Russell Pearce
Encyclopedia
Russell Pearce was a Republican
Arizona State Senator
representing Legislative District 18, which covers most of western and central Mesa
and small portions of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, Arizona, USA until ousted in a November 2011 recall election by Senator-elect Jerry Lewis. He became President of the Arizona Senate when the Senate began its current term in January 2011. He previously served in the Arizona House of Representatives
. Pearce is most widely known for sponsoring Arizona SB1070
, a controversial anti-illegal alien measure, and for subsequently becoming the first state legislator in Arizona history to be removed from office via a recall election
in November 2011. He is expected to officially leave office once the Arizona Secretary of State certifies the recall election results, which is anticipated November 21.
Sheriff's Department. Pearce served with the National Guard in Arizona during the Vietnam War.
Pearce served as a sheriff's deputy for 23 years, including a stint as Chief Deputy Sheriff under Joe Arpaio
. After an incident where he continued to pursue several gang members after being shot in the chest, he received a Medal of Valor from the Department. Pearce's son, Sean Pearce, has also been awarded the Medal of Valor for being shot in the line of duty while serving a homicide warrant on an illegal alien. Pearce claims credit for one of Arpaio's more publicized and controversial actions, that of housing jail inmates in tents. Following disagreements with Arpaio, Pearce moved to the Arizona Motor Vehicle Division.
In 1995 Pearce became the Director of the Arizona Motor Vehicle Division. Two notable accomplishments during his tenure were: 1) bringing in IBM to create the first version of servicearizona.com, an online resource for Arizonans to update their Motor Vehicle Department information and 2) more controversially, Pearce enrolled Arizona in the then optional (at the federal level) National Drivers Registry
program, making collection of social security numbers for drivers' licenses mandatory at the state level to comply with the (then optional) federal program. This caused a controversy at the time because he caused SSNs to be displayed on the face of the drivers license, causing the state legislature to have to later take up legislation to obfuscate the SSN, replacing it with a "D"# which is seen today. However, the SSN is still collected at the time of application or via SSOLV, and remains on the AZ drivers license file. Pearce oversaw the implementation of a law requiring that applicants for drivers licenses provide either a birth certificate proving they are United States citizens, or documents proving they are in the United States legally.
Pearce was discharged from the position of Director of the Arizona Motor Vehicle Division in August 1999 by Arizona Department of Transportation Director Mary Peters
, after an investigation revealed that two of Pearce's subordinates had tampered with a Tucson woman's driving record. Pearce later said he was cleared of wrongdoing, but Peters told the Arizona Republic "There’s a big difference between being cleared and choosing not to file criminal charges"
He was elected to the Arizona legislature in 2000.
Conservative tax activist Grover Norquist
's group, Americans for Tax Reform
, named Pearce a "Hero of the Taxpayers" for 2003.
, which requires individuals to produce proof of citizenship before they may register to vote or apply for public benefits in Arizona. Prop 200 was approved by voters as a ballot initiative in 2004. Proof of citizenship includes an Arizona drivers license issued on or after Oct 1, 1996, the date from which AZ DLs were required to contain SSNs on the DL data file.
Pearce was a lead sponsor of Arizona SB1070, which passed into law in April 2010 as the Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act
. The measure attracted national attention as the broadest and strictest anti-illegal immigration measure in decades within the United States. After the Obama administration
challenged the law, resulting in a federal court ruling that most of the law was unconstitutional, Pearce told a gathering of conservative activists, "When you talk about jihad, that is exactly what Obama has against America, specifically the state of Arizona."
In a recent story on NPR
, he was quoted as saying, "I believe in the rule of law … I've always believed in the rule of law. We're a nation of laws."; and "I will not back off until we solve the problem of this illegal invasion. Invaders, that's what they are. Invaders on the American sovereignty and it can't be tolerated." In reaction to the federal government's seeking of an injunction against enforcement of the law on constitutional grounds: "It's outrageous and it's clear they don't want (immigration) laws enforced. What they want is to continue their non-enforcement policy," Pearce said. "They ignore the damage to America, the cost to our citizens, the deaths" tied to border-related violence.
He has also sponsored Arizona SB1097, also debated in the legislature during the 2010 term, which seeks to quantify the impact of illegal immigration on the state's K-12 education system. The text of the bill states that:
CNN announced on June 15, 2010 that Senator Pearce is proposing a measure that would deny U.S. citizenship to children born in this country to illegal immigrants in an effort to thwart so-called "anchor babies". The vast majority of legal scholars have stated that such a measure would be unconstitutional as the 14th Amendment
guarantees citizenship to anyone born in the United States.
