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walt blackman

Dec 13, 2019

GOP lawmaker pushes ‘dignity’ measure to benefit women prisoners

A Republican lawmaker intends to introduce legislation designed to improve the dignity of incarcerated women as the Arizona Department of Corrections plans to reopen a motel-turned-prison to house a continually growing female population.

Dec 2, 2019

Panel recommends less prison time for low-level offenders

A bipartisan group of lawmakers wants to give people serving time for low-level felonies the opportunity to reduce their sentences by up to 60 percent, but selling the rest of their colleagues on the idea could be tough.

Sep 12, 2019

Montgomery to high court opens way for criminal justice changes

Lawmakers and advocates who’ve sought for years to overhaul Arizona’s criminal justice system are cautiously optimistic that longtime Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery’s ascension to the state Supreme Court will clear the way for substantive change next legislative session.

Aug 26, 2019

Prisoners need programs for success after release

I was elected to the Arizona House of Representatives on a promise that I would fight for individual liberty and hold those who break our laws accountable, and my fight to reform Arizona’s criminal justice system is consistent with those principles.

Jun 17, 2019

The Breakdown: Have you no honor?

How exactly do you work with someone you believe has betrayed you? That’s a question some lawmakers are asking themselves about the state’s county prosecutors after what some saw as an 11th hour reversal on criminal justice reform measures.

May 2, 2019

Legislature passes bill to mandate reporting of school violence

Republican lawmakers on Wednesday approved new mandates on schools to report violent incidents in what Democrats say is feel-good legislation to hide the shortfalls in education funding.

Feb 11, 2019

Young people exempt from minimum wage under Republican bill

Insisting it will be good for young people, a House panel voted Monday to let employers pay students who are part-time workers just two-thirds as much as they do anyone else.

Feb 5, 2019

Republicans introduce bills to lighten criminal sentencing

A Republican-sponsored bill would allow judges to depart from mandatory sentences for certain crimes.

Walt Blackman PHOTO BY KATIE CAMPBELL/ARIZONA CAPITOL TIMES
Dec 24, 2018

Walt Blackman: A graduate of ‘Real World U’

Walt Blackman could hardly believe that he was the first black Republican elected to the state Legislature. It’s true, though – the folks at the House checked it out for him.

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