Steve Gallardo

Flip-Flopping John McCain Is No Political Profile in Courage

Joe Arpaio's New Butt-Boy Don Shooter Wants to Give Him $1.5M of Your Money

Think Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio's been doin' a bang-up job lately, and not just on that broken arm of his? See also: -Don't Tread On Me, I'm DON SHOOTER!: Senator Allegedly Assaults Teacher I mean, we hardly see "America's toughest sheriff" these days after his slip and fall earlier this ... More >>

Joe Arpaio Recall Has "Less Than 200,000" Signatures to Gather, with 56 Days Left

As a tease to an event tonight, Respect Arizona, the group seeking to recall Sheriff Joe Arpaio from office, has announced that it has fewer than 200,000 valid signatures left to score, with less than two months before its May 30 deadline. See also: -Joe Arpaio Recall: A Chance to Prove the Pundits ... More >>

Senate Democrat Suggests Trying to Keep the State Legislature Off the Daily Show

Democratic state Senator Steve Gallardo seems to get it -- every year, legislators make asses of themselves by passing, or even just by proposing, ridiculous laws.We've seen all kinds of pleas from the few legislators who don't want to play along with the "meth lab of democracy," but we like Gallard ... More >>

Jan Brewer's Third-Term Interpretation of Constitution Challenged by Democrat's Bill

Since Governor Jan Brewer hasn't given up on her interpretation of the Arizona Constitution that two terms really means three terms, Democratic State Senator Steve Gallardo has proposed changing the wording of that section.There's a big problem with Gallardo's proposal -- since he's proposing a chan ... More >>

Is the Maricopa County Elections Department's Spanish Campaign Enough?

After some uproar was caused with the Maricopa County Elections Department printing the wrong election date in Spanish on a few materials, it's now spending money on a Spanish-only campaign to tell voters the correct election day.Two items distributed by the elections office listed Election Day as N ... More >>

Maricopa County Elections Department Starting Spanish Campaign Due to Election-Date Error, Which Supervisor Wilcox Calls a "Tragedy"

The Maricopa County Elections Department released some of the details this morning about the Spanish-language campaign it's putting on, in an effort to set the record straight for any Spanish-speaking voters who may have been confused by errors made by the department.On two occassions, people notice ... More >>

Governor Jan Brewer to DREAMers: State Laws Bar You from Drivers Licenses, Public Benefits Regardless of Feds' Immigration Policy Shift

See also Obama Blocks DREAMers' Deportations, Outflanks GOP See also Jan Brewer's Response to Almost Everything About Obama Immigration Policy: Secure the Borders Arizona Governor Jan Brewer issued an executive order today that blocks the issuance of public benefits, Arizona driver's licenses and ... More >>

Robert Meza, Democratic State Senator, Threatens DREAMer With Defamation Lawsuit, Campaigners Say

See Also: How Undocumented Immigrants Helped Change Phoenix's City Council Race State Senator Robert Meza is being accused of threatening to sue a volunteer for fellow Democrat Raquel Terán, his primary opponent in the newly-created Legislative District 30. Meza, who is openly gay, claims Tony Va ... More >>

Kyrsten Sinema: Being Latina Ain't All It's Cracked Up To Be

See also: Kyrsten Sinema Identified (Wrongly) as Latino by NALEO See also: Can Kyrsten Sinema Win in Congressional District 9? See also: Kyrsten Sinema's Hilary Rosen Moment, and Her Persistent Verbal Flubbery My Monday blog item discussing Ninth Congressional District candidate Kyrsten Sinema and ... More >>

SB 1070 Fuels a Movement of New Voters

SB 1070: Opponents of Arizona's Anti-Immigrant Law Proclaim the Fight Is Not Over

Three down, one to go. The fight is not over in Arizona. Report instances of racial profiling. Those are among the messages coming from leaders within the local Latino community who gathered on the state Capitol lawn Monday morning following the U.S. Supreme Court decision on SB 1070. Community ... More >>

SB 1070: 10 Memorable Moments in Law's History

Also Read: SB 1070: Opponents of Arizona's Anti-Immigrant Law Proclaim the Fight Is Not Over SB 1070: Supreme Court Upholds "Papers Please" Section, Invalidates Others Jan Brewer Declares "Victory" as Supreme Court Tosses Unconstitutional SB 1070 Provisions Today's ruling by the Supreme Court ... More >>

Lemons: SB 1070 Civil Disobedience Must Escalate

SB 1070 Remix, the Dennis Gilman Cut

Gilman televises the revolution, or part of it...Lordy, I've had enough of neo-Nazi hugger, 12-point loser, and ex-state Senate President Russell Pearce's gorilla mug. No doubt many of you have as well. But until the wingnuts and Tea Party idgits in this state run screaming at the sight of him, I pl ... More >>

Russell Pearce Plot: Is His 260K "Reimbursement" Deal Dead?

