Arizona Capitol Times Your Inside Source for Arizona Government, Politics and Business

UPDATED AT 6:27 P.M., OCT. 30 A state law allowing businesses to reduce their tax liabilities by contributing money to organizations that distribute private school tuition payments will remain on the books – for now. A challenge in federal court ...

Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard was asked on Oct. 27 to challenge a recent law change that allows the Arizona State Land Department to use portions of proceeds from the sales of state trust land to cover its own management duties.

The Sheriff's captain who last year headed up a secretive political committee that broke campaign finance laws in its efforts to support Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio is threatening to sue the county for "emotional distress" and investigate county officials for federal crimes unless it pays him $75,000.

A coalition of bankers has asked the Arizona Supreme Court to overturn the repeal of legislation enacted to benefit banks harmed by a wave of foreclosures. On Oct. 21, the Arizona Bankers Association has filed a petition for special action with the state's highest court in hopes of negating a provision included in state budget legislation that successfully repealed a foreclosure law signed into law in July.

Boxing manager Joe Diaz hopes the indictment of a Phoenix fight promoter leads to bigger fish - namely, former boxing commissioner and Maricopa County Supervisor Mary Rose Wilcox. Promoter Peter McKinn III was indicted Sept. 30 on five counts of forgery, theft, fraud and perjury stemming from a five-year-old dispute with Diaz. McKinn pleaded not guilty in an Oct. 8 arraignment.

The Legislature is getting sued, again, over fund sweeps initiated earlier this year to close the state budget gap. A commission charged with delivering water from the Colorado River to several Arizona counties and Native American tribes has filed a lawsuit with the Arizona Supreme Court to challenge the Legislature's decision to sweep millions of dollars held by the Arizona Water Banking Authority.

Retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor will be hearing cases once more, sitting in for two days on the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. One case involves a right-to-life group that operates at Arizona State University, and two others concerning voting rights.

Although the recently enacted state budget strips health benefits for domestic partners of state workers, officials say the health insurance coverage will remain intact for the next 12 months.

Critics of an injunction to stop a series of abortion restrictions from taking effect are questioning how and why the case was assigned to three Maricopa County Superior Court judges. The first two judges removed themselves from hearing the case – one was vacationing out of the country and the other gave no reason. The third judge, who came out of retirement to take the case, issued an injunction on Sept. 29 that put the laws on hold.

The forces of nature that blessed Arizona with the Grand Canyon also provided high-grade uranium, trapped in nearby layers of rock. Whether the uranium is a blessing or a curse depends on whose side you take.