Arizona House of Representatives

Jerry Weiers Moving a Planter: Controversy or Non-Controversy?

Republican state Representative Jerry Weiers's moving of a planter might not be the biggest scandal that's gone down at the state capitol, but some folks are highly opinionated on the issue.Glendale mayoral candidate Manny Cruz released the surveillance-video footage of Weiers, his opponent in the r ... More >>

Dan Coleman, Once Charged With Murder, Now in Second Run for Arizona House

There are four names on the general election ballot for State Representative in District 27, and while two of those people will be elected, only one of those people fatally shot a woman in the face nearly a decade ago.That would be Dan Coleman, the lone Republican candidate in the race, who was dubb ... More >>

State Representative Jerry Weiers in Trouble With Dems for Moving a Planter at the Capitol

The campaign for Glendale mayor is getting really heated, folks -- candidate Manny Cruz released a video of his opponent, Republican state Representative Jerry Weiers, moving a planter at the state capitol.It's actually a really big planter -- Weiers had to tie it to his truck to move it -- and Cruz ... More >>

Kirk Adams Gets the Nod From Sarah Palin, Which Actually Tends to Be a Good Thing

Former Arizona House Speaker Kirk Adams -- who's facing off against fellow Republican Matt Salmon in Arizona's Fifth Congressional District primary -- got the stamp of approval from former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin.A nod from Palin might scare the neighborhood liberals, but if history tells us any ... More >>

Ben Arredondo, State Representative/Ex-Tempe Councilman, Hit With Federal Charges

State Representative Ben Arredondo was charged by a grand jury today with bribery, fraud, attempted extortion and false statements -- all for a few thousand dollars worth of tickets to ballgames and charity events.According to the indictment, Arredondo -- a Republican-turned-Democrat who served on t ... More >>

Daniel Patterson's Political Career Lives Another Day; His Response to Report Due Next Week

After reading the investigation done on behalf of the House Ethics Committee, a handful of legislators were ready to punt state Representative Daniel Patterson out of the House today, but that didn't happen.Among several other things in the report released yesterday, investigators claim Patterson ro ... More >>

Let's Make it Official: Arizona Needs a State Food

"Caylee's Law," Inspired By Caylee Anthony Murder, Approved By AZ House

www.twentytwowords.com​"Caylee's Law," a bill inspired by the alleged murder of Caylee Anthony that would make it a felony for a parent to not report their child missing within 24 hours of his or her disappearance, was approved by the Arizona House of Representatives yesterday.Caylee's mother, Cas ... More >>

Attorney Justin Pierce to Fill Kirk Adams Seat in Arizona House

www.jacksonlewis.comAttorney Justin Pierce will serve the remainder of Kirk Adams' term in the Arizona House of Representatives.​There's a new member of the Arizona House of Representatives: attorney Justin Pierce was appointed today to serve the remainder of former Speaker Kirk Adams' term.The Ma ... More >>

Michael Goodwin's Architecture Was Green Before the Movement

Representative Andy Tobin New Speaker of Arizona House of Representatives

Arizona's new Speaker of the House of Representatives Andy Tobin​State Representative Andy Tobin has been pegged to serve as the new speaker of the Arizona House of Representatives following former Speaker Kirk Adams' announcement that he was leaving the Legislature.As New Times pointed out on Tue ... More >>

Official State Gun One Gun-Lover's Signature Away From Becoming Embarrassing Reality in Arizona

This piece is one signature away from being Arizona's official state gun.​Yee-ha!Arizona is one signature from a gun-loving governor away from becoming only the second state in the entire country to have an official state gun, which isn't the end of the world, but given Arizona's current reputatio ... More >>

Arizona's Senate-Approved Birther Bill Could Force Presidential Candidates to Provide Documentation Describing What Their Penis Looks Like to Get on Ballot

www.scaredmonkeys.com​They don't call Arizona the "meth lab of Democracy" for nothing -- where else could a lack of foreskin prove citizenship?The Arizona Senate formally passed the "Birther Bill" today, but not in its original version. Apparently, requiring presidential candidates to provide a lo ... More >>

