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Bill to protect domestic violence shelters from discrimination claims could exclude trans people
A Republican bill aimed at shielding domestic violence shelters from gender discrimination claims could run afoul of federal employment law and could also be a way to exclude transgender individuals, according to critics. House Bill 2312 by Rep. Rachel Jones, R-Tucson, says that facilities that don’t allow biologically male employees in the presence of a […]
Fentanyl bill aims to protect kids, but could mean a manufacture charge for 1 pill
A Republican bill that would establish manufacturing fentanyl around a minor younger than 12 as a dangerous crime against children, and, according to some, would decrease the amount in a person’s possession that could land them a charge for intent to sell, passed its first hurdle to become law Thursday. Sen. Anthony Kern, R-Glendale, crafted […]
Residential protest bill worries First Amendment advocates
A Republican bill aimed at stopping protests outside of residential properties has some First Amendment advocates worried, but lawmakers say it is needed in the currently heated political environment. Senate Bill 1023 by Fountain Hills Republican John Kavanagh would amend the state’s existing residential picketing law to say that a person can be charged with […]
Pair of proposed bills would criminalize homelessness in Arizona
A pair of bills aimed at criminalizing common activities for people experiencing homelessness had their first hearings in the state Senate Wednesday, although their path to becoming law remains unclear. The bills would make it illegal to sit, lay down or sleep on sidewalks and in public rights-of-way, and to panhandle in certain areas. Senate Bill […]
Lawmakers grill heads of state boards after audits find investigations move too slowly
State legislators last week grilled the heads of the state boards tasked with overseeing complaints from citizens after reports by the state auditor general revealed some major deficiencies. “This is why you want to have a robust and well funded Auditor General’s Office,” Sen. T.J. Shope, R-Coolidge, said at the end of a marathon joint […]
Water leaders to lawmakers: No ‘silver bullet’ in Arizona’s water crisis
The day after Gov. Katie Hobbs delivered her first State of the State, outlining plans to address the state’s growing water crisis, the heads of the state’s water agencies stood before lawmakers to deliver an at times grim reality of the state’s water future. “I do not believe that any of the (Active Management Areas) […]
Arizona Freedom Caucus plans to sue Hobbs over executive order protecting LGBTQ employees
The Arizona Freedom Caucus, an offshoot of the ultra-conservative Freedom Caucus in the U.S. House of Representatives, said Monday that it plans to sue Gov. Katie Hobbs for executive orders she issued in her first week on the job. Arizona Freedom Caucus Chairman and Queen Creek state Sen. Jake Hoffman accused Hobbs of attempting to […]
Katie Hobbs pledges unity, Dems call for bipartisan collaboration as they assume power
On a chilly, cloud-covered Thursday morning at the Arizona Capitol, hundreds of wellwishers and spectators gathered to watch the ceremonial swearing in of the state’s newly elected top officials, including Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs. The theme of the morning, at least for several of the speakers and incoming Democratic officials, was a commitment to leaving […]
Rusty Bowers detailed Trump’s pressure campaign in private J6 Committee testimony
Mesa Republican and Arizona Speaker of the House Rusty Bowers detailed the pressure put on him by former President Donald Trump and his loyalists in an attempt to unconstitutionally change the state’s electors from Joe Biden in a newly released deposition transcript from the Congressional committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection. “Rudy, you’re asking me […]
Mark Finchem talks about Ali Alexander, the Capitol attack and Trump ties in J6 deposition
Oro Valley Republican Mark Finchem has been publicly tight-lipped about his whereabouts on Jan. 6 and his connections to #StopTheSteal organizer Ali Alexander, but his testimony to the Congressional committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection gives new insight into a man who has been instrumental in misinformation around Arizona’s electoral process. On Friday, the U.S. […]
Kris Mayes defeats Abe Hamadeh in attorney general race after recount
Democrat Kris Mayes was confirmed as Arizona’s next attorney general after the results of a recount in the race were announced Thursday morning, though her margin of victory over Republican opponent Abe Hamadeh was cut nearly in half. When initial election results were released, Mayes had a narrow 511-vote lead over Hamadeh, but after the […]
Mark Finchem’s ‘frivolous’ bid to overturn the election is booted from court
A Maricopa County Court Superior Judge rejected Mark Finchem’s attempt to overturn his election loss by more than 120,000 votes, ruling Friday that opened the door for possible sanctions against the Republican’s attorney. Finchem had been seeking to overturn his loss last month to Adrian Fontes, who won by about 5 percentage points. Finchem said […]