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A majority under pressure reveals legislative fissures
Early the morning of May 7, a Thursday, a motley crew of senior Senate Republicans and their Democratic counterparts, disregarding a chorus of conflicting desires from the membership as a whole, pulled the plug on the 2020 legislative session.
House GOP caucus cold to gas tax proposal
A proposal to double the state's gasoline tax is in trouble. On Thursday, several Republican lawmakers told Rep. Noel Campbell, R-Prescott, they would not support his proposal for a three-step increase in the levy that eventually would bring it to 36 cents a gallon.
Fate of most 2020 bills met at Legislature’s deadline
Silent death has come for about two-thirds of the 1,842 bills and resolutions introduced this year in the Legislature.
Abortion: The overlooked tragedy for black Americans
During February, which is Black History Month, it is a good time to look upon the triumphs and tragedies in African American history. Movies like Harriet tell of heroes of the Underground Railroad and the struggle against slavery. It is good to honor those stories. There is, however, one tragedy of the African American community that is often overlooked: the tragedy of legalized abortion.
It is time for Arizona to abolish failed truth in sentencing laws
Arizona Rep. Walter Blackman, R-Snowflake, recently introduced a bill that would allow nonviolent offenders to be eligible for a reduced sentence if they participate in a rehabilitation program while incarcerated. It’s a step in the right direction, but one that needs to be expanded.
College Dems, Republicans join in call for NAU president’s resignation
Northern Arizona University’s Young Democrats, College Republicans and several other student organizations called for university President Rita Cheng’s resignation Thursday after a state audit revealed in October that she used more than $40,000 from the university for travel expenses without proper documentation.
House GOP policy plan covers old ground, unfinished battles
Republican leadership in the House of Representatives released a general framework of policy and spending goals for the upcoming legislative session on January 9, laying out a broad-stroke vision for nine key issues to watch in 2020.
Thorpe drops senate bid for run for county supervisor
Flagstaff Rep. Bob Thorpe announced this week he will abandon his run for the state Senate, bowing out of a contentious Republican primary in a northern Arizona district Democrats view as one of their best shots at flipping the state Legislature.
Blackman relaunches effort to release prisoners early
A 2020 legislative effort to expand early release opportunities for prisoners kicked off Monday morning with exhortations from advocates to think beyond incremental steps and warnings from the Arizona Department of Corrections that it doesn’t have the budget or staff to handle big changes.
The Breakdown: Unanswered questions
Governor Ducey’s early-morning tweetstorm yanking financial incentives from Nike may have exceeded his own authority.
Allen weathers criticism of racially-charged comments
The Democratic senator and liberal activists who delivered more than 1,000 petitions calling for Sen. Sylvia Allen to lose her position as leader of the Senate Education Committee Wednesday morning acknowledged that Allen isn’t likely to go anywhere.
Prosecutors’ honor questioned as criminal justice measures die
Arizona lawmakers stymied this year in their quests to revamp the criminal justice system are re-evaluating how to work with prosecutors next year after what some described as an 11th-hour betrayal.