Birther Bill: Preliminary Vote Scheduled for Today (Insert Collective LOL From Rest of Country Here)

​Despite state Representative Judy Burges' humiliating "Birther Bill" having failed in the Senate Judiciary Committee earlier this year, it has found its way back to the Legislature via a strike-everything amendment. Sadly, a preliminary vote on the bill will be taken in the Senate today.The b ... More >>

Race/Gender-Based Abortions: GOP Lawmakers Refuse to Provide any Evidence They Even Happen in Arizona

​If you happen to have a problem with Sasquatches trampling your lawn, or unicorns eating your shrubs, or if a leprechaun is running amok in your garage, just call state Representative Steve Montenegro or state Senator Nancy Barto -- they seem to have a knack for solving problems that don't actual ... More >>

Arizona GOPers Move to Reconsider "Birther Bill." Give it Up Already

​If at first you don't succeed, try, try (and try) again -- no matter how absurd what you're trying to accomplish may be.A little over a month after the "Birther Bill" failed in the Senate Judiciary Committee, GOP legislators are pushing to send the proposal back to both houses for consideration.A ... More >>

Frank Pratt's Stolen Vehicle Not "State-Issued;" Casa Grande Lawmaker Recovering After Beating, Theft of Vehicle and Rolex

Frank Pratt's expected to be released from the hospital today following a Christmas Day attack and beating of the state lawmaker in his Casa Grande business. ​ One of the weirdest details in news coverage of the weekend beating of State Legislator Frank Pratt, a Republican from Casa Grande, wa ... More >>

"Homeless Candidate" Recruiter Steve May Bails on Campaign Following News of His Extremely Extreme DUI

The homeless people Steve May recruited to run in local elections now have a better shot at being elected than he does. How's that for irony?​Steve May, a now-former Republican candidate for the Arizona House of Representatives -- best known for recruiting homeless people to run as Green Party can ... More >>

Representative Chris Deschenes Claims He's First Native American to File to Run for Statewide Office in Arizona. He Appears to be Right

www.descheneforarizona.comWindow Rock Representative Chris Deschene​Window Rock Representative Chris Deschene filed more than 10,000 ballot petitions with the Arizona Secretary of State's Office yesterday, qualifying him to run for that office in this year's election.Deschene, a former Marine Corp ... More >>

Birther Bill Earns Wing-Nut Status From The Daily Beast

www.laughingsquid.com​The advancement of the embarrassing "birther" bill in the Arizona House of Representatives yesterday has left people across the country questioning the sanity of Arizona's legislators, and, in-turn, the sanity of Arizonans themselves.The conspiracy theorist's wet dream contro ... More >>

Birther Bill Officially Passed by Arizona House of Representatives

www.imbleedingprofusely.com​Well... they really did it.The Arizona House of Representatives -- well on it's way to becoming the laughing stock of the entire country -- passed the infamous "Birther Bill" this afternoon. If it becomes law, it would require President Barack Obama to show h ... More >>

"Birther" Bill Advances in Arizona House; America Laughs its Ass Off

​In the Arizona legislature's latest attempt to make the Grand Canyon State the laughing stock of the entire country, legislators in the House of Representatives advanced HB 2441 yesterday, or, as it is more infamously known, the "birther bill."Legislators voted 31-22 to advance the bill, which wo ... More >>

Bill to Delay Divorce Finalization Shot Down in Arizona Legislature

www.zcache.com​A bill designed to force people who want to get divorced to stay married longer -- with the hopes that they would reconsider getting divorced at all -- was shot down in the Arizona House of Representatives today.Score one for the sanity.A divorce can be one of the more maddening thi ... More >>

Maricopa County Board of Supervisors has No Conflict in County Attorney Replacement Pick, Supes Say

Good to go: County Supervisors decide they have no conflict in deciding who will replace former County Attorney Andrew Thomas.​ We thought it was possible the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors had a conflict of interest in picking a new county attorney, with two of the five having be ... More >>

