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Surge in Maricopa County evictions continues, with no sign of slowing
Maricopa County is continuing to see a record number of eviction filings, and August was the third-busiest month county courts have ever seen. More than 7,600 evictions were filed in August, a figure beaten only by August and September 2005. Last month trailed September 2005 by six eviction filings. “We are going straight ahead towards […]
AZGOP’s senator of the year: 9/11 ‘never added up’ and was an ‘inside job’
On the 22nd anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Tucson Republican state Sen. Justine Wadsack shared a fake transcript from United Flight 93 and liked multiple posts on social media alluding to the events of the day being a “false flag” and an “inside job.” “It was an inside job, a false flag, to […]
Effort to recall GOP lawmaker Justine Wadsack fails
A controversial freshman Republican state senator won’t face a recall election, as an effort to force Justine Wadsack to stand for another election before her term ends in 2024 failed to gather enough signatures, backers said Tuesday. “I applaud every one of our volunteers for the extraordinary work done during the hottest summer on record,” […]
Arizona synagogues, Jewish organizations, targeted in ‘swatting’ hoaxes
Arizona is one of 12 states that have been the target of hoax calls to police or suicide hotlines where a man on the line says he aims to kill himself and others with a bomb, prompting a police response in an online form of harassment known as “swatting.” The Arizona chapter of the Anti-Defamation […]
Families of men shot by police want transparency from law enforcement
The families of people shot by local police gathered Tuesday morning to ask the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office to be more transparent in investigations of use of force, as records have either not been released after years or were heavily redacted. “We feel that justice only works for the police,” Maria Martinez, aunt of 15-year-old […]
Arizona features prominently at Lindell’s election conspiracy forum
Arizona took the stage at Mike Lindell’s election conspiracy conference this week, as a former GOP legislator and a local election denialist made a litany of fact-free claims about supposed malfeasance in the state’s elections — all while the leader of the Maricopa County Republican Party watched from the crowd. Mark Finchem, a former state […]
Appeals court says Phoenix Diocese can’t duck sex abuse lawsuit
A civil lawsuit against the Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix alleging the church helped in covering up abuse is being allowed to go forward after a state appellate court reversed a dismissal by a trial court judge. The lawsuit, which was filed in 2020 by an unnamed man identified only as John ND Doe, was […]
Maricopa County sees record heat and record evictions in July
The month of July saw a record-breaking 31 days of continuous 110-degree heat in Phoenix — and as the heat rose, Maricopa County also saw the most eviction cases filed since 2008. More than 7,000 eviction cases were filed in July, with the highest case numbers happening in north Phoenix, Glendale, Peoria, Ahwatukee, Tempe and […]
Political fighting and fireworks dominated the Capitol in a record-breaking 2023
The Arizona legislature recently ended a record-breaking 204-day-long session filled with partisan fighting, resignations, expulsions and more. And with a Democratic governor facing off against an increasingly conservative Republican legislative majority, there were plenty of fireworks — but not necessarily much to show for it, Capitol veterans say. “It was less productive than most sessions […]
Jeff Weninger launches bid to return to AZ House in ‘highly competitive’ district
Former state lawmaker Jeff Weninger announced Monday that he is seeking a return to the Capitol in 2024 in what is expected to be one of the most hotly contested races that could determine which party controls the Arizona House of Representatives. Facing term limits after eight years in the state House, Weninger ran for […]
Legislature passes Prop. 400 bill, ends lengthy session
In a defeat to the Arizona Legislature’s conservative Freedom Caucus, both chambers on Monday passed a bill that will ask voters in Maricopa County to continue Proposition 400, a half-cent transportation tax that funds roads and public transportation. The passage of Senate Bill 1102, which will put Prop. 400 to the voters for the third […]
Betty Villegas sworn into AZ House to replace Andrés Cano
Democrat Betty Villegas was sworn in Monday afternoon to the Arizona House of Representatives to fill a vacancy caused when the former leader of the Democratic caucus resigned earlier this month. Villegas replaces Andrés Cano in the House as one of the two representatives for District 20, which is largely based in Tucson. Cano, who […]