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AZ Hugs case shows cities embracing wrong solutions for homelessness
While governments are not required to provide shelter or food to those in need, they certainly cannot stand in the way of people who wish to do so. Good Samaritans like Norma and Austin have a constitutional right to engage in charity.
Starting a Phoenix business should not take 58 steps
Phoenix should look at consolidating fees and streamlining the building and zoning permit process, which can be lengthy and opaque. Aspiring restaurant owners, for example, must submit seven sets of plans with their applications. This is too much.
Health records vindicate Arizona tamale vendors
Home cooking scares Arizona health officials, but real-world evidence should put them at ease. A new investigation finds no confirmed illnesses related to homemade meals or snacks sold in the seven states with the broadest laws.
Override falls short after partisan fireworks
The effort to override Gov. Katie Hobbs’ veto of a bill that had received bipartisan backing ran out of gas on April 25 when the Arizona House of Representatives mustered a simple majority vote – but not the necessary supermajority.
Bill to lower cost, time needed to become cosmetologist shows good bipartisanship
HB2525, sponsored by Rep. Laurin Hendrix, R-Gilbert, and signed by Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs, creates an alternative pathway via apprenticeship programs, which provide a debt-free alternative to traditional beauty school by allowing students to learn on the job while earning a wage.
English exam singles out massage therapists, hurts immigrants
Unfortunately, the Arizona State Board of Massage Therapy, which regulates the industry, has set standards beyond the reach of most immigrants and international students.
Law limiting recording of police unconstitutional
When Apple launched the iPhone, it could not have imagined how profoundly the technology would change the world. From giving us a lifeline during the Covid pandemic to putting the news at our fingertips, smartphones have broken down barriers.
Licensing boards should stop playing word games with occupations
Occupational definitions should not hinge on such an arbitrary detail. Licensing boards should stop playing word games and let people work.
Sky Harbor cash seizure undercuts 2017 police reform
The government already has shown a willingness to exploit loopholes, sidestepping the requirement to produce clear and convincing evidence. Property owners like Johnson will not be safe unless their rights are guaranteed with airtight language, and courts show a willingness to restrict policing for profit.
Supreme Court opens door for more privacy intrusion
An Arizona Supreme Court ruling January 11 allows police to obtain information about people’s internet activity and identity without first getting a search warrant, making it easier for the government to see what most consider to be private information about their online habits.
Arizona earns D- for police moneymaking schemes
Police who patrol Arizona communities should focus on criminals, not cash. Current laws encourage the reverse, making everyone a potential ATM for cash-strapped agencies.
Legislature joins push to delicense, deregulate all sorts of professions and jobs
If there’s a professional license, there’s probably an Arizona lawmaker who wonders if it should exist.
