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Hobbs vetoes bills to bar ranked-choice voting, criminalize immigrant aid groups
Republican proposals to ban ranked-choice voting and criminalize immigrant aid organizations were blocked on Wednesday by Gov. Katie Hobbs, who wielded her veto stamp to add five more vetoes to her growing tally. House Bill 2552 sought to outlaw ranked-choice voting in Arizona, despite the fact that it isn’t used anywhere in the Grand Canyon […]
AZ Republicans push anti-drag, anti-LGBTQ bills closer to veto stamp
Undeterred by the threat of vetoes, Arizona Republicans advanced a trio of anti-LGBTQ bills on Monday, defending them as a protection against immorality. “We need to turn the moral compass of this country back in the right direction,” said Rep. Tim Dunn, R-Yuma, shortly before the Republican-controlled state House of Representatives gave preliminary approval to […]
Cochise supervisors ordered to pay legal fees in election certification suit
The Cochise County supervisors who delayed certification of the November midterms will have to pay more than $36,000 in legal fees, a Pima County judge has ruled. Last year, Republican county supervisors Tom Crosby and Peggy Judd initially refused to certify the canvass of the countywide election results, jeopardizing the state certification process and risking […]
Lawmakers to ask AZ voters to block ranked-choice voting in 2024
Far-right lawmakers are hoping Arizonans will vote to prohibit ranked-choice voting in 2024, aiming to cripple the efforts of voter organizations to put the system up for consideration on the same ballot. Last week, House Concurrent Resolution 2033 was approved via a party line vote, with the staunch opposition of Democrats, and sent to the […]
Bill criminalizing drag shows for children one vote away from Hobbs’ desk
The first in a series of controversial anti-drag bills is a step away from Gov. Katie Hobbs’ desk, and will likely face its end by her veto stamp. The Arizona House of Representatives gave initial approval on Tuesday to Senate Bill 1698, which punishes adults with a class 4 felony and forces them to register […]
Anti-LGBTQ bill barring preferred pronouns in Arizona schools inches closer to a veto
LGBTQ youth overwhelmingly feel more supported at school than at home, but Arizona Republicans want to eliminate that resource. “I was one of those children growing up that did not have the support of my parents, existing as a queer person,” Levi Bevis told lawmakers on Monday. “School was the only safe place that I […]
Hobbs’ press secretary resigns after outrage over violent tweet
A spokeswoman for Gov. Katie Hobbs has resigned after Republican backlash erupted when she tweeted an image implying violence against transphobes. On Monday, a shooting at a private Christian school in Nashville left three children and three adults dead. Later that night Josselyn Berry, Hobbs’ press secretary, tweeted a gif of a woman wielding two […]
Anti-trans school bathroom bill advances with GOP backing
Republican lawmakers are charging ahead with their attacks on transgender Arizonans, despite veto promises from Gov. Katie Hobbs, unanimously backing a measure on Tuesday that calls for separate school facilities for trans students. The House Education Committee voted 6-4, with only Republicans in favor, to pass Senate Bill 1040, which forces schools to provide separate […]
Hobbs rejects food tax ban championed by GOP
A Republican priority bill that sought to eliminate municipal food taxes was shot down by Gov. Katie Hobbs, who vetoed it Tuesday, siding with cities across the state that opposed the measure. Last week, the Republican-majority legislature passed Senate Bill 1063, which aimed to ban cities and towns from imposing sales taxes on food. The […]
AZ Republicans hope to expand religious exemption protections
Businesses in Arizona would be fined if they deny their employees religious exemptions for the flu vaccine and any vaccine with emergency authorization under a GOP proposal on its way to the governor’s desk. State law already allows employees to refuse the COVID-19 vaccine based on religious beliefs. But Senate Bill 1250, sponsored by a […]
Teachers union calls on lawmakers to invest $2.2 billion in Arizona schools
Arizona is ranked one of the worst states for school spending, and teachers are urging lawmakers to rectify that through increased funding, unveiling a $2.2 billion “Educators’ Budget” on Wednesday. Compiled by the state’s largest teacher’s union, the Arizona Education Association, it includes more money for teacher salaries, health care plans, special education, school repairs […]
Lawmakers seek to add autism, PTSD to list of medical-marijuana eligible conditions
Arizonans with autism and post-traumatic stress disorder could add marijuana to their medical toolkit under a proposal that expands who can access the drug. Currently, people with severe medical conditions such as cancer, Alzheimer’s disease or seizures can apply for a medical marijuana card. While adult recreational use is legal in the Grand Canyon state […]