Maybe the eighth time’s the charm.State Senator Steve Farley, a Tucson Democrat, is proposing a ban on texting while driving, which he’s proposed every legislative session for the past eight years…
Some Democratic lawmakers are proposing that marijuana possession in Arizona should no longer be a felony.It’s not legalization, but it is decriminalization — 13 Democrats have teamed up to offer a bill that proposes the penalty for possessing less than an ounce of pot be a “civil penalty” of $100…
Some Arizona lawmakers are proposing lowering the age limit for a concealed-weapon permit to 19 for military members.Although a concealed-weapon permit isn’t required for people 21 or older, the permit process still exists, and this new legislation would allow military members as young as 19 to obtain a permit…
For the third time in as many years, some legislators are proposing a repeal of Arizona’s law that protects legislators from being arrested in certain situations.Although many people say the law doesn’t truly shield legislators from arrest in criminal cases, several lawmakers have made immunity claims over the last few…
Phoenix recycles garbage at less than half of the national average rate, mostly because of a lack of awareness by residents, a city official says. To reduce the amount of waste the country’s sixth-largest city sends to landfills, officials have planned a diet of smaller trash cans and educational campaigns,…
For the second year in a row, legislators have proposed allowing people other than police officers to have guns on school campuses.Attorney General Tom Horne pushed for the legislation last year in response to the Newtown, Connecticut, massacre of schoolchildren, as he called for one person in every school to…
Trips to space aren’t exactly commonplace at the moment, but some lawmakers would like to address the liability of companies that plan to provide flights to space.By addressing the issue of liability, one of the lawmakers behind the bill says he hopes space flight in Arizona will become a lot…
Electric-car manufacturer Tesla Motors has a dinky presence in Arizona.There’s no dealership here, and although the company operates a “gallery” at Scottsdale Fashion Square, the company technically doesn’t sell any cars in Arizona. However, that’s only due to state law, and there’s a proposal to change that law…
Among the bills turned in early this legislative session is a proposal to create a registry of convicted animal abusers.The bill, sponsored by Democratic Senator Steve Farley and Democratic Representative Andrew Sherwood, calls for the Arizona Department of Public Safety to run the registry, similarly to how it currently operates…
A Phoenix resident is petitioning the City Council to allow members of the public to speak during the council’s formal meetings instead of making them wait until the sometimes lengthy public sessions are over. Dianne Barker, who first raised the issue in November, also would like to see the current…
Among the first bills submitted this legislative session is a proposal from a trio of Republicans to create a drug-testing program for people seeking unemployment insurance.Perhaps the most important part of the legislation from Representatives Phil Lovas and David Livingston and Senator Judy Burges is that it wouldn’t apply to…
The Maricopa County Republican Committee voted to censure Senator John McCain.In other words, with a 1,150-351 vote, the county GOP passed a resolution that says it doesn’t like McCain anymore…
Today in Found at the Border: U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers inspecting the vehicle of a Phoenix man on his way back into the United States found a Thai woman in the man’s suitcase.According to a CBP spokeswoman, the 56-year-old Phoenix resident — whose name wasn’t released — was…
The U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals today ordered a full-court “en banc” hearing of Arizona’s voter-approved law that denies bail to undocumented immigrants accused of serious crimes. Since the challenge to the 2006 law appeared settled after a Ninth Circuit 2-1 ruling in June, the new order is a…
With contentious political races behind them, Kate Gallego and Laura Pastor are ready to take office on Thursday. Gallego beat out Pastor Warren Stewart to win the seat in District 8, and Laura Pastor bested Justin Johnson, son of former Mayor Paul Johnson, to win the District 4 race. Incumbents…
Al Melvin, a state senator running for governor, apparently has never heard of snopes.com. Nor is he showing interest in debunking anything after he was flambeed by his Twitter followers over the past week and embarrassed in news articles for misquoting Abraham Lincoln…
Phoenix employees are a generous people. As has become their annual tradition, city workers have raised more than $1 million for the city’s annual Community Service Fund Drive through payroll pledges and fund-raisers — money that will benefit various Valley charities, including Valley of the Sun United Way. In addition…
We shouldn’t be surprised that former Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon appears to be exploring a possible run for mayor. This is the same elected official who tried a few times, albeit futilely, to extend the city’s two-term limit for mayor. During a recent television appearance on 12 News “Sunday Square…
Christine Jones’ much-criticized 2011 essay in support of the Stop Online Piracy Act has disappeared from her personal website since New Times pointed it out. Jones, the former Go Daddy general counsel now running for Arizona governor, had been vilified by legions of Internet users following the essay’s initial appearance…
Phoenix officials and one of our favorite local curmudgeons, gun-law expert Alan Korwin, are scheduled for a courtroom showdown next month over banned firearms-training ads. The case was launched following the city’s move to censor 50 bus-shelter ads that Korwin had purchased in October 2010 for his firearms-training website, trainmeaz.com…
Today in Found at the border: There’s a new all-time record for the largest unsuccessful pot-smuggling attempt in Arizona.The previous record was set in January, when a Mexican man attempted to drive 14,121 pounds of pot — with an estimated value of $7.1 million — through the port of entry…
The Cochise County Record website and its crotchety publisher have been buzzing around southern Arizona officials for a couple of years now like flies on an old burro. One of those ticked-off officials, Cochise County Sheriff Mark Dannels, has managed to convince several Republican state lawmakers to take sides in…
