Ousted lawmaker Don Shooter’s political comeback attempt is so far falli

If Republicans in Maricopa County have their way, nobody from Yuma County will represent Legislative District 13 in the state House of Representatives.

Shortly before launching a campaign from Yuma for his old state Senate seat, ousted lawmaker Don Shooter spent two weeks as a registered voter in Phoenix, reopening old questions about whether he actually lives in the district he represented for more than six years.

Now Shooter claims he’s willing to serve, but only if a small band of Yuma Republicans can gather enough petitions for the disgraced politician to qualify for the ballot. Shooter was voted out of the Legislature in February after a House investigation found he serially sexually harassed colleagues and lobbyists.

State senators agreed Monday to boost the penalty for intentional abuse or killing of pets over objections from a lawmaker who said it could make criminals out of ranchers protecting their herds.

Arizona’s newest senator, Sine Kerr, follows in the footsteps of former Sen. Steve Pierce and the late Sen. Chester Crandell as a lawmaker who lives and breathes the agricultural lifestyle.

The Peoria Republican’s resignation became official at roughly 5 p.m. Monday evening, ending speculation about when Lesko would abandon her seat in Legislative District 21 to focus on a congressional run

Republican Sine Kerr was appointed Jan. 4 by the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors to replace former state Sen. Steve Montenegro in Legislative District 13.