Is the effort by some GOPers to "reimburse" their erstwhile God, recalled state Senate President Russell Pearce, D.O.A.?Just recently, the Arizona Republican Caucus Tweeted a response to statements made by Democratic state Senator Steve Gallardo that were critical of the right-wing plot to reimburse ... More >>

Russell Pearce's Nemesis Randy Parraz and Fellow CBA Members Blast Pearce's Personal $260K Welfare Plan

If the plot to give 12 point-loser and former state Senate President Russell Pearce $260,000 is squashed (and I'm not convinced that it has been), it will be because of the efforts of Randy Parraz and Citizens for a Better Arizona, the folks that made the Pearce recall a reality in 2011.Sure, before ... More >>

Dennis DeConcini to Join Steve Gallardo and Russell Pearce at SB 1070 Hearing

Former Democratic U.S. Senator Dennis DeConcini -- who's currently on the Arizona Board of Regents -- has been added to the roster of witnesses for next week's Senate immigration subcommittee hearing on Arizona's Senate Bill 1070.​New York Democratic Senator Charles Schumer, the chair of that subc ... More >>

Arizona's Voter ID Law Upheld by Ninth Circuit Court; Federal Voter-Registration Forms Must be Accepted, Though

The U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld Arizona's voter-approved 2004 law requiring voters to show proof of citizenship before receiving a ballot.The Appeals Court mostly shot down the challenges to the law, which had itself been upheld in Arizona U.S.  District Court.Arizona can dem ... More >>

Steve Gallardo to Join Russell Pearce at U.S. Senate Subcommittee Hearing on SB 1070

Next week's U.S. Senate immigration subcommittee hearing on Arizona's Senate Bill 1070 is shaping up to be more exciting than initially billed -- at least as "exciting" as something aired on C-SPAN can get.​Ousted state Senate President Russell Pearce, the author of the bill, has already committed ... More >>

Here's the List of Arizona State Senators Who Didn't Want to Ban Lawmakers From Getting Free Tickets to Special Events

Last year, people were creating a stink after it was discovered that some Arizona legislators got tickets and trips to sporting events thanks to the Fiesta Bowl.Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery explained in December that none of the politicos would face charges, saying prosecutors were ... More >>

Richard Miranda's Arizona Latino Caucus Foundation Questioned; Former Lawmaker's Conviction This Week Tied to Different Charity

State Senator Steve Gallardo, D-Phoenix, says he's "suspicious" that funds may have been misappropriated from another foundation run by corrupt former lawmaker Richard Miranda. Miranda, a Democrat from Tolleson who resigned abruptly on February 16 after 13 years in the Arizona Legislature, pleaded ... More >>

Is it Really "Insulting" for Arizona's House Republicans to Keep Pictures of Latino Kids on Their Desks?

Democratic State Senator Steve Gallardo was none to pleased when he saw some Republican House members were keeping pictures of Latino kids on their desks, symbols of the state's school-choice program.Gallardo told New Times yesterday it was "insulting" for these House Republicans to have the pictur ... More >>

Steve Gallardo Not Pleased About Pictures of Latino Kids on Republicans' Desks

​Democratic State Senator Steve Gallardo noticed something he was not a fan of when he moseyed on over to the House of Representatives for the swearing in of new legislator Martin Quezada -- there were pictures of Latino kids on some Republicans' desks.In the pictures, the kids are holding signs t ... More >>

Glenn Spencer, Nativist Anti-Semite, Lectures State Senate Border Security Committee

Nativist extremist and documented anti-Semite Glenn Spencer spoke today at the state Senate Border Security, Federalism, and States' Rights Committee, a seriously loony legislative panel chaired by crackpot Republican state Senator Sylvia Allen.Democratic state Senators Steve Gallardo and Robert Mez ... More >>

Steve Gallardo Drops Repeal SB 1070 Bill, Nativists Counter-Rally

Down at the state Capitol today, it was like a little bit of 2010, all over again.Grizzled nativists toting "I love SB 1070 signs," with pistols on their hips. Pro-immigration activists in droves denouncing the two-year old breathing-while-brown statute. And Arizona Department of Public Safety offic ... More >>

SB 1070 Critic Daniel Patterson Discusses 1070 Repeal and Ethnic Studies Ban

LD 29's Dan Patterson at the state Dems' winter meeting...Videographer Dennis Gilman and I drove down to Tucson on Saturday to check out the Arizona Democratic Party's winter meeting, held at a local high school there. Among those we chatted with was state Representative Daniel Patterson of Legislat ... More >>

Is There a Chance in Hell the Arizona Legislature Will Repeal SB 1070?

​Democratic state Senator Steve Gallardo plans this week to introduce a bill into the Arizona Legislature that would repeal SB 1070, Arizona's controversial immigration law.To quote our colleague Stephen Lemons, the Arizona Legislature repealing SB 1070 is "about as likely as me running a 5K."The ... More >>

Steve Gallardo's SB 1070 Repeal: The Dems' New Litmus Test

When I saw the headline in the Arizona Republic, "Democrats plan to introduce legislation to repeal SB 1070," let's just say I smelled a fish, and fresh it was not.The only Democrat I know of down at the state Legislature with the huevos to do something so bold as to seek the repeal of the state's b ... More >>

Should Arizona Ditch Legislative Immunity For Lawmakers?

