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Ex-GOP lawmaker John Fillmore takes reins of Patriot Party of Arizona
The far-right Patriot Party of Arizona has taken on a new form and new leadership, in the form of former GOP state Rep. John Fillmore, who is aiming to distance the group from its founders and reigniting an attempt to make it a full-fledged political party. The Patriot Party of Arizona was formerly headed by […]
AZ budget clears Senate with reluctant support from ‘dejected’ Dems
A budget deal brokered between Republican leadership and Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs made its way out of the Arizona Senate in the early morning hours Wednesday. The $18 billion budget has been an on-going point of contention between Hobbs and her own caucus and public school advocates who claim it falls short of earlier promises […]
Lawmakers put state budget on fast track to passage, Dems remain opposed
A budget deal brokered by Gov. Katie Hobbs and legislative Republicans is speeding toward passage, even as Democratic lawmakers protest the spending plan and are decrying the process as “unprecedented.” The state Senate is preparing to debate the budget Tuesday night and vote on them in the early morning hours of Wednesday, while the state […]
Democrats push back against bipartisan budget bills
Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs and Republican lawmakers have negotiated a budget, with a slew of budget bills filed Monday, but Democratic lawmakers and even the Arizona Attorney General are pushing back. “Today, we see a budget proposal moving forward that appears to be politically expedient for a few, but wholly inadequate for the majority of […]
Hobbs says budget deal is ‘very close,’ House set to introduce budget bills Monday
Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs and Republican lawmakers appear to be closing in on a deal to pass a state budget, and the state House of Representatives is poised to introduce a spending plan on Monday. The budget comes as the legislative session reached its 115th day on Friday and lawmakers head towards a hard deadline […]
Julie Willoughby sworn in to replace Liz Harris
Just hours after the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors selected her to fill a legislative vacancy in a Chandler-based district, Julie Willoughby took the oath of office and became a state representative. Willoughby, a Republican, replaces former GOP Rep. Liz Harris, who was expelled on April 12 for inviting a woman who made unfounded criminal […]
Arizona Republicans travel to Hungary for far-right conference
At the Hungarian edition of the Conservative Political Action Conference, Arizona is on center stage as U.S. Rep. Paul Gosar and failed gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake will share a stage with the leader of a far-right Austrian party founded by former Nazis. The Freedom Party of Austria, or FPÖ, was founded in 1956 by former […]
Waymo says software glitch caused a driverless traffic jam in Phoenix last month
Last month, a traffic jam clogged up the streets of Downtown Phoenix during “First Friday,” and Phoenix police officers worked to shuffle the stuck vehicles out of the way, but there was a problem: No one was behind the wheel of the dozen cars causing the gridlock. It was a likely first of its kind, […]
Extension for AZ School for the Deaf and Blind signed into law, Hobbs critical of GOP lawmakers
Gov. Katie Hobbs signed a bill that will continue operations for the Arizona School for the Deaf and the Blind, but not before criticizing lawmakers for treating the deaf, blind and deaf-blind community with a “lack of respect” by subjecting it to a protracted and unexpected battle over the schools future. “The ASDB community was […]
Bill extending AZ School for the Deaf and Blind operations for four years goes to Hobbs
The Arizona House of Representatives approved a bill Wednesday that will extend operations of the Arizona School for the Deaf and Blind for four years, the culmination of an unexpected battle over the fate of the school in the state Senate. As part of the periodic sunset process for state agencies, lawmakers were tasked with […]
Arizona lawmakers head back on hiatus as budget talks move slowly
The day the Arizona Senate returned to work after a nearly two-week hiatus, the chamber announced it would adjourn until the middle of next week, a move GOP leaders said was aimed at continuing intensive work on negotiating and crafting a state budget. The state House of Representatives is slated to return to work on […]
Both Republicans tapped to replace Liz Harris are closely aligned with her
The two Republicans nominated to replace expelled lawmaker Liz Harris both have strong connections to the conspiracy-pushing lawmaker. Harris, a real estate agent, built an online fan base by pushing unfounded conspiracy theories around the 2020 election and rose to newfound fame during the partisan hand-count of the 2020 Presidential election in Maricopa County. Last […]