>> HOW ARE YOU, SIR IN >> I'M BETTER AS OF 10:40 THIS MORNING.

>> IT'S A DONE DEAL.

>> IT'S NOW IN THE LAW OF THE STATE OF ARIZONA THAT THE VOTERS HAVE THE RIGHT TO KNOW WHO IS CONTRIBUTING BIG BUCKS TO BUY ADVERTISING TO TRY TO CONVINCE THEM TO GO ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.

>> I WANT TO GET TO THE WHERE FORS AND THIS IS THE FOURTH TIME THAT YOU TRIED TO GET IT PASSED AND WHAT CHANGED?

PERSISTENCE PAYS, THAT'S THE BOTTOM LINE HERE.

AND THIS WAS THE FOURTH EFFORT AND WE GOT TO TALK TO LITERALLY HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF ARIZONANS TO GET THEIR SIGNATURES TO GET ON THE BALLOT AND WHEN IT FINALLY MADE IT TO THE BALLOT, IT WAS OVERWHELMING.

IT WAS 3/4 OF THE VOTERS THAT SAID YES, WE WANT TO KNOW WHO IT IS THAT'S TRYING TO PERSUADE US.

WE LEARNED A LOT AND MADE A LOT OF BAD BREAKS, AND ALL OF THE PIECES CAME TOGETHER IN 2022 >> I TELL YOU ONE THING, THERE WAS NOT MUCH OPPOSITION ON THIS AT ALL AND WHY DO YOU THINK THAT WAS?

>> PART OF THAT IS, LET ME GIVE YOU A HYPOTHETICAL.

IMAGINE THAT YOU ARE PROPOSING THAT VOTERS SHOULD HAVE THE RIGHT TO KNOW WHO IS PAYING FOR THE MESSAGES THAT YOU GET AROUND YOU ALL THE TIME.

REALLY, IS SOMEBODY SAYING NO, I DON'T WANT TO KNOW THAT?

I'M SORRY, I WOULD RATHER BE FOOLED?

I WOULD RATHER BE IGNORANT?

IT'S A HARD ART TO MAKE, ESPECIALLY ON THE STREET WHERE YOU'RE GETTING THE SIGNATURES.

WE DIDN'T SEE THAT.

WE SAW THE OPPOSITE, PEOPLE COMING TO US AND SAYING I WANT TO SEE THIS AND BE ABLE TO KNOW WHO IS PAYING FOR THESE ADS.

WE DID HAVE OPPOSITION IN THE ELECTION AND THEY BOUGHT ADVISEMENTS AGAINST US, AND IT WAS A MAJOR PARTY THAT CAME OUT AND SAID PEOPLE SHOULD VOTE NO, AND THAT'S ONE OF ONE OF REASONS WE DIDN'T QUITE HIT THE 80% NUMBER IN THE POLLS.

BUT I'M HAPPY WITH IT.

IT'S A VERY GOOD BIPARTISAN EFFORT AND ARIZONANS BOUGHT THIS.

>> IT DIDN'T SEEM ENTHUSIASTIC OPPOSITION THAT WE SAW IN THE PAST AND WHAT IS NOW THE LAW OF THE LAND?

>> THE LAW OF THE LAND IS THAT IF YOU'RE PART OF AN ORGANIZATION, AND THE BURDEN FALLS ON THE O.S THAT BUY THE POLITICAL ADS TO PUT THESE MESSAGES ON THE SCREEN OR ON THE LAPTOP, WHEREVER IT HAPPENS TO COME FROM.

A PAID MESSAGE.

BEFORE THIS LAW COMES INTO EFFECT, IN ARIZONA, YOU COULD HIDE THE ORIGINAL DONOR.

THE NAME THAT YOU GOT, THE SPONSOR OF THE AD WAS SOME SORT OF ANONYMOUS ORGANIZATION, I USE THE AMERICANS FOR PEANUT BUTTER, IT COULD BE ANYTHING, AND IT TELLS YOU NOTHING ABOUT WHERE IT'S COMING FROM.

BUT WHAT THIS STATUTE DOES, THE PERSON WHO BUYS THE AD HAS TO TELL THE SECRETARY OF STATE, HAS TO TELL THE PEOPLE, ALL OF US, WHO THE ORIGINAL SOURCE OF THAT MONEY WAS, AND THAT'S A LIBERTY TERM OF ART.

