In “The Conscience of a Conservative,” Senator Barry Goldwater wrote: “Local problems are best dealt with by the people most directly concerned.” I couldn’t agree more. At a fundamental level, every Arizona citizen deserves to be able to live in their home, free from nightly chaos, disruptions and crime. We encourage the Legislature to pass HB2481 and urge Gov. Doug Ducey to sign it into law. Give back cities and towns the proven tools we need to protect our neighborhoods and our residents.

Saying magistrates can be squeezed politically, a House panel voted Wednesday to all but strip city councils of their ability to fire them.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.