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Recent Articles from Ben Giles
Democratic blitz, GOP votes doomed redistricting measure
The threat of a massive infusion of political spending by a liberal advocacy group during campaign season helped thwart a legislative effort to overhaul Arizona’s redistricting process.
David Gass: A judge in touch with the Legislature
With the help of the Arizona Judges Association, Gass has spent the past two years organizing a legislative day for judges, who shadow a lawmaker at work in session.
Effort on to repeal or replace voucher expansion law
Any attempt to undermine a November referendum on a controversial law to expand Arizona’s school voucher program is dead on arrival in the Senate.
Budget includes property tax increase for some school districts
Homeowners in more than a dozen Arizona school districts will pay additional property taxes if GOP lawmakers approve a maneuver in Gov. Doug Ducey’s budget deal.
Dems for sales tax hikes before they were against them
Arizona Democratic leaders oppose a sales tax hike to provide new revenues for teacher pay raises, despite supporting sales tax increases in previous years.
GOP lawmakers support governor’s teacher pay raise
Legislative Republicans support Gov. Doug Ducey’s plan to give teachers a raise this fall, and further raises for the following two years. But they won’t so easily relinquish their own budget priorities to finance the governor’s proposal.
Ducey proposes spending sweeps, reductions and rosy revenues to fund teacher raise
Gov. Doug Ducey plans on funding a 20 percent teacher raise over the next three years with rosy revenue projections and a mix of funding sweeps, lottery revenues and spending reductions.
Cities and towns willing to exempt certain digital items from taxation
The League of Arizona Cities and Towns has offered a compromise over the taxation of digital goods and services in the state.
Ducey’s violence prevention proposal begins Senate process
With a little tweaking, the Arizona Senate is poised to debate Gov. Doug Ducey’s school safety plan, but the bill’s fate in the House remains uncertain.
House advances resolution to increase representation
Arizona voters could have a say in how many lawmakers there are to represent them at the Capitol.
Yarbrough: Ducey has NRA approval of gun proposal
Senate President Steve Yarbrough, R-Chandler, said Ducey staffers told him the NRA will support the governor’s plan when a bill is introduced, perhaps next week.
Geoff Esposito: Standing out in bold colors in a sea of gray
Geoff Esposito, a familiar face at the Capitol, has a new role. As a lobbyist for Creosote Partners, the Chandler native has long been active in local Arizona politics, dating back to his high school years and stints at the Arizona School Boards Association and Expect More Arizona.