THE ORIGINAL SOURCE MEANS THAT THE INDIVIDUAL, OR THE CORPORATION THAT EARNED THE MONEY IN THE FIRST PLACE, AND THEY COULD PASS IT THROUGH 20 DIFFERENT INTERMEDIARIES AND THEY DO, TO HIDE THE SOURCE, BUT YOU HAVE TO STAY WHERE IT COMES FROM.

>> $50,000 IN SOME CAMPAIGNS?

>> THAT'S THE THRESHOLD.

WE WANTED TO NOT INCLUDE THE VERY SMALL CAMPAIGNS, THE LOCAL ACTIVITIES, BUT WE FELT IF YOU'RE RUNNING FOR LEGISLATURE AND SPEND OVER 25,000 AND STATE OFFICE, SPEND OVER 50, AND THAT'S EASY TO DO, THEN YOUR LARGE DONORS NEED TO BE DISCLOSED.

>> CAN A LARGE DONOR SPREAD OUT A MILE WIDE?

>> YES, WE'RE SURE THAT THEY WILL TRY THAT.

AND THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAPPENED TODAY.

THE CITIZENS ELECTION COMMISSION WAS EMPOWERED BY THE VOTERS, BY THIS LAW GOING INTO EFFECT TO START PUTTING TOGETHER THE REGULATIONS THAT WILL HAVE TO BE FOLLOWED AND THE INVESTIGATIVE PROCEDURES THAT WILL BE FOLLOWED IF A COMPLAINT IS RECEIVED AND SOMEBODY IS TRYING TO HIDE THEIR IDENTITY.

THERE'S A VERY SPECIFIC -- I USED TO BE YOUR PROSECUTOR HERE IN ARIZONA AND WE DID A LOT OF MONEY LAUNDERING AND WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE IS NOT ILLEGAL, BUT PEOPLE TRY TO SPREAD THEIR DONATIONS AROUND SO THEY DON'T COME UNDER THE DISCLOSURE LIMITS, BUT THERE'S A SPECIFIC PROVISION IN THIS LAW THAT SAYS STRUCTURING YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS TO AVOID DISCLOSURE IS A VIOLATION OF THE LAW >> IF YOU VIOLATE THE LAW, WHAT KIND OF PENALTY?

>> UP TO 3 TIMES THE MONEY THAT'S NOT PROPERLY DISCLOSED OR IMPROPERLY DISCLOSED.

SO WITH THE EXPENDITURES, IT COULD BE A VERY LARGE FINE >> IS THAT ENOUGH OF A FINE FOR THE MEGA DONORS?

PEOPLE THAT HAVE MONEY BEYOND IMAGINATION?

>> YES, IT IS.

YES, THEY DO, AND I THINK IT IS, BUT HOW CAN YOU SAY?

WHEN YOU HAVE BILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO SPEND, UNFORTUNATELY SOME FINES ARE THE COST OF DOING BUSINESS, BUT THE OTHER SIDE OF THE EQUATION IS PUBLICITY.

YOU IN THE NEWS MEDIA AND OPPOSING CANDIDATES WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET THIS INFORMATION TOO, IF THEY THINK THERE'S ANY KIND OF FALSITY OR HIDING THE BALL, THEY CAN GO TO THE ELECTIONS COMMISSION AND THEY WILL INVESTIGATE AND THEY'RE GOOD AT THAT.

>> THE OPPOSITION THAT WE HEARD REGARDING PROP 211 SEEMED TO FOCUS ON FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS, AND WHAT THEY'RE CONCERNED ABOUT WITH HARASSMENTS, AND IT'S NOT FAIR THAT IF I WANT TO DONATE, IT HAS TO BE KNOWN BECAUSE MY BUSINESS COULD BE AFFECTED AND I COULD BE AFFECTED AND THERE'S HARASSMENT INVOLVED AND WHAT'S YOUR RESPONSE TO THAT?

>> FIRST, THERE'S NO EVIDENCE THAT IT HAS BEEN BROUGHT FORWARD, THIS KIND OF HARASSMENT, SO I THINK THEY'RE CREATING A FALSE FEAR.

BUT -- AND I'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN ARIZONA POLITICS FOR A LONG TIME.

AND BEEN ON THE FRONT LINES AND NEVER HAD THAT KIND OF HARASSMENT.

