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Legislators haven’t had a raise since 1998, and haven’t had a chance at once since 2014. Here’s why.
As a proposal that would have changed the process for increasing legislators’ salaries went down in flames, some lawmakers took some parting shots at the commission that’s tasked with referring those pay raises to the ballot. During a debate last Monday in the House Appropriations Committee, Rep. John Kavanagh, R-Fountain Hills, said he was “very […]
Problems with Texas law could foreshadow problems with Arizona’s early ballot voter ID proposal
A 1,300% increase in the number of absentee ballots that get rejected under a new voter ID law in Texas could provide a cautionary example for Arizonans in November when they decide whether to enact similar requirements for early voting. Republican lawmakers referred a measure to Arizona’s general election ballot that, if approved, will impose […]
Ducey ends statewide emergency declaration for COVID-19 pandemic
Two years after declaring an emergency in response to what was then a newly emerging COVID-19 pandemic, Gov. Doug Ducey is rescinding that declaration, along with a host of public health policies implemented to curb the spread of the virus. Ducey on Wednesday officially terminated the statewide emergency declaration he signed on March 11, 2020, […]
Reported spending not indicative of Dem campaign against Mark Finchem — yet
On paper, the Democratic advocacy group MoveOn has spent more than $1.4 million against Republican Mark Finchem in his campaign to become Arizona’s next secretary of state. In reality, that number only reflects a technicality of campaign finance reporting, not actual campaigning. MoveOn has reported seven figures’ worth of spending against Finchem, but that doesn’t […]
GOP senator cancels hearing over Maricopa County subpoena
Stating that it’s unnecessary because the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors has complied with her recent subpoena, Chairwoman Kelly Townsend canceled a planned hearing of the Senate Government Committee, while the county said its compliance with the request had nothing to do with her. Maricopa County says it was already complying with a request for […]
Fann hopes Shadegg report will restore confidence in elections
Senate President Karen Fann said she hopes that a recently concluded investigation that found that Maricopa County’s ballot tabulation system has never been connected to the internet will help restore confidence in Arizona’s election system. Maricopa County on Tuesday released a report with the findings of a three-person team of IT experts, led by former […]
Shadegg report from “audit” finds no internet connection for ballot tabulation equipment
Maricopa County’s ballot tabulation system was never connected to the internet during the 2020 election and there were no routers to inspect, concluded a team of experts assembled by former Republican Congressman John Shadegg as part of the so-called “audit” of the last presidential election. As part of the review the Senate President Karen Fann […]
Proposed Arizona ballot measure restrictions appear dead for this year
Proposals that would have made it harder to get citizen initiatives on the ballot and harder for voters to enact them once they got there are unlikely to pass after missing key legislative deadlines. House Concurrent Resolution 2015, which would have required that ballot measures get at least 60% of the vote in order to […]
Townsend issued election subpoena because she was ‘tired of waiting’ for the AG to act
A Republican senator subpoenaing the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors for election-related records said she did so because she was tired of waiting for Attorney General Mark Brnovich’s office to take action. Sen. Kelly Townsend, R-Apache Junction, issued a subpoena Monday ordering the supervisors to turn over records requested in a recent letter by the […]
Judge strikes law scrapping PC elections
A Yavapai County judge struck down a controversial law eliminating elections this year political party activists known as precinct committeemen, an issue that many voted for without realizing it and which riled up the Republican base. Judge John Napper ruled after hearing arguments on Tuesday that the disputed provision of House Bill 2839 violates the […]
Here we go again: Townsend issues subpoena to Maricopa County for election records
The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors is facing another legislative subpoena for records related to the 2020 election that Joe Biden narrowly won, this time centering on records related to a dubious analysis conducted by someone who presented a series of debunked findings as part of last year’s so-called “audit” report. The subpoena that Senate […]
Allister Adel resigns as Maricopa County attorney as scrutiny intensifies
Embattled Maricopa County Attorney Allister Adel, who has been under increasing scrutiny due to a battle with alcohol addiction and high-profile snafus within her agency, will resign from office. Adel announced that she’ll step down at the end of the week, on March 25. In a press statement on Monday, Adel didn’t address the controversies […]