Saying magistrates can be squeezed politically, a House panel voted Wednesday to all but strip city councils of their ability to fire them.
Read More »Swing-district Dems use divergent vote tactics in Legislature
No legislative votes are picked apart come election season quite like those of lawmakers from Arizona’s swing districts. While Sen. Sean Bowie follows conventional wisdom, Reps. Mitzi Epstein and Kelli Butler don’t play by bipartisan rules.
Read More »Maria Syms: From zoning commissioner to legislating on behalf of crime victims 
As an attorney, a former assistant Arizona attorney general and former United States attorney, Republican Rep. Maria Syms is attempting to bring her background in law enforcement and empathy for victims to the state House.
Read More »New legislator avoids constitutional question by resigning from town council 
Maria Syms has resigned from the Paradise Valley Town Council, a move that allows her to avoid violating the Arizona Constitution when she is sworn in as a state representative.
Read More »House Dems choose Meyer, Wheeler, Rios for leadership 
House Democrats in their leadership meeting on Thursday chose Rep. Eric Meyer of Paradise Valley as their new leader, replacing the outgoing minority leader, Rep. Chad Campbell of Phoenix. Meyer is in his fourth term at the Legislature, and hails from the Republican-leaning Legislative District 28.
Read More »House approves “academic intervention” bill 
Students with poor grades may have to buckle down on their studies before they can play in the football game or dance on the cheerleading team if a bill approved by the House on March 4 becomes law.
Read More »Parker-Mason GOP Corp Comm slate: ‘Ratepayer advocates’ 
The Republican primary race for the Arizona Corporation Commission became competitive last month, when former state lawmaker Lucy Mason announced she and former Paradise Valley mayor Vernon Parker would run on a slate for the two nominations.
Read More »Last-minute anti-abortion bill goes nowhere 
A bill allowing health inspectors to carry out unannounced inspections of abortion clinics failed on June 13, but its supporters promised to revive it next year.
Read More »Proposal to raise dropout age gets tabled 
Rep. Jeff Dial met bipartisan opposition from the House Education Committee on Monday when he testified on behalf of his bill to increase the minimum school dropout age from 16 to 18.
Read More »Support for Sheriff Arpaio declines even in some GOP strongholds
While Joe Arpaio’s political dominance carried him to a sixth term as Maricopa County sheriff, his 2012 re-election reveals a geographically divided electorate and dwindling support among Republican-leaning suburbanites.
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