used his position as the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee to kill legislation that would make strangling your wife a felony. In its place, the bill, via an often abused "strike-all amendment" was completely re-written to become a tax subsidy for people who want to send their foster children to private schools.

Now, I'm looking at this and trying to determine WHAT "compassionate conservative" or "tough on crime" or "fiscally conservative" might have to do with Farnsworth's actions. It seems to be completely uncompassionate to victims of domestic violence, weak on potentially lethal crime and anything but fiscally conservative, by essentially subsidizing the tuition for private schools.

From the article:

Under current state law, choking is no different than slapping or pushing around someone who is helpless to fight back. But police and domestic violence advocates see it differently. They say choking someone should be a more serious crime — in some cases even as serious as attempted homicide.

Experts say it takes about 8 pounds of pressure around someone’s neck for eight seconds to force them into unconsciousness.

“You can’t scream for help when you’re being choked,” said Phoenix police detective Heather Maldonado, who works with the Family Investigations Unit.

Dale Wiebusch, a director at the Arizona Domestic Violence Coalition, said the state needs to come down hard on abusers who wrap their hands around someone’s neck with the intent of causing harm or death.

“Clearly there’s a different intent when it comes to strangling someone,” he said. “You’re showing that person you could kill them if you want to.”

...In January, as the Legislature began its session, Sen. Dean Martin, R-Phoenix, introduced a bill backed by the Arizona Coalition Against Domestic Violence that would have made it a felony to choke your spouse, punishable by up to 18 months in prison.

Initially, it appeared Arizona would join Missouri, Nebraska, Oregon and North Carolina to become the fifth state to enact such legislation.

A spate of strangulations in North Carolina nearly four years ago pressured that state’s Legislature to act on behalf of a growing number of victims.

Of the 72 reported homicides in North Carolina that year, six were the result of strangulation, according to police reports. Lawmakers eventually passed the bill unanimously, but it took two years to gather enough support.

Arizona ranks seventh in the nation for domestic violence-related homicide, according to the Arizona Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

But records of strangulation are harder to track because they’re not separated from other types of abuse.

Arizona’s version of the bill sailed through the Senate, but was dead on arrival when it landed in the House Judiciary Committee, where Farnsworth refused to hear it.

In response to criticism from Republicans and Democrats of his killing this bill, Farnsworth suggests that he doesn't know the difference between a misdemeanor and a felony when he said "“We already have laws making it a crime to choke someone...Why do we need any more?”

I have to note the stark contrast between Farnsworth's attitude on this bill and the Republicans' efforts recently to make it a felony to offer an illegal immigrant help (such as by providing food, clothing, shelter, medical treatment, communion, etc.). The very idea that some people think being a Good Samaritan should be a felony, while strangling your wife should be a misdemeanor...is...just stunning! There's NOTHING about Christian, family values in any of that, as far as I can see.