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

Civil rights activists called on President Barack Obama to fight a tough new Arizona law targeting illegal immigrants Sunday, promising to march in the streets and invite arrest by refusing to comply if the measure goes into effect.

A measure that would allow Arizona lawmakers to serve an unlimited number of terms in office appears dead in the Legislature, even though most lawmakers have said they want to repeal the term limits provision in the state's Constitution.

Gov. Jan Brewer today signed a sweeping immigration bill that would make it a crime under state law to be in the country illegally.

Pearce, a veteran lawmaker who chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee, had a lot of tools at his disposal to ratchet up the pressure on people to support his bill, but none was more powerful than public opinion.

The Senate has rejected a proposal to help avert the closure of state parks by allowing people to make voluntary contributions for their operation and maintenance.

President Barack Obama warned Friday that the government must enact immigration changes in immigration law or else leave the door open to "irresponsibility by others."

A package of tax cuts aimed at spurring economic growth has become a political landmine for Gov. Jan Brewer, who is facing a tough primary challenge from several fellow Republicans unhappy with her fiscal decisions.

Biggs changed the section allowing civil suits against governments and agencies that use sanctuary policies to require the courts to award legal fees to those entities if they prevail in their lawsuits. Another provision was added to protect Child Protective Service workers and emergency medical technicians from legal action as a result of the bill.

After years of watching his anti-illegal-immigration bills crumble in a heap of vetoes, Sen. Russell Pearce took steps this time to ensure that S1070 would pass muster with Gov. Jan Brewer.

The Senate passed legislation on April 21 aimed at allowing churches to be anywhere that non-religious groups are permitted to operate.