Recent Articles from Bob Christie, Capitol Media Services
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.
Republicans want to reach deal with Hobbs and others over extension of transportation tax
Republicans who hold the majority in the Arizona Legislature are working to strike a final deal with Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs and leaders of cities, counties and tribes in metro Phoenix over an extension of a transportation tax that has funded massive expansions of the region's freeway and roads system, bus routes and the light rail over nearly four decades.
Hobbs, Salman, reproductive rights group announce effort to protect rights to contraceptives
Gov. Katie Hobbs joined a state lawmaker and the leader of a reproductive rights advocacy group Thursday to announce an effort to enact a law protecting the rights of all women to access contraceptives.
Hobbs negotiating with GOP lawmakers to try to ask voters to extend transportation tax
Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs is directly negotiating with Republican lawmakers who control the Arizona Legislature to try to craft a deal to ask Maricopa County voters to extend a half-cent sales tax that for nearly 40 years has paid for new freeways, bus routes and light rail transportation projects.
Attorney asks judge not to find him financially liable for sanctions tied to Lake and Finchem’s lawsuit
Nationally known constitutional lawyer Alan Dershowitz pleaded with a federal judge in Phoenix on Wednesday not to find him financially liable for sanctions levied against lawyers who filed what the judge ruled was a frivolous lawsuit on behalf of two failed Republican candidates.
Petersen praises Hobbs for budget negotiations
Republican Senate President Warren Petersen is heaping praise on Hobbs for the deal, saying she negotiated in good faith, kept her promises and made a rare bipartisan budget happen.
Senate considers measure to ask voters to approve constitutional change tied to emergencies
The state Senate was likely just a few minutes away from approving a measure last week that would ask Arizona voters to OK a constitutional amendment requiring the Legislature to reauthorize any state of emergency called by the governor every 30 days.
Committee denies Fontes’ request to use funds for private security detail
A Legislative committee on Thursday denied a request from Secretary of State Adrian Fontes to use $250,000 already in his office budget to pay for a private security detail to protect him and his family from "credible security threats,'' a move that comes after Gov. Katie Hobbs also denied a request to assign state troopers to protect Fontes.
Senate votes to keep secretary of state from overseeing elections they’re in
The Republican-controlled Arizona Senate voted Tuesday to require that the state’s top election official not participate in overseeing elections in which he or she is on the ballot - leaving the proposal one vote away in the House from heading to Democratic governor and former secretary of state Katie Hobbs' desk.