Recent Articles from Luige del Puerto
Montenegro bill would let churches refuse gay marriages
Arizona already bans same-sex marriage, but a Republican legislator, who is also a youth pastor, wants to ensure the state never coerces clergymen into performing the ceremony.
Lawmaker targets early childhood education money to fund CPS
A senior Republican legislator wants to use tobacco-tax dollars to help fund the embattled Child Protective Services, which was recently rocked by revelations that it ignored more than 6,000 cases of abuse and neglect over several years.
Wounds from Medicaid battle to haunt 2014 session
A simmering ideological divide among Republicans surged to the surface this year, when Gov. Jan Brewer pushed unexpectedly for the expansion of Medicaid against the wishes of her party.
Senate coup reveals deep-seated differences among Dems
What was supposed to be a humdrum meeting to select a replacement for outgoing Democratic assistant leader Linda Lopez in October became its own spectacle after colleagues ousted Sen. Leah Landrum Taylor as minority leader.
Arizona’s jobless rate shrinks
Arizona’s job landscape received a welcome boost in November, when the unemployment rate dropped to 7.8 percent amid a hiring spree in the retail sector to meet the demands of the Holiday season.
Group renews push for tax limits in Arizona
After three failed attempts, a group that is seeking California-style property tax limits in Arizona is preparing for another push to get the question on the 2014 ballot.
Border fence: Once again, the $264,000 question goes unanswered
A legislative panel that is looking into border security skirted a nagging question at a meeting this morning – what to do with roughly $260,000 that was raised to build a fence on the U.S.-Mexico border.
Senate President Biggs challenges call for CPS funding increase
In the wake of revelations that 6,000 complaints were left uninvestigated by Child Protective Services, Senate President Andy Biggs is resisting calls to give more money to one of Arizona’s most distressed and highly strained agencies — the Department of Economic Security.
Biggs heading up committee to support Senate Republicans
Senate President Andy Biggs has created an independent expenditure group to help Republicans defend their seats and capture new ones in next year’s elections.
Packing a big punch from a small office
Hours before energy regulators approved a small surcharge on residential solar this month, the head of a little-known consumer advocacy group played wingman to the solar industry’s lawyer.
State’s jobless rate falls as economic growth improves slightly
The jobless rate fell to 8.2 percent in October, compared to 8.3 percent in the month before, the state’s Office of Employment and Population Statistics reported today. In contrast, the... […]
The powers that be
As it reaches a climax, the months-long campaign to reduce a key incentive for residential solar has given Arizonans a glimpse into a nearly obscure but powerful body of regulators that oversees some of Arizona’s biggest industries.