Challenges are nothing new to Arizona. No matter the challenge — drought, disease, economic prosperity and many other s— transforming problems into opportunities has been our state’s hallmark. At every step, Arizona’s public universities have helped lead the way.
Read More »Senate committee approves measure prohibiting public from accessing lawmakers’ addresses 
State lawmakers voted Wednesday to make it a lot harder to find out where they live. But they said that threats they face make the move necessary.
Read More »Bill would penalize cities with higher minimum wage than state 
State lawmakers are moving to financially penalize cities that have a minimum wage higher than the rest of the state. And they are doing it in a way designed to get around restrictions that voters put on legislators in 2016 when they said cities can have their own base wages.
Read More »Gun dealers fighting Mexico’s claim they’re responsible for violence 
Attorneys for five Arizona gun dealers are asking a federal judge to toss out a claim by the Mexican government that they are responsible for violence in that country. In a new court filing, the team of lawyers says nothing in the complaint alleges any evidence that the weapons sold by the five companies -- three in Tucson, one in Yuma and one in Phoenix -- actually were used by Mexican cartels in commission of a crime.
Read More »Gallego holds first events of Arizona Senate campaign 
Democrat Ruben Gallego held the first public events of his U.S. Senate campaign Saturday, taking aim at independent incumbent Kyrsten Sinema and casting his candidacy in a patriotic appeal to the American dream.
Read More »Should federal grants favor highway repair over expansion? 
Arizona officials refer to a notoriously congested stretch of desert highway through tribal land as the Wild Horse Pass Corridor, a label that's less about horses than the bustling casino by the same name located just north of where the interstate constricts to four lanes.
Read More »Farnsworth’s story of homelessness prompts Senate committee chair to pull Kavanagh’s proposal 
A Republican state senator from Mesa's personal experience with mental illness and homelessness derailed a bid by another GOP lawmaker, this one a former cop, to make sleeping on a sidewalk a state crime. Sen. David Farnsworth's extended comments about his struggles led the chairman of a Senate committee to pull Republican Fountain Hills Sen. John Kavanagh's proposal from consideration during a hearing this past week.
Read More »Committee takes initial steps towards denying students right to use preferred pronoun 
State lawmakers took the first steps Wednesday to denying students the right to be referred to by a pronoun that matches their preferred gender. SB 1001, approved by the Senate Education Committee on a 4-3 party line vote, also would put into law that teachers and other school employees may refer to a student by only his or her given name or a nickname "commonly associated with the student's name of record.''
Read More »To save lives, let’s fast-track federal grant to improve I-10
Widening and improving the I-10 will save lives, reduce smog, save travelers’ time, improve freight transit, and help the Arizona economy remain robust.
Read More »Jones says her property tax cut bill needs major amendments to get traction 
The way Rep. Rachel Jones sees it, once you've paid off your house you shouldn't have to worry about property taxes. But the first-term Republican lawmaker from Tucson acknowledged there are a bunch of practical questions with her legislation, including who would -- or should -- get a tax break. And she said her plan is probably going to need some major amendments to get any traction.
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