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Recent Articles from Evan Wyloge and Hank Stephenson
Navajo presidential election a political cliffhanger
The 2014 Navajo Nation presidential election has been rocked over a requirement that presidential candidates speak the Navajo language fluently. Chris Deschene, one of the two general election nominees, has been challenged for his admittedly limited language proficiency. In recent weeks, attention to it — and voter rolls — on the Navajo Reservation has grown.
Navajo Nation Council passes emergency language requirement repeal
Shortly after midnight last night, the Navajo Nation Council voted to scrap the longstanding requirement for the tribe’s president to be fluent in the Navajo Language. The eleventh-hour vote, approved 11-10 with one abstaining, clears a path for Chris Deschene to remain on the ballot. His qualifications had been challenged over his admittedly limited ability in speaking the Navajo language.[...]
Hallman blasts DeWit over former business ties to convicted insider traders
State treasurer candidate and former Tempe Mayor Hugh Hallman has released a radio ad blasting his competitors in the Republican primary race, zeroing in on the business ties of opponent Jeff DeWit.
Colorado pot law a guide for hopeful Arizonans
While the nation watches Colorado adults buy marijuana in retail stores for non-medical consumption, advocates of a similar arrangement in Arizona are working to follow the Centennial State’s lead.
Follow the money
Lobbying reports show how much was spent, who spent it, but not necessarily who was being courted
The Arizona Capitol Times obtained the electronic quarterly lobbying reports for the first quarter of 2013 under the state’s public records laws, analyzed the expenditures across hundreds of transactions and interviewed many of those involved in the spending.
Special events dominated lobbying expenditures during the first quarter
Giving lawmakers free tickets to sporting events is legal if it falls into the “special event” category of lobbying, where the entire Legislature, an entire committee or an entire caucus is invited.
Action lacking despite opportunities to improve Arizona’s lobbyist reporting system
From lobbyists to lawmakers to advocacy groups, reactions to flaws in Arizona lobbying reports reflect an image of a system that needs to be improved.
Some proposals for how to improve the system have emerged, but any agreement on the solutions, not to mention the political will to enact them, still eludes lawmakers two years after the Fiesta Bowl lobbying scandal roped in dozens of pol[...]
Pacheco’s flower power
When it comes bringing color and fragrance into the lives of Arizona’s lawmakers, nobody does it better than Jessica Pacheco.
Food and beverages: Lawmakers benefit from lobbyists’ largesse
Buying lawmakers a meal or a drink is one of the most common ways lobbyists form relationships with lawmakers, and some lawmakers take more advantage of the free meals than others.
From Austin to New Orleans, lawmakers travel at the expense of lobbyists
Travel and lodging account for 12 percent of the money spent in lobbyist expenditure reports that include a beneficiary name from 2011 to 2012.
Power brokers: The most lobbied lawmakers and the busiest lobbyists
a small number of lobbyists spend much more money on lawmakers than the rest. And a select set of lawmakers attract more lobbying attention than others. Lobbying records required by state law hint at who these power brokers are, and give a peek into a small network of lobbyists, their clients and lawmakers who wield extra influence.
Lobbying records reveals loopholes, reporting gaps and errors
Almost daily, Arizona politicians face an army of lobbyists who are ready to spend money on dinners, drinks, parties and travel, aimed at currying favor and eventually bending the public... […]
