J.D. Mesnard
Court: Don Shooter cannot sue for expulsion from House in harassment case
WASHINGTON — A federal appeals court Thursday refused to reinstate former Arizona Rep. Don Shooter’s challenge of his 2018 expulsion from the Legislature for violating its policies against sexual harassment and creating a hostile workplace. The ruling by a 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel upheld a lower court that had dismissed Shooter’s suit, […]
Public education groups ready referendum, lawsuits on tax cuts and other budget items
A coalition of public education advocacy groups that banded together last year to pass higher taxes on the wealthy to increase teacher pay and boost school funding are now looking at ways to stop Republican legislators and Gov. Doug Ducey from undermining that tax increase in a state budget that includes massive tax cuts for […]
Arizona Senate approves $12.8 B budget, massive tax cut
After weeks of stops and starts and negotiations with GOP holdouts, Senate Republicans passed a budget and massive income tax cut, while House Democrats were able to delay the vote in their chamber by leaving the Capitol to ensure there was no quorum.
Unable to win GOP support for a budget, lawmakers pause work for 2 weeks
The Senate on Thursday abandoned plans to vote on a budget and instead adjourned until June 10 amid a stalemate over a proposed budget deal and the massive income tax cut it includes.
GOP bill that could remove 200k people from the Permanent Early Voting List clears the House
A bill that could remove tens of thousands of voters from the state’s Permanent Early Voting List is one step closer to Gov. Doug Ducey’s desk after a day of partisan rancor and procedural maneuvers in the Arizona House of Representatives.
Business group pressures AZGOP lawmakers to abandon voter suppression bills
Prominent business leaders are asking lawmakers to reject several election-related bills that they deemed attempts to suppress voting in Arizona, a move that comes as Georgia faces calls for boycotts for passing similar legislation.
GOP lawmakers, Ducey not deterred on cutting taxes if they take federal COVID cash
Republican lawmakers and Gov. Doug Ducey aren’t changing their plans for big tax cuts this year, despite a provision of the latest federal COVID relief bill seeking to block states from using the money to fund tax reductions.
Senate passes bill adding new steps to vote by mail
Voting by mail would become more complicated for millions of Arizonans under a proposal approved by the Arizona Senate, which Democrats decried as voter suppression.
Senate passes subpoena bill as litigation continues in election audit dispute
If a judge rules that the law doesn’t give the legislature the authority to subpoena ballots and tabulation machines from Maricopa County so it can conduct an audit into debunked conspiracy theories that the 2020 election was rigged, the Senate took a big step Thursday to grant that power to itself.
Another delay in critical census data threatens redistricting
A newly announced delay in the census data states rely on to draw new congressional and legislative districts seems certain to push back the work of the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission, which could leave Arizonans and the candidates they’ll be voting for waiting until after the new year to find out what districts they’ll be in.
Contempt resolution fails after Boyer breaks with Senate GOP colleagues
Unanimous Republican support for a resolution to hold the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors in contempt amid a dispute over a proposed audit of the 2020 general election fractured after a lone GOP senator broke ranks with his colleagues.
GOP proposal to end Ducey’s COVID emergency advances
GOP lawmakers advanced a measure that would terminate the emergency declaration Gov. Doug Ducey issued last year as the COVID-19 pandemic ramped up, and gave preliminary approval to a slew of other legislation that would curb future governors’ ability to use their emergency powers.