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She’s been called so much worse
The Arizona Conservative Coalition has declared that Brewer has earned the “RINO” label for her vetoes and signings in the recently concluded regular and special sessions. According to the group’s grading system, Brewer only scored 37.9 out of a possible 100.
GOP facing shifting cultural sands
The US Supreme Court’s decision to strike DOMA but allow states to carve their own path when it comes to same-sex marriage is reverberating in Arizona, but it remains to be seen what kind of an impact the decision will have on the Arizona Republican Party, where social conservatives dominate.
It was a promise, not a threat
During the session, opponents warned lawmakers that Laws 2013, Chapter 62 (H2600: judicial nominees; minimum reqs; records) was going to wind up in court, and now it’s looking like it might be one of the first pieces of legislation from the session to be the subject of a lawsuit.
A multi-front referendum war
A prevailing sentiment among supporters of Medicaid expansion is that efforts to gather the signatures and challenge the expansion law via a referendum are bound to fail, a pro-expansion source told our reporter this morning (July 1).
Time to wake the Ethics Committee?
The news today (June 28) about Murphy and Shooter has prompted some observers to wonder when the two senators will face ethics charges. After word of Shooter’s transgression broke in March, Dem senators said they weren’t ready to file an ethics complaint because the police hadn’t investigated the incident and charges hadn’t been filed, but there will be renewed pressure for them to file a [...]
An eye for an eye
While some Republicans say that ousting McComish as majority leader remains a possibility, others are hoping he will choose the less confrontational path and resign his post.
Gentlemen, start your signature-collecting engines
About 200 Medicaid expansion opponents gathered on the House lawn Saturday morning to officially kick off the United Republican Alliance of Principled Conservatives’ referendum drive.
Maybe we’ll have two 2013 laws on the 2014 ballot!
Gallardo and a prominent Dem activist who represents several voter advocacy groups met with a petition gathering firm this morning as they explore the possibility of challenging Laws 2013, Chapter 209 (H2305). Gallardo wouldn’t disclose the company and said no contract has been signed, but he said the firm was confident it could meet the requirements to put the law on the 2014 ballot.
Let the referendum games begin
Antenori and Gould’s United Republican Alliance of Principled Conservatives filed its citizen referendum against Medicaid expansion this morning (June 19). The referendum, which needs 86,405 valid signatures by Sept. 11, would refer the hospital tax and the expansion of eligibility to 133 percent of the federal poverty level to the November 2014 ballot.
Libertarians, Greens up in arms
A group of Democrats, Greens and Libertarians gathered in the Senate Democrats’ caucus room today (June 18) to denounce the new signature requirements in H2305 (election revisions; violations), which the Greens and Libertarians say will make it nearly impossible for them to get on the ballot.
Bizarro world
The Dems, in their turn, acknowledged the pressure that their Republican colleagues faced. Landrum Taylor thanked the Republicans for supporting expansion, despite the “extraordinary pressures” that members of their own party exerted, as well as her Democratic colleagues who reached across the aisle, and the governor for her leadership. “Her leadership in crafting and passing this historic l[...]
What, me lobby?
Horne spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham disputed Republic columnist Laurie Roberts’ assertion that the AG’s lobbyists swung into action to lobby against H2305 (initiatives; filings; circulators) over its retroactivity clause, which would allow the secretary of state’s office to send Horne’s campaign finance case directly to the Maricopa County attorney.
