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In memoriam: Arizona lives lost in 2016
The state’s political world lost a former governor and a host of others in 2016 who had served the state as lawmakers, an expert on polling, and agency and industry leaders.
Revered former lawmaker Carolyn Allen dies at 78
Carolyn Allen died on Saturday due to complications arising from her decades-long bout with rheumatoid arthritis, consultant Bert Coleman, who ran her legislative campaigns, confirmed. She was 78.
Advice from the pros
Women embarking on their first political campaign for public office got some advice from the pros at the Arizona Capitol Times’ third annual Women in Public Policy event at the W Hotel in Scottsdale on Nov. 20.
Gov. Brewer’s Medicaid expansion plan is sound fiscal management
Gov. Jan Brewer has set as a top priority that the state expand Medicaid to become eligible for a nine-to-one federal match instead of the current two-to-one match.
Time running out for plan to scrap term limits
A measure that would allow Arizona lawmakers to serve an unlimited number of terms in office appears dead in the Legislature, even though most lawmakers have said they want to repeal the term limits provision in the state's Constitution.
Fate of First Things First hinges on ballot measure
In its last action to shore up the staggering state deficit, Arizona lawmakers decided to ask voters to dismantle a program aimed at expanding education and health services for children.
Texting ban squeaks through in Senate debate
No legislation is ever dead - not while lawmakers are in session. The dictum proved true on March 4, when a Republican senator from Tucson managed to revive a bill that would ban texting while driving.
Senate seeks limits on reproductive rights
The Senate passed bills on March 3 that would ban the use of taxpayer money for abortion insurance, require the disclosure of the health risks associated with donating a human egg, and penalize the destruction of human embryos in non-therapeutic research.
Senate OKs bill to prohibit ‘sanctuary cities’
The Senate on Feb. 15 passed a bill that makes major changes to the way Arizona and its cities deal with illegal immigration.
Senator’s bill aims to keep electronic cigarettes away from kids
Smoke or no smoke, Sen. Carolyn Allen doesn't want to see electronic cigarettes in kids' mouths. Allen, a Scottsdale Republican, is sponsoring a bill that would have so-called e-cigarettes join regular cigarettes and other tobacco products that can't be sold to or possessed by those under 18.
‘I hate this bill and I vote aye’
Last year, Sen. Jack Harper gave his word that he would vote for a bill to restrict notary publics from notarizing documents that would present a conflict of interest. He made good on his promise by voting for it in committee. But when the bill failed there, Harper said he was relieved that it didn't pass. The situation illustrates the fact that lawmakers sometimes vote for measures they don’t n[...]
Senate panel approves bill to overturn term limits
A proposal to ask voters to overturn term limits has overcome the first of many hurdles after a Senate panel approved it on Jan. 19. The committee voted 4-2 to send the bill to the Senate floor for a vote by the entire body.