SO I TEND TO THINK IT'S NOT A SERIOUS PROBLEM.

THEY ARE TRYING TO RAISE IT.

BUT YOU AND I, AS INDIVIDUALS, WHEN WE CONTRIBUTE TO A CANDIDATE MORE THAN $50, WE GET FULL DISCLOSURE.

WE GET YOUR NAME, ADDRESS AND HOME ADDRESS AND WHERE YOU WORK.

ONLY A FEW GET AN EXCEPTION.

AND WHAT THIS STATUTE DOES IS GET RID OF THE EXCEPTION FOR THE VERY FEW WHO TRY TO USE A LEGAL ART PHYSICAL, DARK MONEY ORGANIZATIONS TO TRY TO HIDE THEIR PARTICIPATION IN THE POLITICAL PROCESS.

JUSTICE SCALIA SAID HE DIDN'T WANT TO BE ON THE SPEED LIMIT SUPREME COURT THAT BECAUSE OF THEIR DONATIONS MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO BE ANONYMOUS.

AND THIS DISCLOSURE DOES NOT VIOLATE YOUR FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS.

>> HOW DOES THIS AFFECT POLITICS?

GREAT MAN, JIM COLBY, A CONGRESSMAN AND HE SPOKE AT THE END OF HIS LIFE ELOQUENTLY ABOUT CIVILITY.

AND ONE OF THE THINGS, THESE ATTACK ADS, VICIOUS ADVERTISEMENTS THAT VERY OFTEN ARE NOT TRUE AND DEFAMATORY, AND WE HAVE SEEN IT TOO MUCH.

AND IF YOU HAVE TO PUT YOUR NAME, THE ORIGINAL FUNDER HAS TO PUT THEIR NAME AT THE BOTTOM OF THE AD, THEY'RE NOT GOING TO MAKE FALSE STATEMENTS, AND WHAT THEY DO MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE, IT ENCOURAGES AND REQUIRES ACCOUNTABILITY FROM THE PEOPLE THAT ARE BUYING POLITICAL ADVERTISEMENTS.

AND ACCOUNTABILITY WILL GO LONG WAY TO JIM COLBY DREAM.

>> VERY GOOD TO SEE YOU, THANK YOU.

>> TONIGHT ON THE NEWS HOUR, THE SUPREME COURT HEARS A CASE PITTING GAY RIGHTS AGAINST RELIGIOUS FREEDOM.

THAT'S COMING UP AFTER AN HOUR OF LOCAL NEWS ON ARIZONA PBS.

>> THE TROOP IS RUNNING IN THE HOLIDAY SPIRIT WITH THE PRODUCTION OF BLACK NATIVITIES, THROUGH SONG, DANCE AND POETRY.

AND WALTER, YOU'RE THE DIRECTOR OF THIS PERFORMANCE, CORRECT?

>> CORRECT.

>> GIVE US A GOOD DEFINITION OF BLACK NATIVITY.

>> I THINK THAT PEOPLE KNOW THE STORY OF THE BIRTH OF CHRIST AND IT'S RETELLING THROUGH AN AFRO SETCENTRIC LENS.

THROUGH SONG AND DANCE.

>> I HEARD IT DESCRIBED AS A SONG PLAY.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

I THINK BECAUSE MOST MUSICAL THEATER AS WE KNOW IT, AND IT'S OFTEN SAID THAT IN A PLAY, IT'S TEXT RAL GIVEN.

AND MUSIC BECOMES THE GIVEN MOMENT.

AND I NEED TO BURST INTO SONG.

THERE'S NOT NECESSARILY A SONG TO THIS, BUT A PLAY THAT TELLS THE STORY OF THE BIRTH OF CHRIST.

>> THESE ARE WHAT KIND OF SONGS?

GOSPEL SONGS?

>> YOU SEE PEOPLE SING ALONG, GO TELL IT ON THE MOUNTAIN AND JOY TO THE WORLD.

AND THE FIRST ACT, THE ENTIRE SHOW IS THOUGH THE FIRST ACT NEVER CHANGES.

IT'S GIVEN TO YOU AND THE SECOND ACT IS MORE CURRENT.

AND ANYWHERE IN THE COUNTRY, PEOPLE WILL USE THE SAME GOSPEL STORY TO TELL IT.

>> EVERY YEAR YOU DO IT, AND THE BLACK THEATER DOES IT DIFFERENTLY AND IT HAS TO BE A CHALLENGE.

