Keep Arizona’s growing rural communities whole
For the past four months, the Independent Redistricting Commission has worked to balance the wants, needs and desires of the residents of Arizona. The problem is that Pinal County — Arizona’s fastest growing county — is being used as the bargaining chip to satisfy other constituencies.
At Flagstaff clinic, women seeking abortions told to go to Phoenix
Beth Otterstein, a nurse practitioner at Planned Parenthood Arizona’s clinic here, says patients sometimes break down and cry when they hear the news: If they want abortions, they now have to travel to Phoenix for a 15-minute consultation with a doctor and then stay overnight to have the procedure. It’s an expense that some can’t afford, and no other facility in the area provides abortions.
Cortes testifies she’s unaware of recall campaign machinery
Republican Olivia Cortes is challenging one of the most powerful politicians in Arizona, but the political neophyte testified in court today that she doesn’t have full control over her campaign and doesn’t know who paid circulators to gather many of the signatures she needed to qualify for the ballot.
High unemployment rates remain a problem for Arizona rural areas
In a state where unemployment remains high as much of the rest of the nation recovers from the Great Recession, Yuma stands out. The metropolitan area’s jobless rate of 15.9 percent in August was the nation’s second highest, trailing only nearby El Centro, Calif., according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
CNN will air Republican presidential debate in Arizona
CNN will produce and air a Republican presidential debate on Dec. 1 in Arizona.
Gov. Jan Brewer, the driving force in bringing the debate to the state, announced the agreement between CNN and the Arizona Republican Party today.
It’s the least he could do
On Monday, Adams told our reporter that he believes the commentary S Smith penned attacking him for not backing Pearce was not just a put-on by the Salmon campaign, but was written by them, too.
Redistricting commission approves ‘donut’ map; Dems call it rotten
Arizona’s five redistricting commissioners will begin filling the hole in the center of their “donut” congressional district plan today.
And although the decision to use the "donut" map shows more momentum than the commission has demonstrated in recent weeks, the plan has won opposition.
Brewer seeks en banc appeal of Ninth Circuit ruling on domestic partner benefits
Gov. Jan Brewer is asking the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals to revisit its recent ruling that a 2009 decision to eliminate domestic partner benefits for state employees is unconstitutional.
Pearce, challengers to debate next month in Mesa
State Senate President Russell Pearce and Republican challenger Jerry Lewis will debate Oct. 6 at a public forum presented by the Mesa Chamber of Commerce.
Changing directions: New Equality Arizona chief plans to move group from defense to offense
Nick Ray's transition from openly gay to professional advocate for the rights of lesbian, gay bisexual and transgendered people happened during a speech organized by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force in 1998.
Rematch: Kirkpatrick launches early attack on Gosar — he touts mining bill
Less than three months after Ann Kirkpatrick lost her seat in Congress, the former representative of Arizona’s 1st Congressional District announced that she would challenge the Tea Party-endorsed dentist Paul Gosar again for control of the expansive rural district.
Pearce echoes racism allegations about Cortes suit
Pearce today responded to the lawsuit to remove Cortes from the ballot. “Somebody needs to call Gloria Alred. A Hispanic woman doesn’t have a right to run? Does Jerry Lewis think this race is only for white, male Mormons? Pretty shameful, in my opinion,” he told our reporter.