Campbell requests his sister-in-law be removed from Patterson’s office
The top Democrat in the House of Representatives, who is leading the charge to have embattled Rep. Daniel Patterson ousted from office, is married to the sister of Patterson’s assistant – and he is seeking to have the woman removed from Patterson’s office out of fear for her safety.
Fillmore not shying away from race against ‘carpetbagger’ Crandall
Rep. John Fillmore isn’t backing down from a potentially tough race with Sen. Rich Crandall, who announced Monday that he will move to Fillmore’s district to seek re-election to the Senate.
Bill allows companies to keep violations of environmental laws secret
Senators Tuesday approved legislation to allow companies to self-audit and keep the information “privileged” when they discover violations of environmental laws. That information, if it is contained in a self-audit, also can’t also be used as evidence in a civil or administrative proceeding.
Shooter to move to new LD13
Sen. Don Shooter, a Yuma Republican, will be moving to a neighboring legislative district to avoid running for reelection in a Democratic-leaning area.
Senate passes bill outlawing texting while driving for teens
Senators today passed legislation to prohibit young drivers from texting or surfing the internet on their cell phones while driving. The Senate already approved a similar measure back in January, but that legislation got stuck in a House panel.
Lawmakers: Members bringing guns to Capitol over Patterson concerns
Some lawmakers have begun bringing firearms to the state Capitol, citing a growing fear of Rep. Daniel Patterson, whose alleged hostile outbursts and erratic behavior were detailed in an investigative report on Monday.
Pierce says contraception bill probably not coming back
Senate President Steve Pierce doesn’t think legislation allowing employers with religious objection to deny contraception coverage to workers will return for a second vote. Pierce previously indicated he was willing to cast the required 16th “yes” vote to pass the bill last week if supporters could get 15 senators to support the bill.
Dem leader: Fear among lawmakers could lead to Patterson expulsion Tuesday
House Minority Leader Chad Campbell says he may seek for the expulsion of Rep. Daniel Patterson as soon as Tuesday because some members of his caucus believe their lives are in danger as long as Patterson remains an elected official.
Crandall plans Senate campaign after all – will run in neighboring district
Sen. Rich Crandall, a Republican from Mesa, will be seeking reelection to the Senate after all.
Compromise could scrap ballot measure on Clean Elections
A proposed ballot measure to effectively dismantle Arizona's system that provides public money for state election candidates' campaigns would itself be scrapped under a compromise between the program's supporters and opponents.
Investigators recommend Patterson expulsion for ethical violations and crimes
Investigators are recommending expulsion for Rep. Daniel Patterson, the Arizona lawmaker accused of beating up his ex-girlfriend, saying he violated ethical standards and that he likely committed numerous other crimes.
Embattled Patterson leaves Dems; files as independent
An embattled Tucson lawmaker this morning formally left the Democratic Party and became the Legislature’s only independent.