The endorsement of the Utah Compact
by Pearce's church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, has resulted in accusations that Pearce opposes the social stance held by his own church on illegal immigration. Pearce addresses these accusations by reaffirming that he supports the principles in the Utah Compact such as the importance of the family and showing respect to immigrants. However he disagrees with what he considers to be a deceitful purpose of the Utah Compact being used as a political vehicle for pro-amnesty activists. He disagrees with the compact's failure to differentiate between legal and illegal immigration. The church's adoption of compassion-based approaches to immigration issues has sharply divided Mormons, with an increasing number being opposed to Pearce's immigration platform and desiring a solution more resembling the Compact.
, that deported or encouraged to deport 1.3 million illegal immigrants in less than a year. Hispanic groups said the use of the word wetback
was derogatory.
In October 2006, Russell Pearce included the text of an article by National Alliance, a white separatist group, in an email to a group of supporters. The article, titled "Who Rules America" contained allegations of Jewish control of the media
and of multiculturalism
being a Jewish anti-White conspiracy
, as well as Holocaust denialism. He quickly apologized to supporters in an email, stating: "Ugly the words contained in it really are. They are not mine and I disavow them completely. Worse still, the website links to a group whose politics are the ugliest imaginable." Pearce told reporters he did not agree with the antisemitic and racist statements in the article, and that he had copied it from an email forwarded to him by someone else after "the title and the first paragraphs about media bias appealed to him".
Pearce was also criticized for his association with white supremacist J.T. Ready. Pearce endorsed Ready for Mesa City Council in 2006 and appeared with him at several rallies. In 2004 Pearce was photographed attending J.T Ready's baptism into the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Church documents reveal that Pearce ordained J.T Ready into the LDS priesthood. Pearce has since claimed he was unaware of Ready's neo-Nazi affiliations at the time he made the endorsement.
In April 2008, Pearce sponsored a measure, Senate Bill 1108, that would bar Arizonan public schools from teaching that "denigrate[s] American values and the teachings of Western civilization", and prohibit the formation of groups at public tertiary institutions "based in whole or part on the race of their membership". Pearce said he didn't want students indoctrinated with progressive ideologies. The Arizona Republic noted the measure could ban groups such as the Black Business Students Association at Arizona State University
or Native Americans United at Northern Arizona University
. Critics of the bill called it vague and predicted its implementation would have chilling effects.
As lead sponsor of Arizona SB 1070, Pearce received assistance from the Federation for American Immigration Reform
(FAIR) in drafting the text for the legislation. In December 2007, FAIR was identified as a "hate group
" by the Southern Poverty Law Center
(SPLC). In the early 1990s FAIR received funding from the Pioneer Fund
, a eugenics society established in 1937 "to advance the scientific study of heredity and human differences" that the SPLC has described as a neo-Nazi organization.
In October 2010, the SB 1070 bill, which Pearce sponsored in the legislature, came under criticism for benefiting private prison companies. Most of the language of the bill had been written as model legislation at a December 2009 meeting of the American Legislative Exchange Council
(ALEC), where Pearce was joined as an attendee by officials of the company Corrections Corporation of America
(CCA). CCA "executives believe immigrant detention is their next big market" according to NPR.
In November 2010, Pearce launched a push to reject US$7 billion in federal funding for Arizona’s Medicaid program, which serves more than one million people. When asked what those who rely upon this program for health care would do if it no longer has the funds to operate, Pearce said "they'll probably be okay."
Pearce's son Justin resigned from the Arizona Motor Vehicles Division in 1999, after he produced counterfeit driver's licenses for himself and four friends with false ages, in an effort to avoid alcohol prohibition
laws. Justin Pearce subsequently pled guilty to tampering with a public record and received a suspended sentence.
In February 2011 Mesa police arrested Russell Pearce's son Joshua Trent Pearce on two outstanding warrants tied to a probation violation and failing to appear in court.
issued an order calling a special recall election in November. Pearce is the first state lawmaker in Arizona history to be recalled.
Mesa Republican Jerry Lewis announced he would stand against Senator Pearce. Independent Tommy Cattey also filed to become a candidate in the recall election.
Pearce's supporters recruited Republican Olivia Cortes to run in the recall election to split the anti-Pearce vote. Cortes later dropped out of the race; as of October 2011, several members of Pearce's campaign effort are accused of Class 5 felonies for their role in the sham candidacy.
