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Recent Articles from Bob Christie, Capitol Media Services
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.
Lawmakers defeat measure aimed at making cities pay for higher minimum wages
Two Republicans joined all Democrats on a House panel Wednesday to defeat a measure designed to make the cities of Tucson and Flagstaff pay for their higher minimum wages -- but not because the GOP lawmakers like the voter-approved boosts.
House Republicans give early approval to teacher raises
Arizona House Republicans on Monday gave preliminary approval to $10,000 per year raises for public school teachers over the objections of Democrats who say the plan is a fake effort they know GOP lawmakers can't fund in the long term.
Constitutional change would impact how state manages disaster declarations
A proposed constitutional amendment that is one vote away from being sent to the 2024 ballot for voter approval will have far-reaching impacts on how the state oversees disaster declarations and potentially impact millions of dollars in federal funding.
Kaiser tries to salvage part of controversial zoning bill
A Phoenix lawmaker is attempting to salvage at least part of his controversial plan to override local zoning rules in the name of affordable housing after it was overwhelmingly rejected because of opposition from cities and towns.
Voters to decide if state should levy new fine to help victims’ families
Arizona voters will get to decide next year whether the state should levy a new $20 fine on each criminal conviction in order to pay an extra $250,000 to the families of police officers, firefighters, EMTs and corrections officers killed on the job because of a criminal act.
Majority Republicans pass measures targeting drag performances
Majority Republicans passed a pair of measures targeting drag performances they say amount to sexual grooming, arguing that the proposals are needed to shield children from "confusing'' sexual content.
Senate approves measure to shield lawmakers’ addresses and other personal information
Every single member of the Arizona Senate voted Tuesday for a measure that will shield their addresses and other personal information from the public as elected officials are increasingly subjected to threats and protests at their homes.
Bills would fund research of psilocybin mushrooms to treat PTSD, depression
Arizona lawmakers are giving a big thumbs up to the party drug known as Ecstasy and turning on to hallucinogenic magic mushrooms, too. But don’t take this wrong – they’re not pushing the drugs for the usual recreational uses. Instead, bills that would fund a $30 million research program to study psilocybin mushrooms in treating post-traumatic stress syndrome and depression, and another to le[...]
