Lawmakers revive old election controversies, redefine ‘political committee’

Arizona’s election laws saw some significant overhauls during the 2015 legislative session, as well as some major proposals that fell short.

Who’s got the juice? Some of the biggest power brokers of 2014 election are unknown

Determining the most influential people of 2014 becomes far more difficult when so many of them are anonymous. Such was the case in Arizona, where a predominant feature of the election cycle was “dark money,” the anonymous campaign spending that has proliferated in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark Citizens United ruling in 2010.

Reagan changes her views on how to deal with dark money

The views of Republican Sen. Michele Reagan, who is running for the state’s top election office, have evolved since she ran legislation to crack down on dark money entities.

Outside spending drives secretary of state races

The Arizona Free Enterprise Club has never shown much of an interest in who serves as Arizona’s secretary of state. That changed this year. So far, the conservative, free market advocacy group has spent nearly $480,000 in the three-way Republican primary for secretary of state, promoting Rep. Justin Pierce, R-Mesa, and attacking opponents Wil Cardon and Sen. Michele Reagan, R-Scottsdale.

Center for Arizona Policy faces more scrutiny in the wake of SB1062

The international furor over SB1062 has led to a reassessment of the Evangelical Christian lobby behind the bill and whose power at the Capitol was considered to be unparalleled. Some said the Center for Arizona Policy and its president, Cathi Herrod, overreached and gave the state a black eye. Others say that even if its influence is undiminished.

Some candidates making use of bigger contribution limits

The tidal wave of big money has yet to show up in the 2014 election cycle, but a handful of candidates have begun taking advantage of the new law that allows supporters to hand them bigger checks.

Guv hopeful Jones had DUI conviction in 2006

Gubernatorial candidate Christine Jones was convicted of drunk driving in 2006.

Confusion reigns as Court of Appeals blocks campaign finance law

An Arizona Court of Appeals ruling that put the state’s new campaign contribution limits on hold triggered widespread confusion among candidates and election attorneys.

Donor fatigue

Higher contribution limits don’t translate into avalanche of cash

Legislators who approved a controversial election law this year and are hoping to get a serious bump in their fundraising efforts should not expect to see an avalanche of hefty checks coming their way.

Campaign finance changes’ unintended consequences

Hoping to raise more cash, lawmakers instead face new limits

Four counties jump on board, support Brewer Medicaid expansion

After Yavapai County jumped on board, three other county governments officially backed Gov. Jan Brewer’s proposal to expand Medicaid.

Pro-life dispute: Conflicting definitions further complicate Brewer’s Medicaid expansion proposal

Gov. Jan Brewer forcefully declared that her proposal to expand the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System to hundreds of thousands of new patients is a pro-life plan. As a pro-life governor, she said, she will not sit idly by while people suffer. Since then, opponents of her plan have taken up the pro-life mantle in the Legislature.