On November 7, 2011, the night before his recall election, Mesa voters were flooded with robo-calls from Pearce's supporters, informing them that both Pearce and his challenger Jerry Lewis were Republicans. The call then encouraged voters to protest this one-sided election by writing in their own candidate. Critics argue that this was a blatant attempt to dilute the votes of those wishing to remove Pearce from office.
On November 8, 2011, Pearce was defeated in the recall election by challenger Jerry Lewis. Among reactions: Lewis said, "We now have an opportunity to heal the divide in Mesa"; and Pearce said, "If being recalled is the prize for keeping one's promises, then so be it."
with his wife, LuAnne. He has five children, Dodi, Sean, Colten, Justin, and Joshua.
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
Arizona State Senator
Arizona Senate
The Arizona Senate is part of the Arizona Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Arizona. The Senate consists of 30 members representing an equal amount of constituencies across the state, with each district having average populations of 219,859 . Members serve two-year terms with...
representing Legislative District 18, which covers most of western and central Mesa
Mesa, Arizona
According to the 2010 Census, the racial composition of Mesa was as follows:* White: 77.1% * Hispanic or Latino : 26.54%* Black or African American: 3.5%* Two or more races: 3.4%* Native American: 2.4%...
and small portions of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, Arizona, USA until ousted in a November 2011 recall election by Senator-elect Jerry Lewis. He became President of the Arizona Senate when the Senate began its current term in January 2011. He previously served in the Arizona House of Representatives
Arizona House of Representatives
The Arizona House of Representatives is the lower house of the Arizona Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Arizona. Its members are elected to two-year terms with a term limit of four consecutive terms...
. Pearce is most widely known for sponsoring Arizona SB1070
Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act
The Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act is a legislative Act in the U.S. state of Arizona that at the time of passage was the broadest and strictest anti-illegal immigration measure in recent U.S. history...
, a controversial anti-illegal alien measure, and for subsequently becoming the first state legislator in Arizona history to be removed from office via a recall election
Recall election
A recall election is a procedure by which voters can remove an elected official from office through a direct vote before his or her term has ended...
in November 2011. He is expected to officially leave office once the Arizona Secretary of State certifies the recall election results, which is anticipated November 21.
History
Russell K. Pearce, a fifth-generation Arizonan, was born on June 23, 1947 to Hal Frost Pearce and Norma Crandell. He grew up in a troubled and impoverished home with an alcoholic father; he recalled in past interviews that when he came home from school, he sometimes found that neighbors had left groceries for the family, but his mother would always put the food to the side, not wishing to accept charity. Pearce wanted to attend medical school, but his family was unable to afford it, which led him to join the Maricopa CountyMaricopa County, Arizona
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*73.0% White*5.0% Black*2.1% Native American*3.5% Asian*0.2% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*3.5% Two or more races*12.7% Other races*29.6% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
Sheriff's Department. Pearce served with the National Guard in Arizona during the Vietnam War.
Pearce served as a sheriff's deputy for 23 years, including a stint as Chief Deputy Sheriff under Joe Arpaio
Joe Arpaio
Joseph M. "Joe" Arpaio is the elected Sheriff of Maricopa County in the U.S. state of Arizona. First voted into office in 1992, Arpaio is responsible for law enforcement in Maricopa County. This includes management of the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office, county jail, courtroom security,...
. After an incident where he continued to pursue several gang members after being shot in the chest, he received a Medal of Valor from the Department. Pearce's son, Sean Pearce, has also been awarded the Medal of Valor for being shot in the line of duty while serving a homicide warrant on an illegal alien. Pearce claims credit for one of Arpaio's more publicized and controversial actions, that of housing jail inmates in tents. Following disagreements with Arpaio, Pearce moved to the Arizona Motor Vehicle Division.
In 1995 Pearce became the Director of the Arizona Motor Vehicle Division. Two notable accomplishments during his tenure were: 1) bringing in IBM to create the first version of servicearizona.com, an online resource for Arizonans to update their Motor Vehicle Department information and 2) more controversially, Pearce enrolled Arizona in the then optional (at the federal level) National Drivers Registry
National Driver Register
The National Driver Register is a computerized database of information about U.S. drivers who have had their licenses revoked or suspended, or who have been been convicted of serious traffic violations...
program, making collection of social security numbers for drivers' licenses mandatory at the state level to comply with the (then optional) federal program. This caused a controversy at the time because he caused SSNs to be displayed on the face of the drivers license, causing the state legislature to have to later take up legislation to obfuscate the SSN, replacing it with a "D"# which is seen today. However, the SSN is still collected at the time of application or via SSOLV, and remains on the AZ drivers license file. Pearce oversaw the implementation of a law requiring that applicants for drivers licenses provide either a birth certificate proving they are United States citizens, or documents proving they are in the United States legally.
