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Election reform must be bipartisan and transparent
In the days after the 2012 general election, Arizona made national headlines for all the wrong reasons. A large number of provisional and early ballots remained uncounted from election night, and the multi- week process of counting these ballots provided the national media fodder to continue the theme of dysfunction in Arizona government.
State sovereignty bill would strengthen ‘checks and balances’ system
There has been plenty of misinformation about a resolution I’ve sponsored that is moving through the legislature, and I am trying to clear it up.
Time to come to agreement on TPT reform
One of the most controversial bills in this year’s legislative session is HB2657, TPT reform. The TPT (Transaction Privilege Tax) is Arizona’s sales tax program, and it has been more than 80 years in the making. Last year, Gov. Jan Brewer appointed a task force to examine ways to make the system simpler for businesses to comply with.
Grand Canyon State’s namesake threatened
Our beautiful state has many points of pride, but none compare to our namesake, the Grand Canyon State. One of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World, the Grand Canyon attracts nearly 5 million tourists a year.
Improved election data would mean a better informed electorate
For the past two months, the Arizona Capitol Times and the Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting have sifted through the more than 2.3 million votes cast in the 2012 election, with the goal of offering readers a deeper understanding of how Arizona voted.
Rep. Kwasman’s opposition to AHCCCS expansion filled with ‘misinformation’
Based on the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System’s (AHCCCS) blueprint, Florida Gov. Rick Scott is rebuilding his state’s Medicaid program. He is the 21st governor to develop a broader Medicaid program. Finally, Florida can do what we in Arizona pioneered: Establish a private-public partnership where private health plans, not the government, coordinate health care for their patients. It[...]
The forgotten ones — children and adults with disabilities
In Gov. Jan Brewer’s recent State of the State speech, she spoke of protecting Arizona’s most vulnerable citizens. Certainly, we must protect children in danger of abuse or neglect, but what are we doing to protect another population which is just as vulnerable? Children and adults with developmental disabilities are struggling to find services in a system which has been cut so much in the las[...]
Marijuana legalization is far from inevitable
Since the 2012 election, national news coverage about marijuana has focused almost solely on the states of Colorado and Washington, creating the impression the country is moving toward legalization. But anti-marijuana forces actually won most of the contests in 2012 and in 2010, and lost only when outspent by large margins.
Arizona must do more to become a global leader in bioscience research
During the past decade, guided by Arizona’s Bioscience Roadmap, Arizona has achieved great success in advancing its stake in the biosciences, which is one of the fastest growing sectors of the economy.
4 suggestions to strengthen Republicans’ position with Latinos
Last month, Lattie Coor, founder and chairman of the Center for the Future of Arizona, released their updated report, “The Arizona We Want 2.0”. This report is a summary of 10,000+ surveys and interviews of Arizona residents. The following chart in that report should send a wake-up call to Republican leadership at all levels across the state.
Medicaid expansion would be a ‘nightmare’ for Arizona
The proposed Obamacare Medicaid expansion is bad for taxpayers, bad for freedom and ultimately bad for Arizona’s health. The Supreme Court ruled that forcing the expansion of Medicaid is unconstitutional. In response, President Barack Obama has dangled the shiny object of federal funding in front of us. We shouldn’t be fooled into taking a bad deal.
As a former U.S. attorney, here’s why I support the medical marijuana law
My top priority from 1981-1985 was fighting the drug war.
Sometimes it takes extraordinary circumstances to get people to see ordinary truths. And that is the case with me.
