Recent Articles from Howard Fischer, Capitol Media Services
Court rules employee who contracts Covid on job entitled to benefits
An employee who contracts Covid on the job is entitled to benefits under the state's workers' compensation, the state Court of Appeals has ruled. And his survivor is entitled to benefit if the disease kills him.
Court strikes down GOP lawmakers’ bid to immunize doctors, hospitals from claims of negligence during pandemic
The state Court of Appeals has struck down a bid by Republican lawmakers to immunize doctors and hospitals from claims they acted negligently in treating patients during the Covid outbreak.
Arizonans can expect huge increase in campaign ads ahead of 2024 election
Arizonans should brace themselves to be inundated with campaign advertising between now and the November 2024 election.
Arizonans might get chance to ditch historic system of electing public officials
Arizonans may get the chance to scrap the historic system by which nominees for public office are chosen, a move that, if successful, could reshape the state Legislature and congressional delegation.
Court questioning if police officer violated restaurant owner’s civil rights
A federal appeals court is questioning whether a Scottsdale police officer violated the civil rights of the owner of a restaurant when he essentially arrested him twice for the same alleged violation of one of former Gov. Doug Ducey's Covid executive orders.
Judge blocks state from enforcing law regulating who can vote for president
A federal judge on Thursday blocked Arizona from enforcing a 2022 state law regulating who can vote for president.
Hobbs says state officials don’t have unilateral right to keep Trump off ballot
Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs said neither she -- nor any other state official -- has the unilateral right to keep Donald Trump off the ballot for the state's presidential preference primary based on the 14th Amendment.
Minimum wage will rise in January, costs increasing
What would you buy for an extra $20 a week? A nice meal? A car mount for your phone? An extra four gallons of gasoline? That's the choice that will be facing Arizonans at or near the bottom of the pay scale in January when the state's minimum wage rises another 50 cents, to $14.35 an hour.
Lake supporters launching new effort to void her loss
Less than a month after having his claim rebuffed by the Arizona Supreme Court, Kari Lake supporters are mounting a new effort to void her loss in the 2022 gubernatorial election.
Hobbs and Horne at odds over Covid funds
A blame game between two top state officials threatens to lose the state more than $22 million in federal Covid relief dollars for education.
State employees with new family members can get up to 12 paid weeks off
More than 34,000 state employees are now eligible to get up to 12 weeks off with pay when they have a new family member. And that immediately covers those whose newborns, adoptions and foster placements occurred as far back as the first of the year.
Horne files suit to get court to rule schools not using ‘structured English immersion’ violating law
Hoping to force the issue, state schools chief Tom Horne filed suit late Wednesday to get a court to rule that any school that doesn't use "structured English immersion'' to teach students who are not proficient is violating the law.