Pearce was discharged from the position of Director of the Arizona Motor Vehicle Division in August 1999 by Arizona Department of Transportation Director Mary Peters
Mary Peters
Mary Peters may refer to:* Mary Peters , British athlete* Mary Peters , American politician, 15th United States Secretary of Transportation...
, after an investigation revealed that two of Pearce's subordinates had tampered with a Tucson woman's driving record. Pearce later said he was cleared of wrongdoing, but Peters told the Arizona Republic "There’s a big difference between being cleared and choosing not to file criminal charges"
He was elected to the Arizona legislature in 2000.
Conservative tax activist Grover Norquist
Grover Norquist
Grover Glenn Norquist is an American lobbyist, conservative activist, and founder and president of Americans for Tax Reform...
's group, Americans for Tax Reform
Americans for Tax Reform
Americans for Tax Reform is an advocacy group and taxpayer group whose stated goal is "a system in which taxes are simpler, flatter, more visible, and lower than they are today. The government's power to control one's life derives from its power to tax...
, named Pearce a "Hero of the Taxpayers" for 2003.
Immigration policies
In 2004 Russell Pearce supported Arizona's Proposition 200Arizona Proposition 200 (2004)
Proposition 200, an Arizona state initiative passed in November 2004 with 56% of the vote, requires individuals to produce proof of citizenship before they may register to vote or apply for public benefits in Arizona...
, which requires individuals to produce proof of citizenship before they may register to vote or apply for public benefits in Arizona. Prop 200 was approved by voters as a ballot initiative in 2004. Proof of citizenship includes an Arizona drivers license issued on or after Oct 1, 1996, the date from which AZ DLs were required to contain SSNs on the DL data file.
Pearce was a lead sponsor of Arizona SB1070, which passed into law in April 2010 as the Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act
Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act
The Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act is a legislative Act in the U.S. state of Arizona that at the time of passage was the broadest and strictest anti-illegal immigration measure in recent U.S. history...
. The measure attracted national attention as the broadest and strictest anti-illegal immigration measure in decades within the United States. After the Obama administration
Presidency of Barack Obama
The Presidency of Barack Obama began at noon EST on January 20, 2009 when he became the 44th President of the United States. Obama was a United States Senator from Illinois at the time of his victory over Arizona Senator John McCain in the 2008 presidential election...
challenged the law, resulting in a federal court ruling that most of the law was unconstitutional, Pearce told a gathering of conservative activists, "When you talk about jihad, that is exactly what Obama has against America, specifically the state of Arizona."
In a recent story on NPR
NPR
NPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting...
, he was quoted as saying, "I believe in the rule of law … I've always believed in the rule of law. We're a nation of laws."; and "I will not back off until we solve the problem of this illegal invasion. Invaders, that's what they are. Invaders on the American sovereignty and it can't be tolerated." In reaction to the federal government's seeking of an injunction against enforcement of the law on constitutional grounds: "It's outrageous and it's clear they don't want (immigration) laws enforced. What they want is to continue their non-enforcement policy," Pearce said. "They ignore the damage to America, the cost to our citizens, the deaths" tied to border-related violence.
He has also sponsored Arizona SB1097, also debated in the legislature during the 2010 term, which seeks to quantify the impact of illegal immigration on the state's K-12 education system. The text of the bill states that:
- School districts would be required to identify and count all students who are in the U.S. illegally.
- The state's Department of Education would be required to report annually on the impact and costs to state taxpayers of the enrollment of these students.
- The state Superintendent of Public Instruction would be authorized to withhold state aid from districts that do not comply with the law.
CNN announced on June 15, 2010 that Senator Pearce is proposing a measure that would deny U.S. citizenship to children born in this country to illegal immigrants in an effort to thwart so-called "anchor babies". The vast majority of legal scholars have stated that such a measure would be unconstitutional as the 14th Amendment
Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution
The Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution was adopted on July 9, 1868, as one of the Reconstruction Amendments.Its Citizenship Clause provides a broad definition of citizenship that overruled the Dred Scott v...
guarantees citizenship to anyone born in the United States.
