‘Birther’ bill fails in committee

A panel of Arizona senators on Monday rejected a proposal to require candidates for the U.S. presidency to prove that they are natural-born American citizens.

Constitutional obstacle course: the challenges facing the birthright citizenship bill backers

Frustrated by the federal government's refusal to solve illegal immigration, some lawmakers want the U.S. Supreme Court to resolve who exactly is an American citizen.

In trying to define citizenship, birthright busters will have to navigate not only through the U.S. Supreme Court, but the U.S. Senate, other states and even their own caucus.

Deluge of political maneuvering sure to follow Kyl’s leaving

The retirement of U.S. Sen. Jon Kyl will likely set off a chain reaction, as Republicans and Democrats position themselves to run for the open seat.

Most political observers believe U.S. Rep. Jeff Flake, a Republican from Mesa, will soon announce he is running to replace Kyl. Other potential GOP candidates include U.S. Rep. Trent Franks, former U.S. Rep. John Shadegg and the entire slate [...]

Stung by setback, supporters of birthright bills change tactics; bills assigned to Appropriations

After Monday's setback, backers of the birthright bills are changing their strategy.

Birthright bills run into trouble

Backers of proposals that aim to ultimately deny U.S. citizenship to children born to illegal immigrants suffered a setback on Monday when the chairman of the Arizona Senate committee that tackled the bills concluded he did not have the votes to approve them.

Pot shop lottery unsettles some would-be entrepreneurs

Cancer may pick its victims randomly, but previously hopeful business people looking to get into the new medical pot industry think that’s a lousy way for the state to decide who gets licenses to sell medical marijuana.

Dumping a Burden: Counties pick right time to challenge voting-rights strictures

In two Arizona counties, the civil rights movement may soon be giving way to a new era, one in which elections officials don’t need the federal government’s permission to make such mundane administrative changes as moving polling places or changing voter-registration deadlines.

Campbell picks Herrera for redistricting commission

House Minority Leader Chad Campbell on Wednesday, Feb. 2, selected accountant José Herrera, a Democrat, to serve on the Independent Redistricting Commission. The decision to select Herrera came on the heels of a press conference held by the Arizona Legislative Latino Caucus, whose Democratic Party members called for the appointment of a Latino to the commission.

Health Department’s new medical-pot proposed regs ease patient-physician relationships, open door to wholesale market

The Health Department on Monday signaled an eased stance on several components of Arizona’s new medical marijuana law, with the release of the second draft of the proposed rules for the yet-to-be implemented system.

Critics question effectiveness, fairness of ACA-style agencies

Shuffling the state’s ineffectual Commerce Department into a public-private economic development collaboration called the Arizona Commerce Authority is an attention-grabbing maneuver that, history teaches, will fall short of propelling Arizona out of its economic doldrums.

Birthright proposal not on the majority agenda

For the most powerful man in the Senate, denying American citizenship to children born to undocumented aliens is the next step in the Arizona-led crusade to confront illegal immigration in the country. But a majority of Senate President Russell Pearce’s colleagues don’t see it as a priority, and they may not go along if the so-called birthright citizenship bill is voted on before the Legislatu[...]

After party-leadership battle, Republicans unsure whether fundraising, harmony will improve

Arizona's Republican chairman elections are behind them, but now comes the hard part: the charting of the future of a party apparatus that boasts of electoral victories, but falls short in fundraising. And with Tom Morrissey now in charge of the state GOP, questions abound as to whether Republicans can overcome the growing can’t-be-too-far-right mood that mocks moderates and scares off big-money[...]