Legislative Republican and Democratic caucuses met separately this and last week to select leadership following a topsy-turvy election that saw statewide Democrats succeed but the party’s legislative candidates flounder under the weight of expectation. The GOP kept its top lawmakers ...
Read More »Bowers, Fann retain leadership posts; Dems choose Bolding, Rios
Rosy state revenues belie need for recovery package 
Rosy state revenues belie ongoing economic turmoil, particularly for lower-income Arizonans who have been disproportionately affected by job losses and wage cuts.
Read More »Veteran senator keeps win streak alive 
Sen. Lela Alston continues a four-decade streak of never losing legislative races, easily fending off a Democratic primary challenge in Legislative District 24 from an opponent who sought to make the race about her age.
Read More »Few contested primaries for independents to influence
Independent voters don’t have many contested races in Maricopa County in which they can sway the outcome with Arizona primary elections roughly two months away.
Read More »Lawmakers seek additional funding for child welfare programs 
At least two state senators want Gov. Doug Ducey to call a special session to address child welfare issues exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Read More »Senate calls it quits, leaves House to decide what’s next 
The Senate notified the House early Friday afternoon that it had ended its legislative work, ending the session and killing hundreds of bills. The lower chamber has yet to accede to the request, leaving senators in an indefinite recess.
Read More »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.
Read More »Legislative Democrats unveil ‘the people’s’ budget proposal 
Democrats in the House and Senate released their $12.5 billion budget proposal Monday morning, insisting that it’s not too late for the minority party to get a seat at the negotiating table even as crossover week approaches.
Read More »State to reopen closed prison to house booming female population 
The Department of Corrections will reopen a shuttered prison in Douglas to deal with the fact that women are being locked up at a higher rate. “We’re simply out of beds,” David Shinn, director of the Department of Corrections told ...
Read More »Impact of student population in downtown nil at ballot 
Arizona-based universities have increasingly focused on downtown Phoenix in the past decade, with all three state universities bringing satellite campuses to the area between Roosevelt and Van Buren streets.
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