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Math doesn’t work for AZ payday loan industry
The math isn't adding up for Arizona's payday loan industry. The industry that provides small short-term loans is fighting in the Legislature to keep itself alive beyond a June 30 termination date that was included in the authorization law enacted 10 years ago.
Learning the game: Program prepares Democratic women to run for office
They come from various age groups, religions and ethnic backgrounds. Some are wealthy, while others are struggling college students. But they are united by one belief: The state is moving in the wrong direction - and they've decided to do something about it by running for office.
Authorless budget proposal aired by Approps Committee
Members of legislative budget committees on Feb. 18 saw how a secretive budget proposal that has been circulated around the Capitol in recent weeks stacks up to the budget plan offered by Gov. Jan Brewer, but much of the discussion focused on who drafted the authorless spending plan.
Senate passes bill to stop roadside sales of animals
The Senate has approved a bill that would ban the sale of animals along roadways and in public parks across the state.
Lawmakers seek audit of Sports and Tourism Authority
The Arizona Sports and Tourism Authority may face a special audit to uncover how much Major League Baseball teams have spent on new spring training stadiums in recent years and whether the authority will be able to pay off its debt.
New Sen. Bunch a caretaker in District 7
Ed Bunch is one of the few completely unencumbered Arizona senators. He hasn't been at the Capitol long enough to feel the full weight of special interest groups bearing down on him. He made it clear that he would step down from the District 7 seat after filling in the rest of Jim Waring's term.
Federal court policies a bad omen for backers of matching funds
A precedent established by the U.S. Supreme Court in the 1980s does not bode well for Clean Elections supporters who are hoping to keep matching funds in place until after this year's elections.
Cheuvront amends Pearce’s concealed-weapons bill
It took cunning and persistence to outmaneuver one of the most powerful Republicans in the Arizona Legislature, but, so far, Sen. Ken Cheuvront seems to have pulled it off.
Political blood sport: Lawmaker wants question time with governor
Sen. Jonathan Paton is trying to bring a British practice known as "question time" to the Arizona Capitol to help break down the barrier between government leaders and the public and allow voters to have an inside look at what state politicians are doing.
Arizona Senate going paperless
The Arizona Senate is trying to go paperless, which means relying on laptops instead of printed documents during debates and votes on the floor.
Bill targeting child prostitution advances
A House committee unanimously approved legislation that would carve out a lesser crime for men who unknowingly solicit child prostitutes, while still retaining tougher penalties for those who knowingly pay children for sex.
Legislation would lengthen divorce wait time
Social conservatives say Arizona should stand up for marriage by making it take longer to untie the knot. A Senate committee on Feb. 17 approved a bill to triple to 180 days the state's current 60-day period that courts must wait before considering a divorce request.
