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

Two municipalities are challenging the authority of one of the state's largest utilities and are now asking a Maricopa County court to order Salt River Project (SRP) to turn over records under the state's public records law.

WINDOW ROCK - An investigation into whether the leader of the country's largest American Indian reservation and others broke any laws in connection with two companies that operated on the Navajo Nation is moving forward.

Ten state employees have filed a federal lawsuit against Gov. Jan Brewer in an effort to reverse a state policy that bans state benefits to the domestic partners of state employees.

A trio of environmental groups has followed through on a threat to sue the Bureau of Land Management for giving a green light to a uranium-mine north of the Grand Canyon.

Draft versions of the bills lawmakers are expected to consider this week in a special legislative session show about $300 million in spending cuts to education and social services, as well as the restoration of funding for high-tech economic development.

Arizona's 49th Legislature has been tasked with keeping the state financially afloat during the most troubling economic times in state history. But the choices lawmakers made this year in an effort to balance the budget have led to six lawsuits challenging the state's use of fund sweeps to fill in deficits.

The Citizens Clean Elections Commission has renewed a $6,500-per-month contract with lobbyist Mike Williams, setting up another battle over the fate of the public campaign-funding system. Todd Lang, director of the Clean Elections Commission, said hiring a lobbyist was necessary to protect a system he credits with increasing political participation of the public and encouraging people to run for office.

A recent vote by the League of Arizona Cities and Towns to sue the Legislature in an attempt to undo provisions passed in the most recent special session could have broader effects on the lobbying group for local governments.

John Allen Muhammad was executed Nov. 10, but the sniper mastermind will never be held legally accountable for a killing in Tucson that police believe was a precursor to the sniper spree that left 10 people dead in the Washington, D.C., area.

A deal to make ambulance service more efficient in Mesa, Gilbert, Queen Creek and Apache Junction is being challenged in court by a company that lost out in the bidding process.