Supreme Court hears Tucson election case
An attorney for the city of Tucson asked Arizona Supreme Court Tuesday to slap back yet another effort by state lawmakers to tell charter cities when they have to hold... […]
Bill is real but nothing like textbook
So you think you know how a bill becomes law? Well, it isn't exactly the process from the Schoolhouse Rock song, "I'm just a bill on Capitol Hill.''
Covid, unrest affect look, feel of legislative session
The 2021 legislative session will begin January 11 in an exceedingly unusual fashion, with sharp limits on public access and increased security left over from post-election unrest.
Civil asset forfeiture reform: A solution in search of a problem
If the Arizona Legislature wants to help drug cartels and organized crime, then heeding the Institute for Justice and establishing a “conviction first” statute for civil forfeiture is a great start. The only people such a measure will hurt are law abiding citizens, prosecutors and police officers. But drug dealers? They will absolutely love it.
To improve Arizona Legislature, consider cumulative voting
Imagine an Arizona House of Representatives modeled in part on the system used in Illinois. There would be Republicans elected from liberal bastions like Phoenix, Tempe, and Tucson. Democrats would be elected from conservative places like Mohave and Yavapai Counties.
Is Constitution to be taken seriously or for granted?
As an attorney and retired judge I have always considered the Arizona Constitution to be the highest law of the state, not a set of guidelines. That’s why I am a plaintiff, along with a top local businesswoman, in the lawsuit brought by Rose Law Group challenging the constitutionality of Proposition 208, potentially the largest income tax hike in Arizona history.
Ducey loses big with Trump, taxes, legal pot
Republican Governor Doug Ducey was able to keep the Arizona Legislature red, but not everything worked out to his benefit, based on unofficial election results.
Court refuses to block enforcement of horse-racing law
A federal appeals court won’t block enforcement of a law that requires companies that provide off-track betting signals to sell them to anyone who will buy then. In a unanimous... […]
The Breakdown: A sine die surprise
The Arizona Legislature is officially done, and what a weird session it's been.
Sound fiscal practices in ’19 help Arizona weather ’20 storm
When Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey placed a priority on shoring up the state’s rainy day fund in 2019, he could not foresee the economic hurricane the state was headed for in 2020. Now, that fiscal prudence will help Arizona weather the crisis brought on by the COVID-19 virus.
A majority under pressure reveals legislative fissures
Early the morning of May 7, a Thursday, a motley crew of senior Senate Republicans and their Democratic counterparts, disregarding a chorus of conflicting desires from the membership as a whole, pulled the plug on the 2020 legislative session.
Passage of resolution to overturn Ducey’s order a very long shot
The plan hatched by some of the Legislature’s most vocal conservatives to reopen the state’s economy hinges on a concurrent resolution that would overturn the governor’s emergency declaration.