-
Senate panel approves bill to overturn term limits
A proposal to ask voters to overturn term limits has overcome the first of many hurdles after a Senate panel approved it on Jan. 19. The committee voted 4-2 to send the bill to the Senate floor for a vote by the entire body.
-
Lobbyists lower expectations, mainly look to protect clients
So far this year, some lobbyists haven’t even bothered to ask lawmakers to introduce a bill on their behalf.
Others have big goals, despite the widespread perception that lawmakers will be focused almost entirely on the budget deficit.
-
SRP fighting to keep records private
The nation’s third-largest public power utility and one of the state’s largest water suppliers avoided a ruling earlier this year that would have determined whether it was subject to Arizona public records law. But now the Salt River Project is again bracing against claims that its quasi-governmental status requires it to maintain and provide access to documents.
-
Lobbyist, lawmaker to resume Clean Elections clash
The Citizens Clean Elections Commission has renewed a $6,500-per-month contract with lobbyist Mike Williams, setting up another battle over the fate of the public campaign-funding system.
Todd Lang, director of the Clean Elections Commission, said hiring a lobbyist was necessary to protect a system he credits with increasing political participation of the public and encouraging people to run for office.
-
Hopi Nation appeals for help as coal plant face closure
A tribal government in Arizona has stepped up lobbying efforts against rules being proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency that threaten the closure of a power plant.
This time, the tribe is reaching out to state lawmakers.
-
Gambling pitched as Arizona’s budget salvation
The struggling Arizona racing industry is hoping it can sell lawmakers on a proposal to help racetracks stay open and give the state hundreds of millions of dollars in new revenue. But the idea faces resistance on several fronts, as it would expand gambling by allowing “racinos” and by lifting limits on tribal casinos.
-
AZ lobbyists run through $3.5M in 2008
Last year represented bad times for the United States economy, but the financial reverberations generally weren’t felt in Arizona’s lobbying community, though 2009 might be a different story.
-
Recession impact mixed in lobbying community
No matter how bad the economy gets, some goods and services are so vital that demand never drops. For some, apparently, lobbying is among the privileged few.
