Rusty Bowers
GOP lawmakers pass sweeping tax cuts after limiting debate
The Arizona House of Representatives passed large swaths of the state budget package Thursday, including a sweeping tax plan, a prohibition on COVID-19 vaccination requirements in public universities and rules for printing ballots with watermarks and holographic foil as “anti-fraud measures.”
Dems delay House budget vote, but stall its passage only until Thursday
Republican legislative leaders and Gov. Doug Ducey solved two big problems standing in the way of a budget deal, only to see other issues emerge as one GOP senator vowed to withhold her vote and Democrats denied them a quorum in the House.
Globe Republican David Cook votes against flat-tax proposal, scuttling GOP budget
House Republicans’ effort to force through a budget fell short again as GOP Rep. David Cook continued his opposition over a massive income tax cut package.
Ducey vetoes 22 bills, says nothing will be signed until budget is approved
Gov. Doug Ducey is ratcheting up the pressure on GOP lawmakers to reach an agreement on the budget, vowing not to sign any other legislation that reaches his desk until he gets a budget, and backing up his threat by vetoing 22 bills.
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.
Three reforms to improve Arizona’s health are being ignored by the GOP majority
One year into the coronavirus pandemic, Arizona has suffered greatly, but the chance for vaccination gives us some hope. The sheer scale of the sickness – over 800,000 cases in our state, resulting in over 56,000 people hospitalized, and more than 15,000 dead – has revealed some shortcomings in our public health system, in and many cases it has made those shortcomings worse.
Bowers revives sex offender registry bill
House Speaker Rusty Bowers is taking another shot at passing legislation making it easier for some people to get their names off the state’s sex offender registry.
Arizona’s government is paralyzed by extremist Republicans, endangering us all
The Arizona Republican Party is fracturing under the pressure of its own extremist philosophies, and the people of Arizona are paying the price.
Republican lawmakers re-elect Bowers, Fann as leaders
Republican lawmakers elected Rusty Bowers as House speaker and Karen Fann as Senate president, while legislative Democrats postponed their elections while they await the outcome of several races. Bowers, R-Mesa, fended off a challenge from Rep. Mark Finchem, R-Oro Valley. Fann ran unopposed, as did Senate Majority Leader Rick Gray, R-Sun City, and Senate Majority […]
Fann picks Maricopa County businessman as second Republican for redistricting commission
Senate President Karen Fann selected Douglas York, who runs an irrigation and landscape supply company in Phoenix, as the second Republican and third overall member of the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission.
First Democrat named to Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission
House Minority Leader Charlene Fernandez has selected Shereen Lerner, an anthropology and archaeology professor at Mesa Community College, as the first Democratic member of the next Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission.
Judge to hear arguments on halting redistricting selection process
A Maricopa County Superior Court judge will hear arguments Thursday morning over whether to temporarily halt the selection process for the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission during a lawsuit seeking to disqualify two finalists for the panel.