TAC: How would you rate your chance of re-election this year?

JH: I believe that is in God's hands. I can tell you, that there is much at stake in my re-election for conservative Republicans. 

TAC: What are the key issues in this year's race?

JH: I kept my promises of "no new taxes: control the rate of increase in government spending; work toward economic growth and attract real jobs from outside of the state; preserve family values, so that the morals that we teach our children in the home are not undermined in the public school system.".

TAC: Why should voters re-elect you?

JH: I have the conservative Republican principles that the Republican party has been known for. 

I have kept every promise made to the voters of my district.  I fought for accountabilty and intregrity that was not in the transportation tax extension, before its run-in with the Senate Finance Committee. I fought to protect our soldiers from those that would burn the American flag to intimidate them for their service to this great country.

TAC: What were your top accomplishments in your first term?

JH: As a member of the Senate Finance Committee, six conservative Republicans were able to deter any new taxes on the citizens of Arizona. We were able to bottle up the bill to extend the Transportation Tax, until the the plan allowed the legislature to have enough seats on the Citizen's Transportation Oversight Committee to block more of the money generated by the transportation tax from being shifted to "light-rail."  I was successful in making it a crime to burn the American flag with the "intent to intimidate." I was one of only three in the state senate to win the "Friend of the Taxpayer" award. I received an A- from the Goldwater Institute, the highest grade given to any legislator (Senator Thayer Verschoor had a higher point score).

TAC: What's your opinion of this year's budget bill?

JH: This year's budget was a California-style budget. (I promised a member of leadership that I would stop calling it "the Democrats' budget" in public). The budget spent more money than the state will have in revenues. 0I have seen the fallout firsthand in the districts when moderate Republicans try to justify their vote for the budget. Even conservative Republicans in Senate Leadership have had to explain the political dynamics of the budget vote to their constituents. 

TAC: How did the Legislature do on the social issues this year, in your evaluation?

JH: I believe a conservative agenda was heard in the state legislature. Family value issues may not always prevail, but we need to have conservative leadership just to have bills heard that are socially conservative. As we had seen in the final days of the session, moderate Republicans are willing to side with the Democrats on signing "discharge petitions" to get their bills heard. Conservative republicans are respectful of the process and rely on the Senate president and speaker of the House to allow pro-life, pro-family bills to be heard.

TAC: Can Republicans resist the governor's incessant push for tax increases?

JH: I believe if we have the same six Republicans on the Senate Finance Committee next year (Chairman Dean Martin, Vice-chairman Harper, Senators Bob Burns, Barbara Leff, Marilyn Jarrett and Jim Weiers), we can stop any tax increase. The "tax and spenders" may attempt a discharge petition and bring a tax increase to the floor. Who know what they may do to satisfy their thirst to spend the taxpayer's money on their social engineering?

TAC: The 2002 GOP primary was a great election for conservatives. Do you expect that trend to repeat this year?

JH: I was fortunate to defeat a moderate Republican that was rumored to be working a deal with the Democrats to be the Senate president. Steve Tulley was victorious over the infamous Steve May. But, I do not expect the trend to continue. I feel that conservative voters and contributors are taking their success in 2002 for granted. Meanwhile the liberal Republican groups such as WISH and Mainstream Arizona have filled their coffers with donations from the Democrats, Planned Parenthood, etc. With a Democrat holding the office of governor, the last two years of her administration will be "hell on earth" for conservative Republicans if they do not begin to sacrifice for their beliefs.

TAC: Have you determined which bills you plan to introduce next term, if re-elected?

JH: I will continue to fight for state-wide job growth. I would like to exempt our active duty service members from paying state income tax. I will fight any tax increase. I will work towards controlling illegal immigration.

TAC: In light of some legislators refusing to represent their district and refusing to vote on key issues (namely the marriage amendment postcard), will you commit to voting on all the bills for which you are physically present in the Senate chamber?

JH: Yes

TAC: Do you believe the legislature can make better progress next term on judicial reform?

JH: I believe the Senate Judiciary Committee was successful in identifying which nominees by the governor to the Appelate Court Selection Committee have a liberal political agenda and stopped their confirmation. Unless we have a clearly conservative majority in the Senate, we will never be able to refer anything to the voters to address judicial activism. The best we can hope for is to stack the Judiciary Committee to scrutinize anyone who will be in a position to nominate people to be judges.

TAC: Do you support or oppose the Clean Elections initiative?

JH: I can only say that the CCEC had some serious loopholes in it's rules last year. One Democrat running for House, ate out at restaurants constantly and paid his live-in girlfriend for "campaign work."

TAC: Do you support or oppose the Protect Arizona Now initiative?

JH: I support the concept of PAN. I ran a bill last year to require that 50 percent of our Arizona Army National Guard members perform their two-week annual training along the Arizona-Mexico border. We have a serious problem with illegal immigration.