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Steve Smith

Mar 18, 2014

Arizona Senate committee approves 5 pro-gun bills

An Arizona Senate committee approved five major pro-gun bills on Monday, advancing what Republicans call necessary legislation to protect Second Amendment rights but what Democrats say is unnecessary and a waste of time.

House Speaker Andy Tobin, R-Paulden, (left) and Rep. Adam Kwasman, R-Oro Valley (Photos from campaign website and Twitter)
Feb 7, 2014

Tobin, Kwasman push Medicaid bills, but neither measure has much of a chance

House Speaker Andy Tobin wants to enact more stringent regulations on who can use the state’s Medicaid system, while freshman Republican Rep. Adam Kwasman wants to repeal last year’s Medicaid expansion altogether. And on top of it all, they both want to be the next congressman from Arizona’s 1st Congressional District.

Dec 10, 2013

Border fence: Once again, the $264,000 question goes unanswered

A legislative panel that is looking into border security skirted a nagging question at a meeting this morning – what to do with roughly $260,000 that was raised to build a fence on the U.S.-Mexico border.

Nov 11, 2013

3 years later, still no groundbreaking on donation-funded state border fence

Nearly three years after lawmakers started soliciting public donations to build a portion of fence along Arizona’s border with Mexico, lawmakers still don’t have a plan to build a fence with the $264,028 they have received.

Jul 22, 2013

Gay and Conservative

Push for same-sex marriage initiative comes from the right

Erin Ogletree Simpson has been a Republican her whole life, but a year and a half ago, she had a realization that put her at odds with her party.

Simpson discovered that she is gay.

Rep. David Livingston (R-Peoria)
Jul 5, 2013

Livingston scores a perfect legislative batting average

The award for best legislative batting average for the session — the calculation of bills introduced versus bills signed into law — goes to Rep. David Livingston, a freshman Republican lawmaker from Peoria who has been vocally critical of the governor.

Opponents of the Medicaid expansion plan rallied at the Arizona State Capitol Saturday, to kick off their effort to force a ballot referendum on the issue, which would give Arizonans an opportunity to reject the recently passed plan. (Photo by Ryan Cook/RJ Cook Photography)
Jun 24, 2013

Rally kicks off Medicaid referendum drive

The push to refer Gov. Jan Brewer’s Medicaid expansion plan to the ballot began in earnest as opponents of the bill rallied at the Capitol before fanning out across the Valley to collect signatures.

Report: Surge in new-home sales signals rebound under way
Jun 24, 2013

Law makes landlords tell tenants of foreclosures

Renters no longer have to worry about being surprised when their home is repossessed by a bank now that a new law requiring landlords to give them notice has been signed.

May 3, 2013

Some ‘dead’ bills get a 2nd chance, but tactic doesn’t always work

More than a dozen bills have been reconsidered on the floors of the Arizona Senate and House of Representatives after their earlier demise, and while most have passed when given a second thought, a few have stalled or met another death by vote.

Joe Arpaio
Apr 19, 2013

Arizona Senate kills recall overhaul bill

The Arizona Senate has struck down an effort that would make it harder for voters to recall unpopular incumbents in a rare move that saw Republicans join Democrats against a GOP priority designed to protect lawmakers, and possibly, Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio.

Apr 18, 2013

Recall bill soundly defeated in Senate

A bill to overhaul the recall election process in Arizona to protect Sheriff Joe Arpaio and other elected officials was defeated today in the state Senate. HB2282 failed by a 10-18 vote. It would have created a primary and general election process in the event an elected official is recalled, as opposed to the current non-partisan, winner-take-all election.

'Selective Seven'
Mar 22, 2013

‘The Selective Seven’ — Sometimes they even vote against their own bills

A new voting bloc is emerging in the state House consisting of seven conservative Republicans who have voted against more GOP-sponsored bills on the floor than some Democrats have, though for entirely different reasons.

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