Briefs
Biden administration rolls out new rule to bolster DACA as lawsuit continues
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration on Monday unveiled a proposed new rule that would strengthen the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program to protect undocumented people in the program from legal challenges. The proposed rule, announced by the Department of Homeland Security, would “preserve and fortify” the DACA program, an Obama administration-era initiative that protects […]
Congressional Dems want to grill Cyber Ninjas about ‘questionable audit’
WASHINGTON — After Cyber Ninjas, the the company that oversaw a months-long review of Arizona’s election results, refused to cooperate with document requests from the U.S. House Oversight and Reform Committee, congressional Democrats are now demanding the company’s officials appear at a hearing next month. Top Democrats on that panel, Reps. Carolyn Maloney of New […]
Immigration groups call for end to deportations, Title 42 and shut down of ICE detention facilities
Lucia Fierros wants the privately-owned immigration detention centers where her brothers were detained in 2018 to shut down. “We demand more humanity,” Fierros said in Spanish. “We demand that no more families be deported.” Fierros, 48, is a Tempe resident and spoke outside the field offices of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in central Phoenix […]
New poll finds broad support, even among Trump voters, for a pathway to citizenship for millions of immigrants
Arizona voters overwhelmingly support a pathway to citizenship for some immigrants who meet some conditions for eligibility, according to a poll released Wednesday. The survey of 323 Arizona voters between Sept. 10 and 18 found broad support, even among Trump voters, for “earned citizenship” for undocumented immigrants brought to the country as children (often called […]
Frank Pratt, veteran Pinal County Republican lawmaker, dies at 79
Frank Pratt, one of the most senior members of the state legislature, passed away after a long illness, House Speaker Rusty Bowers announced on Tuesday. Pratt, 79, is survived by his wife, Janice, his son, Bryan, and his grandchildren and great grandchildren. He was first elected to the Arizona House of Representatives in 2008. He […]
U.S. House Dems pass $28.6B in disaster aid for recovery from hurricanes, wildfires, floods
WASHINGTON — Congressional Democrats unveiled a short-term spending measure on Tuesday that would keep the federal government operating through Dec. 3 and provide $28.6 billion for costs related to recent natural disasters. The bill was passed by the House on a party-line vote Tuesday night, 220-211. But it faces a battle in the evenly divided Senate, […]
Dem lawmaker Aaron Lieberman resigns to run for governor
State Rep. Aaron Lieberman resigned his seat to focus on his campaign for governor. Lieberman, a Democrat from Paradise Valley, is seeking the Democratic nomination in next year’s gubernatorial race. He faces Secretary of State Katie Hobbs and former Arizona Department of Commerce Director Marco Lopez. Lieberman said he was “all in” on running for […]
Immigration reform blocked from reconciliation bill in Congress, but Democrats vow to try again
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate parliamentarian has turned down a plan to include a pathway to citizenship for millions of undocumented people in the $3.5 trillion reconciliation package, a blow for Democrats and immigration advocacy groups when the decision was disclosed late Sunday. “We are deeply disappointed in this decision but the fight to provide […]
Republican AGs urge Biden administration to give up on vaccine requirements
WASHINGTON — More than 20 Republican state attorneys general are threatening to sue the Biden administration over its mandate that large employers require their employees to either be vaccinated against the coronavirus or undergo weekly testing. In a Thursday letter, the 24 AGs pushed the administration to remove the requirement that would affect nearly 80 […]
Senate plans to release 2020 election ‘audit’ report on Sept. 24
The Arizona Senate will release its long-awaited and repeatedly delayed election “audit” report to the public on Sept. 24. Senate President Karen Fann and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Warren Petersen, who jointly issued the subpoenas that initiated the review of the 2020 general election in Maricopa County, will receive the report on the Senate floor […]
Campaign to block tax cuts hires signature-gatherers ahead of September deadline
The Invest in Arizona coalition seeking to let voters decide the fate of a massive tax-cut package approved by Republican lawmakers this year has ramped up hiring of paid circulators to gather signatures ahead of a deadline that is less than two weeks away. In order to force a public vote in 2022 on three […]
Senate asks Cyber Ninjas for ‘audit’ documents after Supreme Court rejection
Senate President Karen Fann has asked Cyber Ninjas to provide her with all documents in the company’s possession that are related to the review it led of the 2020 general election in Maricopa County. In a letter to Cyber Ninjas on Tuesday, Fann, R-Prescott, asked the company to immediately provide records it and its subcontractors […]