Lawmakers can call bluff with slim margin
House Republican leaders bent on passing a flat tax and succeeding with threadbare majorities where past Republican supermajorities had failed hatched a plan last week: put the tax bills up for a vote and embarrass their outspoken holdout into voting for it.
From luaus to private parties, fundraising persists despite COVID
With the election drawing near, lawmakers are ramping up efforts to fundraise. For some, this means hosting or attending parties – even as the COVID-19 pandemic, though subdued in Arizona since its mid-summer peak, continues to kill dozens in the state each day.
Incumbents kill union ploy to shape Democratic caucus
When Democratic primary voters rebuked a series of challengers to progressive incumbents and their allies on August 4, they weighed in on the identity crisis of a long-suffering party finally approaching the precipice of success.
Even amid COVID, scandals set the tone at the Legislature
The 2020 session was, in some ways, the story of two scandals: one that rocked the Capitol and continued reverberating weeks after the Legislature adjourned, and one that quickly fizzled... […]
House resumes work, pushes liability bill
Republican lawmakers are moving to make it harder for someone who contracts COVID-19 to sue the business where they believe they were infected or a company that made a device... […]
At least 90 opinions of what are ‘must-pass’ bills
Some lobbyists and lawmakers have a pitch for legislative leaders dallying over plans to adjourn or resume the session – find a middle ground.
Lobbyists navigate lawmakers’ bad behavior, professional relationships
In 2018, at the height of the Me Too movement, investigators for the House of Representatives dismissed a lobbyist’s allegations of harassment against a state representative because the lobbyist sent friendly text messages after the alleged incident occurred.
Love letters from lawmaker to lobbyist raise ethical questions
Rep. David Cook, R-Globe, denies having a romantic relationship with a lobbyist whose employer put her on suspension pending an investigation of professional misconduct.
Glendale, Tucson voters reject city council salary increases
Voters in Glendale and Tucson overwhelmingly voted down large raises for city councilors this week, marking the latest in a series of ill-fated attempts by policymakers to increase their pay.
Committees advance competing car-sharing bills
House and Senate committees approved competing proposals to regulate car sharing in Arizona, with lawmakers split on how to tax the emerging industry.
Behind the Ballot: Riding the wave
Democrats are fielding a candidate in nearly every federal, statewide and legislative race this year, using a strategy of saturation that has been successful elsewhere.
Dem election plan puts candidate in nearly every race
This year, the Democratic Party is by design fielding a candidate in nearly every federal, statewide and legislative race, with the exception of one, a strategy that has paid off in other states.


















