AG rules against regents, concludes Legislature can set university tuition rates
Attorney General Mark Brnovich issued a legal opinion December 7 saying that, with only narrow exceptions, the Legislature has “unrestricted’’ authority to redefine the powers and duties of the Arizona Board of Regents.
Congressman Franks resigns
U.S. Rep. Trent Franks announced today he will resign from the House of Representatives after two female staffers said he discussed surrogacy with them.
ACLU sues over Arizona law targeting anti-Israel boycotts
The American Civil Liberties Union has filed a federal lawsuit challenging an Arizona law prohibiting state contractors from supporting boycotts against Israel.
Rick Miller: Four miracles – someone get the Vatican on the phone
Rick Miller is preparing his application for sainthood. He says that with a smile and a laugh, and because the founder of Kids at Hope says everything with a smile and a laugh, it’s almost hard to tell that he’s joking.
Teachers say low pay ends careers in Arizona, leaves some at crossroads
Arizona teachers have not been quiet about their reasons for abandoning the profession and even the state: high stress, low morale and low pay. Yet the state’s response has not been enough to end the ongoing crisis, a new report from a Washington D.C.-based think tank concludes.
Teacher shortage hits state’s schools for deaf and blind too
The Arizona State Schools for the Deaf and Blind have continually struggled to recruit and retain teachers who know their subject matter and are certified to teach students who are blind or deaf.
Democrats oppose locating recidivism center in south Phoenix
Democratic lawmakers from south Phoenix are siding with their voters in a fight against two proposed programs aimed at helping prisoners re-enter society, a long held constituency of theirs that doesn’t vote.
Art therapy requirements put in place, still largely unregulated
A search of the popular magazine “Psychology Today” revealed that many professionals in Arizona who are not certified continue to advertise art therapy services. Of 16 therapists that listed an art therapy specialty or claimed to be trained in art therapy, only five had the required board certification.
Turf wars plentiful in health care practice expansion process
The sunrise review process is one of the more obscure proceedings at the Arizona Legislature, but it’s also the battleground for recurring turf wars.
Group seeking ‘dark money’ ban tries to ride wave of momentum
Outlaw Dirty Money, a campaign led by former attorney general Terry Goddard, wants to let Arizonans vote on a constitutional amendment to ban “dark money,” the term given to campaign dollars spent by groups who don’t disclose the source of their money.
Yee announces candidacy for GOP nomination for treasurer
The 43-year-old Phoenix Republican has announced her candidacy for the office now held by fellow Republican Jeff DeWit, who is not running for re-election.
Supreme Court Justice Ann Scott Timmer: Fourth of a kind
Only four women have served on the Arizona Supreme Court. But Justice Ann Scott Timmer found the one silver lining to the state’s gross underrepresentation at its highest court: “The good news is I’m in the top five of all time.”