Lawsuit lenders would prefer to remain beyond the reach of Arizona’s consumer protection regulations. An important bill now pending in the House would appropriately subject lawsuit loans to the same regulatory limits that are imposed on other consumer loans, and, not surprisingly, lawsuit lenders are fighting tooth and nail to kill it.

As Arizona celebrates its centennial, AAA Arizona also pauses to reflect on our 85-year legacy of advocating for safer roads.  And while we have enjoyed recent successes, unfortunately, more work remains to be done.

Arizona certainly needs property tax reform.  We have the most complicated and complex property tax system in the nation, one that produces unpredictable and inexplicable property tax bills for homeowners and businesses. With a “share of the pie” system driven not by what your property is worth, but rather how much money the taxing districts want to spend, you are always one tax bill away from an unaffordable property tax problem.

In ordinary circumstances, the most politically safe and easy course of action is to do nothing. On the other hand, it’s especially risky to foment actions that would alter the outcomes of voter initiatives.

In the case of the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission, it’s important to conclude one way or another whether the intent and desires of the voters have been violated. If they have been, we should provide voters the mechanism with which to fix the situation. It’s obvious to me the process was hijacked.

While Arizona has endured one of longest and deepest recessions in American history, the League of Arizona Cities and Towns has stepped forward to be a strong partner with Gov. Jan Brewer and state lawmakers as they sought solutions to reverse our fiscal crisis.

Arizona’s 91 cities and towns cut their spending by nearly 30 percent on average. We have responded to this crisis by doing more with less.

This year marks 10 years since Arizona tribes signed new gaming compacts with the state of Arizona. These compacts provide an avenue for tribes to share gaming revenues with all Arizonans. As of September 2011, tribes have contributed more than $640 million to benefit education, trauma and emergency care, wildlife conservation and business development through tourism. These are real, hard dollars that have flowed to the state in good times and bad. In addition, tribal contributions fully fund the Arizona Department of Gaming, which is one of three entities that regulate tribal gaming, along with funding programs that work to prevent problem gambling.

I wonder how long it will be before we can have a discussion of immigration and labor issues without it being closed off with the phrases of “border security” and “open border and cheap labor?”

Chiropractic patients in Arizona are being denied benefits and chiropractors are being forced out of business because a law designed to hold the insurance industry accountable is not being enforced.

Recent articles about my proposed education fund and related spent nuclear fuel recycling program have produced some uninformed and negative reactionary responses.  I urge everyone in the media, political arena and the voting public to educate themselves about this important subject.

Let’s celebrate those Arizona K-12 public schools — both traditional and charter — that are advancing their students more quickly than their peers toward college and career readiness. Let’s study their strategies and share those strategies so that similar schools might use them.