Tom Horne
Encyclopedia
Thomas Charles "Tom" Horne (born March 28, 1945) is the current Arizona Attorney General. He served as the Arizona Department of Education
Superintendent of Public Instruction from 2003 to 2011.
He is a graduate of Harvard College
and Harvard Law School
.
Horne was the president of T.C. Horne & Co., an investment firm he founded in the late 1960s. The firm went bankrupt in 1970 and led to him "receiving a lifetime trading ban from the Securities and Exchange Commission." The 1973 SEC report alleged that as president of T.C. Horne & Co, Horne "among other things, violated the record-keeping, anti-fraud, and broker-dealer net capital provisions of the federal securities laws and filed false financial reports with the commission."
During his 30 years of law practice, Tom Horne served as Special Assistant Attorney General and a Judge Pro Tem in Maricopa County Superior Court and Maricopa Court of Appeals. Horne served as a teacher of Legal Writing at Arizona State University Law School and is the author a legal text published by the State Bar of Arizona. He was annually rated as "Very Ethical" by his fellow lawyers, receiving 5.0 out of a possible 5.0 in Martindale, the most frequently used survey for peer ratings. He is also rated a "Preeminent Attorney" in Martindale.
from 1997 until 2001. He chaired the Academic Accountability Committee and served as vice-chair of the Education Committee.
During his campaign for State Senate in 2000, the Arizona Republic wrote that Tom Horne, "raises the level of debate at the state Legislature by several
notches all by himself." Horne was called, "An intelligent and thoughtful lawmaker for four years in the state House of Representatives"
Among his earliest acts in office was to push for a strengthening of Arizona’s social studies standards so that instruction on topics such as the U.S. Constitution, Declaration of Independence, and the Greco-Roman basis of western civilization would be emphasized not only in elementary grades, but reiterated at later grade levels.
Horne also made a priority of enforcement of Arizona’s voter-approved law mandating that English be the language of classroom instruction (with the exception of foreign language classes).
He also pushed for nutritional standards that removed junk food from schools in the elementary grades and created incentives for secondary schools to do so on a voluntary basis.
Testing protocols were also significantly changed during Horne’s administration. He oversaw the development of a dual-purpose assessment that was unique in combining assessments on both state and nationally-defined standards. This cut standardized testing time in half, restoring that time to classroom instruction.
Controversy arose when Horne sought to address curriculum matters as they related to racially-based studies. Horne was alerted to a race-based program in the Tucson Unified School District and, based on a review of the curriculum, championed a law to address the problems these materials presented. A state law was passed that prohibited curricula that either: 1) Promote the overthrow of the United States government. 2) Promote resentment toward a race or class of people. 3) Are designed primarily for pupils of a particular ethnic group. 4) Advocate ethnic solidarity instead of the treatment of pupils as individuals.
In his final act as Superintendent Horne found the Tucson district’s Ethnic Studies program, specifically the Mexican American (Raza) Studies component, to be out of compliance with this law.
Horne was also successful in implementing the Arizona Instrument to Measure Success (AIMS) test, which was approved by the legislature in the 1990s, but did not go into effect until 2006. Despite some controversy over the requirement that students pass the test before graduating high school, the test is now an accepted part of the state education system. Horne created an incentive program whereby students who exceed standards on the AIMS test and meet other criteria receive tuition scholarships to Arizona’s public universities.
.
In early 2011, Horne delivered a seminal policy statement to the Border Security Expo in Phoenix and outlined his grave concerns that Mexico risks failure as a state unless the U.S. and Mexico cooperate to combat drug violence and economic upheaval. Horne reiterated this argument in testimony before the U.S. House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations and Management. The full statement can be found here: AZ Attorney General Press Release and a copy of Horne’s congressional testimony is here: Attorney General Tom Horne Oral Testimony
Horne also initiated legal action designed to defend Arizona’s border enforcement law, commonly known as S.B. 1070. Taking the opposite approach of his predecessor, Horne filed an action in federal court calling on the Obama administration to drop its challenge of S.B. 1070.
