Ethics committee opens inquiry on Dem Miranda, votes along party lines
The Arizona Senate Ethics Committee will investigate a Democratic state senator for allegedly violating signature gathering laws, but won’t do any real sleuthing until the attorney general weighs in.
Livingston accuses Blanc of doctoring referendum petitions, calls for resignation
Rep. David Livingston said Rep. Isela Blanc should fully comply with any investigation into allegations she or others doctored petitions to help get a referendum of school voucher expansion on the ballot, and if she’s found in the wrong, resign from office.
Livingston files ethics complaint against Blanc over alleged petition doctoring
A Republican lawmaker wants Democratic Rep. Isela Blanc investigated by the House Ethics Committee, citing allegations that petition sheets she gathered to block an expansion of school vouchers were doctored.
Voucher expansion on hold as effort to kill campaign begins
School voucher expansion legislation is on hold after Save Our Schools Arizona delivered, by the group’s count, 111,540 signatures today to refer the law to the 2018 general election ballot.
Petition measure sparks heated debate over future of citizens’ initiatives
When Republican Rep. Vince Leach proposed a bill to ban paying petition circulators for citizens’ initiatives on a per-signature basis, Democrats were collectively outraged and denounced the bill as an “attack on democracy.”
State Supreme Court upholds law aimed at Libertarian candidates
The Arizona Supreme Court on Friday upheld a law that its proponents admitted is designed to help elect Republicans by keeping Libertarians from siphoning away votes.
Under new law, fate of initiatives depends on whether circulators show up in court
Hundreds of signature gatherers came to Arizona this year, most hoping to make a quick buck getting voters to agree to raise the minimum wage. For 40 of those circulators, a judge may rule that all their work was in vain.
Signature effort aims to derail solar ballot measure
Summit Consulting Group, a political consulting firm with ties to Arizona Public Service, is paying Sign Here Petitions to collect survey signatures, but only on the condition that signature gatherers sign a non-compete clause, promising not to work on SolarCity’s initiative.
Resign-to-run change lets candidates say what they mean
Al Melvin no longer has to pretend he’s considering, exploring or contemplating a run for governor. He’s running. It’s as simple as that.
Fillmore lawsuit claims Crandall filed hundreds of invalid signatures
The Senate primary contest pitting Sen. Rich Crandall, R-Mesa, and Rep. John Fillmore, R-Apache Junction, was already turning out to be among the hottest races in Arizona this year.
This week, the temperature shot up a couple of degrees.