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‘People said, why 164 days≠ Because that’s what it took’
House Speaker Jim Weiers The stresses of a 164-day session are taxing on all legislators. Sleep is irregular, meals are infrequent, exercise options dwindle and family time is scarce. The stress is even greater for legislative leaders, who are charged with guiding policy through the system and walking a tightrope between compromise and the collective [...]
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‘The way I’m reading it, we are possibly going to lose a seat’
Senate Minority Leader Linda Aguirre Term limits has claimed Linda Aguirre. The current Senate minority leader is running for justice of the peace in south Phoenix, ending a 14-year career as a state lawmaker. Ms. Aguirre, a pro-life Democrat, says being a member of the minority party has not been a negative experience. She took [...]
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‘Our big loss, of course, was tax cuts’
House Minority Leader Phil Lopes As a Democrat in the Arizona Legislature, House Minority Leader Phil Lopes understands his caucus is on an island politically, the result of an overwhelming Republican advantage. He also stands on another island at the Capitol. He is alone in a sea of neckties, the only lawmaker festooned in a [...]
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‘I don’t veto bills to break some sort of record’
Governor Janet Napolitano Nearing the end of her first term, Democrat Governor Napolitano has battled the Republican legislative majority in four regular and two special sessions, as well as in several court fights over line-item vetoes and English language learning. Now it’s time for the governor to again battle her partisan foes in her bid [...]
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Border issues prove too thorny for lawmakers
Marchers Much of the Capitol was forced to shut down when pro-immigration marchers took to the streets April 10. Though illegal immigration is atop the public’s concerns and it has been a flash point at the Capitol the past two sessions, no new reforms are in place to secure the border, a fact highlighted in [...]
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How 2006 stacked up and what’s ahead
Rep. Jerry Weiers and Sen. Linda Gray make their views known April 10. On Jan. 13, the second day of the Second Regular Session of the 47th Arizona Legislature, Arizona Capitol Times predicted this year’s session would be dominated by 10 issues. Those were illegal immigration, the budget, election reforms, education, health care, water, Child [...]
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‘I’m a numbers person, I guess to start with.’
Senate President Ken Bennett Sen. Ken Bennett, R-1, is nearing the end of an eight-year legislative career, half of which has been as president of the Senate. Described as a workaholic, but not to the detriment of his family, Mr. Bennett is a veteran of many battles with Democrat Governor Napolitano, as well as with [...]
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Summaries of Enactments 2006 Regular Session (continued)
CH 74 S 1047 COURTS; PERSONNEL AND VOLUNTEERS Persons who provide contract or volunteer services to an area of the “judicial department” defined under federal law as a noncriminal justice agency must furnish a set of fingerprints and undergo a criminal background check. Costs of the background check are to be paid by the person. [...]
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Summaries of Enactments 2006 Regular Session (continued #2)
CH 146 S 1039 VOYEURISM; SURREPTITIOUS VIEWING The crime of voyeurism is defined. It is illegal to disclose, display, distribute or publish any material made in violation of voyeurism provisions without the consent or knowledge of the person depicted. Voyeurism does not include film or photography taken for security purposes, for use in an investigation [...]