Attorney General Horne joined the multi-state effort to challenge the constitutionality of the Obama national health care plan. Horne is arguing that the plan’s individual mandate is an unconstitutional exercise of Congress’ authority under the commerce clause, and the expansion of Medicaid as well as the program’s cost to the states are an unconstitutional coercion of the States at the hand of Congress.
Horne personally argued at the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in favor of Arizona’s law that requires proof of citizenship to vote. A three-judge panel had ruled that federal law preempts the state requirement. Horne successfully petitioned for en banc review and made the case before the full court late in FY 2011 that it is a basic right of Arizona to ensure that everyone who votes is in fact a citizen.
During 2011, the Attorney General’s Office concluded a number of major consumer settlements. Among them was the largest pharmaceutical payout in Arizona history in the amount of $2.1 million, which is part of a record $68.5 million settlement between AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP and 37 states.
Another major pharmaceutical settlement was reached with another 37 state Attorneys General in FY 2011 in which GlaxoSmithKline, LLC and SB Pharmco Puerto Rico paid a total of $40.75 million arising from allegations of substandard manufacturing processes.
Arizona Department of Education
Arizona Department of Education is an Arizona state agency overseeing public education. It is headquartered at 1535 West Jefferson Street in Downtown Phoenix, Arizona, United States.-External links:*...
Superintendent of Public Instruction from 2003 to 2011.
Early Life and Education
Horne was born March 28, 1945, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada to George Marcus and Ludwika Horne who had immigrated to Canada from Poland in fear of German invasion in the late 1930s. Horne became a U.S. citizen at age 9 when his parents gained U.S. citizenship in 1954. Most of his parents’ friends and extended family did not leave Poland and died in the Holocaust. As Jews, his parents escaped this fate by moving to Canada.He is a graduate of Harvard College
Harvard College
Harvard College, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is one of two schools within Harvard University granting undergraduate degrees...
and Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. The school is routinely ranked by the U.S...
.
Horne was the president of T.C. Horne & Co., an investment firm he founded in the late 1960s. The firm went bankrupt in 1970 and led to him "receiving a lifetime trading ban from the Securities and Exchange Commission." The 1973 SEC report alleged that as president of T.C. Horne & Co, Horne "among other things, violated the record-keeping, anti-fraud, and broker-dealer net capital provisions of the federal securities laws and filed false financial reports with the commission."
During his 30 years of law practice, Tom Horne served as Special Assistant Attorney General and a Judge Pro Tem in Maricopa County Superior Court and Maricopa Court of Appeals. Horne served as a teacher of Legal Writing at Arizona State University Law School and is the author a legal text published by the State Bar of Arizona. He was annually rated as "Very Ethical" by his fellow lawyers, receiving 5.0 out of a possible 5.0 in Martindale, the most frequently used survey for peer ratings. He is also rated a "Preeminent Attorney" in Martindale.
Arizona House of Representatives
Horne served in the Arizona House of RepresentativesArizona Legislature
The Arizona Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Arizona. It is a bicameral legislature that consists of a lower house, the House of Representatives, and an upper house, the Senate. There are 60 Representatives and 30 Senators...
from 1997 until 2001. He chaired the Academic Accountability Committee and served as vice-chair of the Education Committee.
During his campaign for State Senate in 2000, the Arizona Republic wrote that Tom Horne, "raises the level of debate at the state Legislature by several
notches all by himself." Horne was called, "An intelligent and thoughtful lawmaker for four years in the state House of Representatives"
State Superintendent
Horne served as the elected Superintendent of Public Instruction from 2003-2011.Among his earliest acts in office was to push for a strengthening of Arizona’s social studies standards so that instruction on topics such as the U.S. Constitution, Declaration of Independence, and the Greco-Roman basis of western civilization would be emphasized not only in elementary grades, but reiterated at later grade levels.
