Owner of three restaurants files suit to overturn rules aimed at giving eggs more room
Saying the move is costing him money, the owner of three Tucson restaurants has filed suit to overturn rules designed to give egg-laying hens more room to move and stretch their wings.
Hobbs says UA should not balance budget shortfall by cutting financial aid
Gov. Katie Hobbs said Monday she doesn't believe the University of Arizona should be balancing its newly disclosed budget shortfall by cutting financial aid.
Audit finds vulnerable adult care lacking
After a state-funded audit found significant gaps in the care that elderly people and vulnerable adults receive at care facilities, members of the Legislature are hoping to establish a working group in conjunction with the Governor’s Office to fill gaps in the care system.
Legislature chips away at government transparency
The Arizona Legislature has often been hostile to transparency by introducing bills to limit access to public records and carving out exceptions in sunshine laws in the name of privacy.
Travers pushing for exception to state laws that allow clergy to hide abuse confessed
A first-term Democratic lawmaker wants to enact an exception to state laws that allow clergy to refuse to disclose what was told to them in confession or similar confidential communication.
Lawmakers plan to tackle diverse health-related issues next year
Members of the House and Senate Health and Human Services committees are hoping to address a myriad of issues in 2024.
Agencies use delays to thwart public records requests
Arizona’s public bodies often use delay tactics and loose interpretations of the state’s public records laws to avoid transparency, First Amendment lawyers say.
Neutral ombudsman demystifies public records requests
Joanne MacDonnell, the current Arizona ombudsman, described the office as a “giant flashlight,” and “an umpire calling balls and strikes.” Its public access attorney called the office, “the canary in the coal mine,” and the “eyes and ears” of the Legislature and governor.
Task force approves elections policy recommendations despite Bennett’s criticism of Hobbs’ absence
A bipartisan task force headed by Gov. Katie Hobbs approved 16 policy and legislative recommendations Tuesday related to the controversial topic of elections policy.
Anti-democratic laws wreak havoc on ability to cast ballot
Voter ID laws undermine and distort democracy. By creating extra barriers to the voting booth, they block millions of otherwise eligible voters from participating in the democratic process.
Court rules counties can’t hand-count all ballots in elections
Arizona counties are prohibited by law from hand-counting all ballots in an election, even if they want to do so because county leaders have bought into conspiracy theories that say vote tabulation machines are untrustworthy, the state Court of Appeals ruled.
Fighting for rural Arizona, not for footnotes
The latest attempt to protect Arizona’s water resources does not reflect the long-term, collaborative, and courageous efforts that have been the bedrock of water policy in Arizona.