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Recent Articles from Ben Giles
Judge tosses Begody-Begay from election ballot
A GOP candidate once touted by the Arizona Republican Party as tough-to-beat in the Democratic stronghold of Legislative District 7 won’t even be on the ballot in August.
Dems challenge candidacy of senator’s wife
The Arizona Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee filed a challenge against Republican Candace Begody-Begay’s nominating petitions to run for the Senate in Legislative District 7.
Eugene Monroe: An NFL player speaks openly about medical marijuana
Active professional athletes rarely speak against the policies of the leagues for which they play. But for Baltimore Ravens offensive lineman Eugene Monroe, the dangers of opioids prescribed to NFL players for pain management – and the potential for a healthier alternative in medical marijuana – is too important to stay silent.
Senator’s wife hopes to keep Senate seat in the family
The wife of Sen. Carlyle Begay is running to fill the Arizona Senate seat he’s vacating to run for Congress. Candace Begody-Begay, 28, filed nominating petitions on Wednesday morning to run for the Senate in Legislative District 7.
Both sides declare victory in abortion battle
Bills that sought to clamp down on when and how doctors can administer medication abortions, as well as requirements that they tell women their abortions can be reversed, were repealed this year.
Andy Biggs: From stubborn no-voter to Senate leader
After 14 years as a state legislator, Senate President Andy Biggs won’t be returning to the Capitol next January, and instead seeks higher office in Congress. The Gilbert Republican has much to reflect on after another chaotic session and years in the Legislature, where he went from a stubborn no-voter in the House to the leader of a Senate chamber that’s grown more conservative over the past [...]
Katie Hobbs: The ‘least bad’ budget she’s seen
In Sen. Katie Hobbs’ second full session as minority leader of Senate Democrats, she had fewer votes to count – a headcount of merely 12 lawmakers claiming loyalty to the party after Sen. Carlyle Begay, R-Ganado, switched parties in 2015. Yet the Phoenix Democrat still watched her chamber approve KidsCare and approve the “least bad” budget she’s seen pass the Legislature.
Lawmakers boost money for child safety agency, but with strings attached
Showing a commitment to improving outcomes for Arizona children in the state’s care, lawmakers made child welfare one of the greatest beneficiaries of the $9.6 billion budget adopted earlier this month.
New budget would spend hundreds of millions from state surplus
The budget proposed by GOP leadership in the House and Senate dips into a massive budget surplus to make hundreds of millions of dollars in one-time expenses and millions in tax cuts, but makes few commitments to ongoing spending.
Budget ties court funding to additional Supreme Court justices
Arizona courts won’t get a million dollars in funding for new probation officers unless Republican legislative leaders get their way and add two new justices to the state Supreme Court under the budget to be introduced today.
Lawmakers ‘very close’ on budget deal that would increase spending by $60 million
Leaders in the Arizona House and Senate presented rank-and-file lawmakers with a $9.58 billion spending plan, but aren’t yet ready to bring the budget to a vote.
Lawmakers back language gutting two anti-abortion laws in bid to end lawsuits
With one amendment, Arizona lawmakers agreed to make several changes to controversial anti-abortion laws adopted in recent years, a move that should settle three costly legal challenges to those laws.
