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walt blackman

Sep 25, 2020

Decade of Dem gains sets stage for nail-biter legislative races

House and Senate seats have only flipped when fewer than 10 percentage points separate voter registration numbers for the two major parties. This year, that holds true in nine districts.

Sep 25, 2020

Liberal group ignores Dem support of health care bill, attacks GOP

The political postcards began landing in swing district voters’ mailboxes nearly as soon as election administrators finished counting primary ballots.

Sep 7, 2020

Democrats, Ducey PAC, begin election spending

Democratic PACs are beginning to spend on the general election, spreading money far and wide in an effort to support the party’s attempted takeover of the Legislature.

Aug 7, 2020

Lawmaker: Republicans out to remove LD6 nominee from ballot

An upset for Wendy Rogers in Legislative District 6 has led some Republicans to write off the Senate seat as a lost cause and others to brainstorm ways to replace her with another Republican candidate.

Jul 17, 2020

Ugenti-Rita defends seat against spectrum of detractors

Bright yellow signs blasting Sen. Michelle Ugenti-Rita as “ethically compromised” litter roads in Scottsdale, where the 10-year incumbent seeks to fend off a primary challenge from a well-funded opponent. It’s... […]

Jun 4, 2020

Black lawmaker calls BLM a terrorist organization

The only African American Republican in the Arizona Legislature told a conservative radio host that the Black Lives Matter movement is a terrorist organization. “This is my thought on Black... […]

Apr 10, 2020

Lawmaker: Virus makes need for change to sentencing laws greater than ever

This is all frustrating for Rep. Walt Blackman,R-Snowflake, one of many Arizona lawmakers who over the years have sought to amend the state’s sentencing laws -- some of the strictest in the country -- and improve prison conditions, mostly to no avail.

Feb 21, 2020

Players in movement to remake Arizona’s criminal justice system

Since conservatives got on board with revamping Arizona’s sentencing laws, bills to do that no longer lay unheard, not considered. And as the movement has taken hold over the past few years, a host of groups and people have made their presence known at the Legislature. Following are some of them.

Feb 19, 2020

House committee passes earned release bill

Long-awaited legislation that would create an early release program for people convicted of non-violent crimes passed through the House Judiciary committee Wednesday, offering relief to lawmakers who have fought for broad changes to sentencing laws to no avail for the better part of two years.

Feb 7, 2020

Push to remake criminal justice laws hits snag in House

Several bills to revamp criminal justice in Arizona appear to be on life support after the Republican House Judiciary chair decided to hold a trio of bills in retaliation to his own bill being held.

Jan 22, 2020

Tough opioids bill draws skepticism from lawmakers

Legislation to require mandatory 5-year prison terms for anyone who sells even the slightest amount of opioids appears dead, at least in its current form.

Dec 20, 2019

Groups file sweeping criminal justice ballot measure

Prisoners serving time for non-violent crimes would get one day off their sentences for every day served under a ballot measure filed by a newly formed group Friday.

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