Obamacare Lawsuit Bill Approved by Arizona Legislative Committies

www.colleenhammond.com​Committees in both the Arizona House of Representatives and the Arizona Senate have approved bills that would allow the state of Arizona to challenge the controversial, federal healthcare bill in court.Attorney General Terry Goddard refused to participate in simil ... More >>

Hot Links: RSV Virus, Solar Power, and Money for Eggs

​Health officials at children's hospitals around the Valley say that hundreds of Arizona kids have been diagnosed with a potentially life-threatening respiratory virus. The virus, known as RSV, is a common cause of inflammation in the airways of the lungs and pneumonia, and its symptoms are simila ... More >>

Paulina Morris, a Phoenix Attorney, Announces She's Running for John Shadegg's Congressional Seat; Join the Club

www.asu.edu Phoenix Attorney Paulina Morris​The race is on to see whom the GOP will choose as its candidate to defend the Congressional seat getting vacated by Congressman John Shadegg, and there's a new kid in town hoping to get the nod.Phoenix attorney Paulina Morris announced her ca ... More >>

Obama Names First Transgender Person to Federal Post; Turns Out She's an, Um, Woman From Tucson

Obama appointee Amanda Simpson​In an administration filled with firsts, President Obama's latest addition to his posse might be enough to have an uber-conservative radio host like Rush Limbaugh have an actual heart attack.The president announced today that Amanda Simpson -- former deputy dir ... More >>

Phoenix's Next Councilman: Jon Altmann? Or Jim "Burgundy" Sharpe?

Maria BaierWhen the Phoenix City Council gathers this afternoon to choose a replacement for outgoing Councilwoman Maria Baier, they'll have a wealth of candidates to choose from: A total of 19 applicants are seeking the job.The frontrunner, we suspect, is Jon C. Altmann. Altmann, a Navy veteran and ... More >>

The Dirty Truth about "Clean" Elections

AZ Capitol Times Announces "Best of Capitol" Winners

Arizona Capitol Times just announced the winners of its annual "Best of Capitol" survey a few days ago, and it's interesting to see the restaurant picks of our local political movers and shakers. Not surprisingly, Cheuvront's gets props (owner Ken Cheuvront is a state senator), while Durant's seems ... More >>

Barrett Marson Bids Adieu as House Speaker's Spokesman and Capitol Blogger

Barrett Marson, spokesman for outgoing Arizona House Speaker Jim Weiers, says in an e-mailed farewell that he'll look back fondly on his four years dealing with the "jackals" in the media, some of whom he may have even enjoyed getting to know. Friends and acquaintances of Marson's know he's ... More >>

The New Meth

When it comes to preventing -- and treating -- crystal meth addiction, Arizona may be getting a clue

Gomer, You're Fired!

Our feathered fiend bombs Trump-haters, racist soccer moms, Uncle Joe and the ACLU. Who's gonna be next?

Karen in the Hot Seat

Gays are okay, except sometimes

Ranch House Speaker

The sweet sounds of cowboy poetry can be found at Estrella Mountain Ranch

Letters

Letters from the week of April 1, 2004

Dangerous Duo

Husband-wife politicos are helping themselves at the expense of the elderly and infirm

Double Hit

A local public advocacy attorney vows to change hospital billing laws, after one hits close to home

Foul Bill

No money. No corpse. That's really what kills an interesting statehouse bill.

The "T" Word

State leaders can't stomach the truth -- Arizonans need to be taxed more, and right away!

Tax Broke

Why is the state budget in crisis? Ask your legislators.

Judge Knot

JP posse sticks to its guns in decades-long battle to clean up it judicial corral

Whistle Stops

Proposed legislation a trap, critics say

Confessions of a Gay, Right-Wing Mormon

State Representative Steve May is a walking, talking contradiction

The Work of Art Hamilton

For years, House minority leader Art Hamilton has used every trick in the book--the House rules book--to influence the Republican majority; now he's running for secretary of state

Flashes

Flashes

Where There's Smoke

There are Friends of Tobacco. And antismoking advocates worry that behind-the-scenes machinations may water down a state campaign to discourage teen smoking.

SYMINGTON'S PLAN TO GUT GAME AND FISH