>> THERE'S SOMETHING EXCITING ABOUT THAT PIECE, IT'S ALLOWING IT TO BREATHE AND BE RELEVANT, TO USE THEATER IN A WAY TO UNPACK IT.

>> HOW DO YOU DECIDE WHICH PERFORMERS AND WHICH PERFORMANCES TO INCLUDE?

>> IN WHICH WAY?

>> LAST YEAR, YOU HAD X, Y AND Z AND THIS YEAR, YOU HAVE A, B AND C AND HOW DO YOU DECIDE?

>> WE LOOK AT WHERE WE ARE WHERE WE ARE F. THE CLIMATE OF THE COUNTRY AND WE ALLOW IT TO BE PART OF WHAT WE CHOOSE AND HOW WE ADDRESS IT IN THE BODY OF THE SHOW.

>> HAS THE MOOD, THE LOOK, THE PICTURE, THE FEEL OF THE PERFORMANCE CHANGED OVERRED YEARS?

>> I WOULD SAY YES.

>> HOW SO?

>> I THINK IT'S ALWAYS RELEVANT AND PART OF IT IS THE TELLING OF THE STORY BIBLICALLY FROM ITS ORIGIN TO NOW, AND THAT PIECE, THE STAPLE OF THE BIRTH OF CHRIST IS ALWAYS THERE, BUT IT TAKES ON A DIFFERENT COLOR AND HUGHHUE BECAUSE OF THE DIFFERENCE WITH THE CAST MEMBERS >> AND IT'S UP TO YOU TO BRING OUT THE BEST IN EACH CAST MEMBER.

>> ONE WOULD HOPE SO.

TO BRING OUT THE TRUTH AND THE HUMOR, EVERY YEAR IS SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT.

>> REACTIONS FROM AUDIENCES AND I HEARD DAVID TALK ABOUT IT AND YOU TELL ME.

>> IT'S TRULY ONE OF THE STAPLES AND IT'S OUR BESTSELLER AND FOR MANY FAMILIES, THEY COME AND SING ALONG REGARDLESS OF ETHNICITY, REGARDLESS OF GENDER, REGARDLESS OF YOUR FAITH-BASED BELIEFS, IT SPEAKS TO THE COMMUNITY AND PEOPLE COME OUT AND SEE IT.

UR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR CALLS IT HIS CHRISTMAS CARD.

>> AND I HEARD HIM SAY, WHEN PEOPLE HAVE THE SPIRIT OF JOY, THE SPIRIT OF BELONGING, THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT WITH THE PERFORMANCE.

>> ABSOLUTELY, AND I THINK THEY LEAVE WITH IT.

BECAUSE I LIKE TO THINK OF THE THEATER AS A CALL GONE BE TAKE ME AWAY MOMENT.

AND WHEN YOU COME, YOU'RE THERE, YOU PUT YOUR TOE IN THE BATHTUB.

>> HOW MUCH OF IT DO YOU GET WITH AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION?

>> EVEN WHEN WE'RE NOT EXPECTING IT, PEOPLE ARE SINNING AND CLAPPING ALONG AND IT'S A WONDERFUL MOMENT OF COMRADERY AND WE LOVE THAT THEATER AND MUSIC CAN BE THE VEHICLE TO BRING IT THAT WAY.

>> BUT AS A DIRECTOR, IS IT CHALLENGING AT TIMES?

>> I WAS HAVING THIS CONVERSATION EARLIER, HOW TO NAVIGATE T THE AUDIENCE HAS A MIND OF THEIR OWN AND WE'RE JUST THERE TO ENJOY THE MOMENT.

>> THE PERFORMANCE IS DECEMBER 18th.

AND GIVE US THE INFORMATION ABOUT THE THEATER >> THE THEATER IS ON WASHINGTON, 1333 WASHINGTON AND YOU CAN GO TO THE WEBSITE AND WE'LL BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO SEE YOU THERE.

>> WHERE TO GO AGAIN?

>> BLACK THEATER TROOP.ORG.

>> ALL RIGHT, THE DIRECTOR OF BLACK NATIVITY.

THANK YOU, SIR, AND THAT IS IT FOR NOW, I'M TIM SIMONS, YOU HAVE A GREAT DAY.

>> COMING UP TONIGHT: