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Recent Articles from Jim Small
UpClose with Frank Antenori
If you're in a room with Frank Antenori, you'll definitely know it. The freshman Republican representative from Tucson is loud - no doubt a product of his military days, commanding Special Forces troops in battle. He's also not one to bite his tongue, a personality trait that got him some unwanted press coverage during last year's election when he criticized opponents who were running with public [...]
Lights out on payday loans
Next year, the Arizona Legislature will decide whether to eliminate payday lending in the state, which presents a dilemma for Republican lawmakers who will have to decide between their free-enterprise beliefs and a moral objection to the large fees on short-term loans.
Lawmakers give final approval to special session bill
Arizona lawmakers have given final approval to a bill that will carve $193 million out of state government spending and ended their fifth special session of the year.
Day 3: Tracking the fifth special session
Day 3 of the fifth special session has started. It's expected to be the final day. Check back for up-to-the-minute updates.
Day 2: Tracking the fifth special session
The Arizona House has reconvened today to work on bills passed by the Senate on Thursday. Check back for up-to-the-minute updates on the action.
Republicans own state budget, for better or worse
While the rest of the nation is expected to see Republican resurgences in next year’s elections, Arizona may be poised to buck the national trend in legislative races, according to political strategists, pollsters and lawmakers.
AG opinion says SRP must comply with public records law
Salt River Project has filed documents in Maricopa County Superior Court arguing that it is exempt from the state's public record laws because it is not technically a public body. SRP is one of the largest utility companies in the state and is considered a quasi-governmental agency because it operates as both a private, for-profit company and a political subdivision of the state.
Brewer makes official call for 5th special session
A special legislative session to address the continuing budget crisis will begin Thursday morning, but the votes to approve a package of bills that include a temporary sales tax increase don't appear to be in line.
Sale of state prisons running into wall of opposition
When lawmakers chose April Fool’s Day as the deadline to submit a plan to privatize the state’s prison system, they unwittingly telegraphed just how dubious the plan was. First, the whole idea of putting state prisons under private control was a difficult sell to the public. Then there was a question about how many of the state’s 10 prisons to auction off.
Stuck in budget limbo, lawmakers are pre-filing fewer bills
Lawmakers have pre-filed fewer bills for the upcoming session than at the same time two years ago, a potential sign that fewer bills will be filed overall. That's not necessarily a surprise given the staggering state budget deficit lawmakers will face when they head back to the Capitol in January.
Arizona’s tough-on-crime stance costs big bucks
Crime in Arizona has dramatically declined this decade, but the number of Arizonans in prison continues to climb and has grown by nearly 50 percent since 2002, thanks in part to the creation of new crimes and tougher sentencing guidelines. Supporters of the tough-on-crime approach say the figures show that the laws are doing what is intended: making Arizona safer by keeping dangerous criminals [...]
House communications director steps down
The top press aide for the House Republican caucus has announced she will resign at the end of this week. Becky Blackburn spent less than a year as communications director for the House of Representatives. In an e-mail to House majority members, staff and the media, she announced Dec. 4 would be her final day.