Horne also made a priority of enforcement of Arizona’s voter-approved law mandating that English be the language of classroom instruction (with the exception of foreign language classes).
He also pushed for nutritional standards that removed junk food from schools in the elementary grades and created incentives for secondary schools to do so on a voluntary basis.
Testing protocols were also significantly changed during Horne’s administration. He oversaw the development of a dual-purpose assessment that was unique in combining assessments on both state and nationally-defined standards. This cut standardized testing time in half, restoring that time to classroom instruction.
Controversy arose when Horne sought to address curriculum matters as they related to racially-based studies. Horne was alerted to a race-based program in the Tucson Unified School District and, based on a review of the curriculum, championed a law to address the problems these materials presented. A state law was passed that prohibited curricula that either: 1) Promote the overthrow of the United States government. 2) Promote resentment toward a race or class of people. 3) Are designed primarily for pupils of a particular ethnic group. 4) Advocate ethnic solidarity instead of the treatment of pupils as individuals.
In his final act as Superintendent Horne found the Tucson district’s Ethnic Studies program, specifically the Mexican American (Raza) Studies component, to be out of compliance with this law.
Horne was also successful in implementing the Arizona Instrument to Measure Success (AIMS) test, which was approved by the legislature in the 1990s, but did not go into effect until 2006. Despite some controversy over the requirement that students pass the test before graduating high school, the test is now an accepted part of the state education system. Horne created an incentive program whereby students who exceed standards on the AIMS test and meet other criteria receive tuition scholarships to Arizona’s public universities.
Attorney General
On November 2, 2010, Horne defeated Felecia Rotellini in the race for Arizona Attorney General in the 2010 electionsArizona elections, 2010
The 2010 Arizona state elections were held on November 2, 2010, with primaries on August 24, 2010. These include gubernatorial and both sides of Congress. A special election was also on May 18 for Proposition 100.- United States Senate:...
.
In early 2011, Horne delivered a seminal policy statement to the Border Security Expo in Phoenix and outlined his grave concerns that Mexico risks failure as a state unless the U.S. and Mexico cooperate to combat drug violence and economic upheaval. Horne reiterated this argument in testimony before the U.S. House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations and Management. The full statement can be found here: AZ Attorney General Press Release and a copy of Horne’s congressional testimony is here: Attorney General Tom Horne Oral Testimony
Horne also initiated legal action designed to defend Arizona’s border enforcement law, commonly known as S.B. 1070. Taking the opposite approach of his predecessor, Horne filed an action in federal court calling on the Obama administration to drop its challenge of S.B. 1070.
Attorney General Horne joined the multi-state effort to challenge the constitutionality of the Obama national health care plan. Horne is arguing that the plan’s individual mandate is an unconstitutional exercise of Congress’ authority under the commerce clause, and the expansion of Medicaid as well as the program’s cost to the states are an unconstitutional coercion of the States at the hand of Congress.
Horne personally argued at the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in favor of Arizona’s law that requires proof of citizenship to vote. A three-judge panel had ruled that federal law preempts the state requirement. Horne successfully petitioned for en banc review and made the case before the full court late in FY 2011 that it is a basic right of Arizona to ensure that everyone who votes is in fact a citizen.
During 2011, the Attorney General’s Office concluded a number of major consumer settlements. Among them was the largest pharmaceutical payout in Arizona history in the amount of $2.1 million, which is part of a record $68.5 million settlement between AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP and 37 states.
Another major pharmaceutical settlement was reached with another 37 state Attorneys General in FY 2011 in which GlaxoSmithKline, LLC and SB Pharmco Puerto Rico paid a total of $40.75 million arising from allegations of substandard manufacturing processes.
Further reading
- Simpson, Michael W. Tom Horne, Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Verse Tucson Unified School District's Ethnic Studies: A Critical Discourse Study. (April 2, 2009).
External links
- Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne official state government site