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Recent Articles from Bob Christie, Capitol Media Services
Prison system will boost spending, medical staffing but puts more strain on state budget
Arizona’s prison system will boost spending and medical staffing for prison healthcare by more than a third as it works to meet a federal judge's orders that it vastly improve treatment of the nearly 25,000 prisoners in state-run prisons, but the move puts added pressure on a state budget that is already deep in the red.
Hobbs rejects Republicans’ request to extend bar hours during World Series
Sports fans who want to celebrate an Arizona Diamondbacks World Series win – or drown their sorrows after a loss to the Texas Rangers – won’t have an extra hour to do so in bars across the state.
Planned Parenthood Arizona asks judge to disqualify himself from hearing abortion case
Planned Parenthood Arizona is formally asking state Supreme Court Justice William Montgomery to disqualify himself from sitting on an upcoming case brought by the abortion provider where the state’s high court will decide whether the procedure remains legal here.
Court rules counties can’t hand-count all ballots in elections
Arizona counties are prohibited by law from hand-counting all ballots in an election, even if they want to do so because county leaders have bought into conspiracy theories that say vote tabulation machines are untrustworthy, the state Court of Appeals ruled.
Republican legislative leaders face first budget crunch in nearly a decade
Republican leaders in the Arizona Legislature are facing their first budget crunch in nearly a decade and minority Democrats are pointing the finger right at the GOP, saying the pain that will be felt by state residents is a self-inflicted wound.
Arizona Commerce Authority missing data on incentives, audit finds
A new report reveals that the Arizona Commerce Authority could not show that it confirmed that companies that received nearly $11 million in incentives proved that they invested the money or hired the workers they promised at the agreed-to wages.
State GOP not giving up attempts to evade sanctions tied to lawsuit
They've lost big in court. Twice. But the Arizona Republican Party isn't giving up its efforts to evade sanctions for filing what judges have called a baseless and politically motivated lawsuit attacking election processes Maricopa County used during the November 2020 election that saw then-President Donald Trump go down in defeat.
Petersen said Legislature plans to sue Biden Administration over monument
Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen announced Monday that the Legislature plans to sue the Biden Administration over the president's declaration of a vast new national monument surrounding much of the Grand Canyon National Park.
State Republicans can vote as usual in next year’s presidential preference election
Arizona Republicans will get to vote as usual in next year's presidential preference election after the head of the state party rejected a demand from leaders of the Maricopa County GOP to cancel the state-run election and instead run the vote themselves.
GOP leader telling executive committee meeting might not be legally, logistically possible this week
The leader of the Arizona Republican Party is telling members of the party's executive committee that it may not be legally or logistically possible to hold a meeting this week to consider canceling the state-run presidential primary election.
Maricopa County Republican Committee wants state GOP to cancel Arizona’s usual presidential preference elections
The Maricopa County Republican Committee wants the state GOP to cancel Arizona's normal presidential preference election and instead hold its own vote -- one that would not include any mail-in balloting and would require anyone who wants to vote to show up and vote in-person on Election Day.
Lawmakers send bill to ban rental tax to Hobbs
A bill repealing a tax on home and apartment rentals that has been a key issue for Republicans in the Legislature for two sessions was sent to Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs on Monday after sitting on the Senate president's desk for seven weeks.
