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Republicans divided on bill to force businesses to pay reparations to some workers who refused COVID vaccine
Employers could be forced to fork out a year’s wages as reparations to employees whose religious exemptions from a company’s COVID-19 vaccination policy were denied. The Arizona House of Representatives on Monday gave preliminary approval to House Bill 2198, which requires employers to pay a lump sum equal to the employee’s annual wages upon severance […]
The ‘legislative circus’ came to the Capitol on Monday to highlight voter suppression
The grass lawns in front of the Arizona Capitol were filled with brightly painted circus-style games on Monday, all of them satirical references to recent legislation restricting voting rights. “We’re here to demonstrate that inside of those (legislative) chambers, Republican legislators are playing with people’s right to vote, and they want to pass ridiculous bills […]
Juvenile offenders given a leg up by bipartisan-approved House measure
Kids in juvie might see their financial load lightened, thanks to new legislation approved by the state House of Representatives that would eliminate the rollover of court fees on them and their families. The legislation would scrap the court’s ability to charge juvenile delinquents or their parents fees related to their trial and conviction. “This […]
Senate approves plan for $150m in tax credits to film movies in Arizona
Arizona landscapes would have a better chance of ending up on the silver screen under a legislative proposal to lure production companies to the Grand Canyon State with $150 million in tax credits that the Senate has approved. Proponents argue it will foster jobs, infrastructure and tourism. They say the benefits include construction of filming […]
9/11 education would be mandated under proposal that cleared state House
“Never forget” will not only be enshrined in American vernacular but also Arizona curriculum, if a new proposal establishing 9/11 Education Day approved this week passes into law. Public school teachers will be directed to craft lesson plans about the terrorist attacks every September 11, or the school day closest to it. The bill makes […]
GOP ‘smart’ ballot drop boxes would come with a hefty price tag, if they’re ever created
Republicans hope to replace outside ballot drop boxes with “smart” boxes that don’t yet exist and will cost 500% more than the ones that Arizona counties already use, based on the unfounded claim that ballot-box stuffing helped steal the election from former President Trump. While current drop boxes have safety features to prevent people from […]
House passes sharp limits on states of emergency, as COVID-19 emergency status continues
House Republicans approved severe limits on states of emergency, in a clear move against proclamations made during the pandemic. Arizona has been in a state of emergency because of COVID-19 since March of 2020, which has allowed Gov. Doug Ducey to mobilize efforts to support vaccination and monitoring of the virus, as well as receive […]
Schools dodge massive spending cuts as Senate raises public school spending cap for this year
The Arizona Senate voted to raise the aggregate expenditure limit for K-12 schools, heading off a school funding crisis and allowing schools to use nearly nearly $1.2 billion that would have otherwise gone to waste. With a week to go before a March 1 deadline set in the Arizona Constitution, the Senate on Monday voted […]
There’s no such thing as ‘smart’ ballot drop boxes. A GOP proposal would require their use.
Early voters in Arizona would be barred from putting their ballots in mailboxes and would instead be required to put them in ballot drop boxes that would take a picture of every voter if under a Republican proposal that won preliminary approval last week. Under the legislation, drop boxes would be outfitted with 24-hour photo […]
Senate Republicans approve Mississippi-style abortion restrictions
Lawmakers in the Republican-controlled legislature have made restricting abortion a priority this year, and are likely to emulate a Mississippi law that the U.S. Supreme Court is widely expected to uphold rather than a far more restrictive law in Texas. Several legislative measures have been introduced in both the House and Senate that would make […]
Voting machines have been used in Arizona since 1881, but a GOP bill would bar them
Voting would return to 19th Century methods — with their glacial pace and flawed accuracy -– and reduce voter access under legislation Republicans approved in a legislative committee that would ban machines from counting votes, critics said. The proposal is rooted in the Big Lie, a belief that the 2020 election was “stolen” from Donald […]
Defeated anti-trans bill revived to bar gender conforming surgeries for trans youth
A week after a move to ban all gender-affirming care for transgender youth in Arizona was rejected, GOP lawmakers passed a measure barring gender confirmation surgery for minors. “This bill mirrors the international standards that have been implemented in other countries such as Finland, which is one of the most transgender friendly countries,” Sen. Tyler […]