The endorsement of the Utah Compact
Utah Compact
The Utah Compact is a declaration of five principles whose stated purpose is to guide Utah's discussions on Immigration reform. It was passed in the state house and senate, and signed by the Governor at a ceremony on Capitol Hill, November 11, 2010, by supporters; some city workers, business , and...
by Pearce's church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, has resulted in accusations that Pearce opposes the social stance held by his own church on illegal immigration. Pearce addresses these accusations by reaffirming that he supports the principles in the Utah Compact such as the importance of the family and showing respect to immigrants. However he disagrees with what he considers to be a deceitful purpose of the Utah Compact being used as a political vehicle for pro-amnesty activists. He disagrees with the compact's failure to differentiate between legal and illegal immigration. The church's adoption of compassion-based approaches to immigration issues has sharply divided Mormons, with an increasing number being opposed to Pearce's immigration platform and desiring a solution more resembling the Compact.
Controversy
Pearce faced criticism in 2006 after he called for the renewal of a 1950's immigration enforcement program, Operation WetbackOperation Wetback
Operation Wetback was a 1954 operation by the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service to remove illegal immigrants, mostly Mexican nationals from the southwestern United States.-History:...
, that deported or encouraged to deport 1.3 million illegal immigrants in less than a year. Hispanic groups said the use of the word wetback
Wetback (slur)
"Wetback" is a person of any foreign nationality, the usual being a Mexican who are illegal immigrants in the United States. Generally used as an ethnic slur, the term was originally coined and applied only to Mexicans who entered Texas by crossing the Rio Grande river, which is the Mexican...
was derogatory.
In October 2006, Russell Pearce included the text of an article by National Alliance, a white separatist group, in an email to a group of supporters. The article, titled "Who Rules America" contained allegations of Jewish control of the media
Media
Media may refer to:- Communications :* Media , tools used to store and deliver information or data** Advertising media, various media, content, buying and placement for advertising...
and of multiculturalism
Multiculturalism
Multiculturalism is the appreciation, acceptance or promotion of multiple cultures, applied to the demographic make-up of a specific place, usually at the organizational level, e.g...
being a Jewish anti-White conspiracy
Conspiracy
-Types of conspiracies:* Cabal, an association between religious, political, or tribal officials to further their own ends, usually by intrigue* Conspiracy , an agreement between persons to deceive, mislead, or defraud others of their legal rights, or to gain an unfair advantage* Conspiracy , an...
, as well as Holocaust denialism. He quickly apologized to supporters in an email, stating: "Ugly the words contained in it really are. They are not mine and I disavow them completely. Worse still, the website links to a group whose politics are the ugliest imaginable." Pearce told reporters he did not agree with the antisemitic and racist statements in the article, and that he had copied it from an email forwarded to him by someone else after "the title and the first paragraphs about media bias appealed to him".
Pearce was also criticized for his association with white supremacist J.T. Ready. Pearce endorsed Ready for Mesa City Council in 2006 and appeared with him at several rallies. In 2004 Pearce was photographed attending J.T Ready's baptism into the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Church documents reveal that Pearce ordained J.T Ready into the LDS priesthood. Pearce has since claimed he was unaware of Ready's neo-Nazi affiliations at the time he made the endorsement.
In April 2008, Pearce sponsored a measure, Senate Bill 1108, that would bar Arizonan public schools from teaching that "denigrate[s] American values and the teachings of Western civilization", and prohibit the formation of groups at public tertiary institutions "based in whole or part on the race of their membership". Pearce said he didn't want students indoctrinated with progressive ideologies. The Arizona Republic noted the measure could ban groups such as the Black Business Students Association at Arizona State University
Arizona State University
Arizona State University is a public research university located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area of the State of Arizona...
or Native Americans United at Northern Arizona University
Northern Arizona University
Northern Arizona University is a public university located in Flagstaff, Arizona, United States. It is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, and has 39 satellite campuses in the state of Arizona. The university offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees.As of...
. Critics of the bill called it vague and predicted its implementation would have chilling effects.
As lead sponsor of Arizona SB 1070, Pearce received assistance from the Federation for American Immigration Reform
Federation for American Immigration Reform
The Federation for American Immigration Reform is a non-profit tax exempt educational organization in the United States that advocates changes in U.S. immigration policy that would result in significant reductions in immigration, both legal and illegal...
(FAIR) in drafting the text for the legislation. In December 2007, FAIR was identified as a "hate group
Hate group
A hate group is an organized group or movement that advocates and practices hatred, hostility, or violence towards members of a race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation or other designated sector of society...
