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

It didn't take long for "Hillary: The Movie" to turn into Citizens United v. the Federal Elections Commission, and now Arizona's Capitol insiders are waiting to see how the U.S. Supreme Court will deal with a longstanding roadblock designed to limit the political activity of corporations and unions.

A federal appeals court ruled Sept. 14 that a proposed land exchange between the federal Bureau of Land Management and copper miner Asarco LLC violates environmental laws. The ruling in the lawsuit filed by three environmental groups in 2001 overturns a lower court decision backing the exchange long sought by Asarco.

Dennis Burke, Janet Napolitano's former chief of staff, was confirmed by the full U.S. Senate as Arizona's next U.S. attorney.

Lawsuits were filed on Sept. 14 at state and federal levels against Arizona to block the enforcement of a new state law that would require women seeking abortions to make two separate trips to a physician's office before obtaining the procedure.

For the time being, the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors can continue to hire attorneys outside the County Attorney's Office to handle the board's legal issues.

Retired Supreme Court Justice and Arizona icon Sandra Day O'Connor is spearheading an effort to make major structural changes to state government in advance of the 2012 centennial. "We love this state and see the need for a few changes," she said.

The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee has approved Dennis Burke as the next U.S. attorney for Arizona. Burke, who served as chief of staff for former Gov. Janet Napolitano, was one of four U.S. attorney nominees to be approved by the committee on Sept. 10, according to media reports. His nomination still must be approved by the full Senate before he takes his post.

TUCSON - More convicted drunk drivers could soon have to pay for their own jail stays if Pima County officials get their way. Officials at the Pima County Adult Detention Center recently met with judges and top prosecutors to remind them that drunk drivers can be ordered to reimburse counties for the cost of locking them up.

The Arizona Constitution requires the enactment of a balanced budget for the upcoming fiscal year before July 1. But two months into the fiscal 2010, the budget in place was not signed or balanced, even on paper.

Opponents of Arizona's system of publicly funded campaigns were further encouraged by a federal judge's Aug. 27 decision to eliminate Connecticut's campaign finance reform method in entirety. The ruling by District of Connecticut Judge Stefan Underhill blasted the state's Citizens' Election Program, a voluntary program enacted in 2005 to provide legislative and statewide candidates with public campaign funding.