Recent Articles from Luige del Puerto
Senate says ‘no” to state nullification bill
The Arizona Senate has rejected a states' rights measure to create a nullification process for the state to declare a federal law unconstitutional.
Bill giving sheriffs more control over budget fails in Senate
A bill meant to give county sheriffs more control over their budgets died, at least for the moment, in the Senate on Tuesday after one of its strongest advocates, Senate President Russell Pearce, failed to muster enough votes for passage.
Pearce restricts press conferences inside Senate
Arguing that the move would make it easier to secure the chamber, Senate President Russell Pearce on Tuesday issued a memo saying press conferences that are open to the public will no longer be allowed inside the Arizona Senate building.
Senate approves bill to dump clean elections
The Arizona Senate wants voters to decide whether to bar the use of public money for candidates' campaigns.
Bundgaard says he isn’t above law, apologizes to colleagues over incident
An Arizona legislator is apologizing for a domestic violence incident involving a now-former girlfriend.
FantAZy Island: Secession-laced bills barging through the Legislature may fail, but they express state’s legacy of rage
Secession bills and resolutions are marching through the Legislature, even though their most ardent advocates concede most have little chance of actually being implemented.
Democrats: We want a Republic of Pima!
Lacking the numbers to block Republican-run legislation, Democratic legislators are resorting to sarcasm to highlight what one described as “ridiculous” measures that are advancing.
Immigration hardliners seemed to have true believers, but some Republicans are straying from the flock
With Republicans in firm control of Arizona’s government apparatus and Sen. Russell Pearce leading the Senate, more aggressive laws against illegal immigration seemed certain to emerge from the 2011 legislative session. But cracks are showing in the reputed Republican bastion built on dominance in the Arizona Legislature and Governor’s Office.
Omnibus immigration bill squeaks through
Although the legality of Arizona’s SB1070 has yet to be decided in court, that hasn’t stopped lawmakers from attempting to pass what backers describe as closing holes in existing laws but what critics call an even more sweeping immigration measure.
Senate panel passes birthright bills
After a rocky start, the birthright legislation finally received committee approval on Feb. 22, overcoming the initial hurdle before the full Senate can debate and vote on the measure that is stirring so much raw emotion and is solidifying Arizona’s reputation as ground zero in the struggle to confront illegal immigration.
Critics: Pearce’s latest immigration bill worse than SB1070
A mere “cleanup” it is not.
That is critics’ response to the late introduction of an immigration bill authored by Senate President Russell Pearce.
Pearce drops “omnibus” immigration bill
Although he calls it a mere “clean-up bill,” Senate President Russell Pearce is pushing legislation to tighten immigration laws by denying illegal immigrants access to public benefits, from operating or titling vehicles to enrolling in community colleges.