A U.S.-Arizona dustup: ‘Freedom to breathe’ bill may backfire, force EPA takeover of state’s pollution controls

Henry Darwin, who is no fan of the Environmental Protection Agency, doesn’t want the Legislature to shove the federal agency out of Arizona.

Darwin, who heads the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, worries that a final shove aimed at freeing the state from federal intrusion will have the opposite effect.

Brewer pondering AHCCCS freeze

Gov. Jan Brewer is considering freezing Medicaid enrollment as early as April 1 for childless adults as part of a phase-out preparation for kicking 250,000 people off of the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System.

IRC choice for chairman: Independent Colleen Mathis

The four partisan members of the Independent Redistricting Commission appointed a politically independent chairwoman on Tuesday, and made public pledges to cooperate with each other through what some believe will turn into anything but a nonpartisan task.

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.

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.

Four IRC members meet, delay choosing chairman

The four newly sworn-in members of the Independent Redistricting Commission met for the first time on Feb. 24, then stalled in choosing a chairman from a slate of five independents.

House committee OKs handing Pinal County $5 million for border security

The House Appropriations Committee on Wednesday passed a bill to increase the state’s border security, as representatives continue shaking their fists at Washington, D.C.

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.

2011 ‘jobs bill’: Dead then, a deal now

In 2010, a jobs bill passed the House and died, but its resurrection shows how Arizona politics gets done in 2011.

PLUS: Jobs bil[...]