" by the Southern Poverty Law Center
Southern Poverty Law Center
The Southern Poverty Law Center is an American nonprofit civil rights organization noted for its legal victories against white supremacist groups; legal representation for victims of hate groups; monitoring of alleged hate groups, militias and extremist organizations; and educational programs that...
(SPLC). In the early 1990s FAIR received funding from the Pioneer Fund
Pioneer Fund
The Pioneer Fund is an American non-profit foundation established in 1937 "to advance the scientific study of heredity and human differences." Currently headed by psychology professor J. Philippe Rushton, the fund states that it focuses on projects it perceives will not be easily funded due to...
, a eugenics society established in 1937 "to advance the scientific study of heredity and human differences" that the SPLC has described as a neo-Nazi organization.
In October 2010, the SB 1070 bill, which Pearce sponsored in the legislature, came under criticism for benefiting private prison companies. Most of the language of the bill had been written as model legislation at a December 2009 meeting of the American Legislative Exchange Council
American Legislative Exchange Council
The American Legislative Exchange Council is a politically conservative 501 non-profit Policy Organization, consisting of both state legislators and members of the private sector. ALEC's mission statement describes the organization's purpose as the advancement of free-market principles, limited...
(ALEC), where Pearce was joined as an attendee by officials of the company Corrections Corporation of America
Corrections Corporation of America
Corrections Corporation of America is a company that owns and manages private prisons and detention centers and operates others on a concession basis. The company is the largest private corrections company in the United States and manages more than 60 facilities with a designed capacity of 90,000...
(CCA). CCA "executives believe immigrant detention is their next big market" according to NPR.
In November 2010, Pearce launched a push to reject US$7 billion in federal funding for Arizona’s Medicaid program, which serves more than one million people. When asked what those who rely upon this program for health care would do if it no longer has the funds to operate, Pearce said "they'll probably be okay."
Pearce's son Justin resigned from the Arizona Motor Vehicles Division in 1999, after he produced counterfeit driver's licenses for himself and four friends with false ages, in an effort to avoid alcohol prohibition
Legal drinking age
Laws about the legal drinking age cover a wide range of issues and behaviours, addressing when and where alcohol can be consumed. The minimum age alcohol can be legally consumed can be different to the age when it can be purchased. These laws vary among different countries and many laws have...
laws. Justin Pearce subsequently pled guilty to tampering with a public record and received a suspended sentence.
In February 2011 Mesa police arrested Russell Pearce's son Joshua Trent Pearce on two outstanding warrants tied to a probation violation and failing to appear in court.
2011 recall
On May 31, 2011 Citizens for a Better Arizona turned in 18,315 signatures to the Arizona Secretary of State's Office to recall Russell Pearce. On July 8, the Arizona Secretary of State's Office officially verified that the recall petitions had sufficient signatures. On July 12, Arizona Governor Jan BrewerJan Brewer
Janice Kay "Jan" Brewer is the 22nd and current Governor of the U.S. state of Arizona and a member of the Republican Party. She is the fourth woman, and third consecutive woman, to hold the office...
issued an order calling a special recall election in November. Pearce is the first state lawmaker in Arizona history to be recalled.
Mesa Republican Jerry Lewis announced he would stand against Senator Pearce. Independent Tommy Cattey also filed to become a candidate in the recall election.
Pearce's supporters recruited Republican Olivia Cortes to run in the recall election to split the anti-Pearce vote. Cortes later dropped out of the race; as of October 2011, several members of Pearce's campaign effort are accused of Class 5 felonies for their role in the sham candidacy.
On November 7, 2011, the night before his recall election, Mesa voters were flooded with robo-calls from Pearce's supporters, informing them that both Pearce and his challenger Jerry Lewis were Republicans. The call then encouraged voters to protest this one-sided election by writing in their own candidate. Critics argue that this was a blatant attempt to dilute the votes of those wishing to remove Pearce from office.
On November 8, 2011, Pearce was defeated in the recall election by challenger Jerry Lewis. Among reactions: Lewis said, "We now have an opportunity to heal the divide in Mesa"; and Pearce said, "If being recalled is the prize for keeping one's promises, then so be it."
Personal life
Russell Pearce lives in Mesa, ArizonaMesa, Arizona
According to the 2010 Census, the racial composition of Mesa was as follows:* White: 77.1% * Hispanic or Latino : 26.54%* Black or African American: 3.5%* Two or more races: 3.4%* Native American: 2.4%...
with his wife, LuAnne. He has five children, Dodi, Sean, Colten, Justin, and Joshua.