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Recent Articles from Luige del Puerto
Senate panel votes to cut off Planned Parenthood funding
Arizona Republican legislators are seeking to accomplish what their party mates in Congress failed to do — stop public money from going to Planned Parenthood.
With a Republican supermajority in control of the state Capitol, prolife advocates are making an all-out push to make it as difficult as possible for Planned Parenthood clinics to stay open.
Corp. Comm. barred from adopting more stringent renewable energy standards
A panel of senators today approved legislation to bar the Arizona Corporation Commission from adopting renewable energy standards that are more stringent than what is currently in place. Many consider the bill an attempt by lawmakers to assert control over the state’s energy policy, but critics said it infringes on the commission’s constitutional authority to set rates for public utility co[...]
Supporters find another avenue for anti-union bills stuck in House
With two anti-union bills stuck in the House, supporters are hoping to rescue the legislation by amending another measure to carry the controversial provisions.
Senate panel approves measure to allow guns in school zones
Federal laws generally prohibit weapons within a thousand feet from school grounds.
But a panel of legislators this week advanced a proposal to let most Arizona residents carry firearms up to a school’s property line.
Revived Amazon.com tax bill defeated for 2nd time
The proposal to require Amazon.com to collect taxes on goods it sells to Arizona residents failed anew during a second vote in the Senate today.
Bill would allow t-shirts with political messages at polls
Should voters be able to wear their tea party t-shirts — or clothing containing any political message — to the voting booth? A panel of lawmakers on Monday said they should have that right.
Bill allowing employers to deny contraception coverage advances
Any business with a religious objection to contraception would be allowed to not include it in their insurance coverage under a bill that was approved by a Senate committee Monday. Current law allows only religious employers, which are defined as nonprofit groups that primarily employ and serve persons who share their religious tenets, to provide health plans that don’t cover contraceptives.
Sen. Klein says she snubbed use tax, then claims she didn’t owe
A state senator last week said she ignored a law that requires Arizonans to report taxes on their purchases from online retailers and other out-of-state businesses.
Anti-union bills expose lack of worker solidarity
While the slew of measures targeting public unions appeared to have re-energized organized labor in Arizona, it also exposed their inability to fully unite amid a sustained attack from foes. The discord over tactics was palpable on March 1, when hundreds of union members and their supporters protested at the state Capitol, but many public unions stayed away.
Senate narrowly passes anti-bullying bill
Senators on Thursday narrowly approved a proposal that more comprehensively defines bullying and also requires charter schools to adopt anti-bullying policies.
Senate votes down Amazon sales tax bill
The Senate today rebuffed a proposal to require online retailing giant Amazon.com to collect taxes on products it sells to Arizona residents. The measure, SB1338, was defeated by a vote of 8 to 20.
Statewide photo-radar ban fails a 2nd time
A ballot measure that would outlaw the use of photo radar in the state failed a second time in the Senate today, spurring the sponsor to declare the proposal most likely dead this session.