​Following the resignation of former state Senator Scott Bundgaard over the scuffle he got into with his former girlfriend on the side of a Valley freeway -- and the legislative fiasco that followed -- Democratic state Senator Steve Gallardo says he plans to introduce a bill that would do away wit ... More >>

David Lujan, George Diaz, and the Stop-Lujan Movement

Is the fix in for former state House Minority Leader David Lujan's becoming the replacement for ex-state Senator Kyrsten Sinema, who recently announced her bid for U.S. Congress?Or will his infamous no-show for the Senate Bill 1070 vote in 2010 deny him a return to the state Legislature, and can con ... More >>

Joe Arpaio Hammered by Politicians, Activists Praising DOJ Report

Supervisor Wilcox, with the DOJ report on Joe's racial-profiling ways...Flanked by community activists and fellow elected leaders at her El Portal restaurant in central Phoenix, Maricopa County Supervisor Mary Rose Wilcox held aloft the recently-released U.S. Department of Justice report on Sheriff ... More >>

Ethnic Studies Revolt: Students Take Over TUSD Governing Board Meeting

Courtesy of the Three Sonorans, the revolution is YouTube-izedHow often have you seen students protest and commit acts of civil disobedience because they want to study something?While their peers in the rest of the country may be looking to cut class, Tucson's students are battling to maintain ethni ... More >>

The Big Four, Railroad Revival Tour, A Year of Resistance Against SB 1070, and the San Tan Wheelie Jam Over the Weekend

​Railroad Revival Tour in Tempe There might be no grouping of more high-spirited entertainers than the three groups that took the stage yesterday evening in Tempe. Throughout the night, each band invited members of other bands to join them for collaborations for a few songs. Marcus Mumford wa ... More >>

Glendale Sub's Class was Urged to "Thank" Lawmaker in Lesson Plan, as Sub Claimed

​ The lesson plan for the class taught by Glendale substitute teacher Tony Hill urges eighth-grade students to "thank" a Democratic lawmaker, as Hill claimed. And the kids really were reading Mark Twain. "The letters to (state Senator Steve Gallardo) are to thank him or ask him to change his ... More >>

Glendale Eighth-Graders in Sub's Class Weren't "Perfectly Behaved," But Weren't Anti-American, Either, District Says

​ Glendale eighth-graders who were the subject of a controversial letter written by a substitute teacher were not "perfectly behaved" in the sub's class, a school district official admits. But after interviewing the students, district officials don't believe the class expressed any s ... More >>

Carl Hayden High School Students, Teachers March to Capitol After Class to Protest for Education Opportunities

Gregory PrattPolice officers keep watch as the protest begins.​An estimated crowd of two hundred students marched from Carl Hayden High School on 35th Avenue and Roosevelt Street to the State Capitol this afternoon, protesting Russell Pearce's SB 1160 and the continuing lack of opportunity for und ... More >>

Valley High School Students Skip Class to Protest Russell Pearce's SB 1611

Pearce continues to divide the state.​About 200 Latino students walked out of class this morning to protest Russell Pearce's latest legislative atrocity: SB 1611, an immigration omnibus that would forbid undocumented students from attending public colleges and universities in Arizona -- even if th ... More >>

Salvador Reza, Anayanse Garza Allege Abuse During Arrest at State Capitol

Reza at today's press conferenceThe Arizona police state rolls on. Today, outside the Arizona state Capitol, human rights activists Salvador Reza and Anayanse Garza of the group Puente held a press conference with their lawyers. This, following their arrests the day before in the state Senate buildi ... More >>

Kyrsten Sinema's Drop House Bill, and Steve Gallardo's Rebuttal

Gallardo's Facebook PageDemocrat Steve Gallardo gave fellow Dem Kyrsten Sinema hell in committee re: her drop-house legislationArizona's pro-immigrant community is ticked at one if its own: uber-lefty state Senator Kyrsten Sinema, who has in the past marched with the Reverend Al Sharpton in protest ... More >>

Feb. 4 In Blogs: Kyrsten Sinema, Spraygraphic, Nicki Minaj, Justin Bolotnik, and Abortion

​​​In the 24-hour news cycle, it can be difficult to keep up. We have the solution. Check back on Valley Fever every evening for highlights from each of New Times' blogs. Today's entries:

Terry Goddard, Raul Grijalva Call for Compromise, as Rodney Glassman Whips Up Rancor

Compromise? Apparently not, if Glassman gets his way...Fearing an acrimonious showdown this Saturday when Dems are scheduled to meet at the Wyndham Hotel downtown to pick a new Democratic Party chair, former Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard and Congressman Raul Grijalva are calling for a compr ... More >>

Hot Links: Kyl and McCain Want Smaller Stimulus Package; Public Transit Fare Hike "Inevitable"; NFL Says Ref Made Right Call in Warner Fumble

Size matters: Arizona's Republican senators are both pushing for an alternative to Obama's stimulus package. Napolitano called him "Chicken Little" when he made the prediction that the state was going to run out of money, but now State Treasurer Dean Martin is sounding an optimistic note, declaring ... More >>

Tolleson Vice Mayor Anna Tovar to Replace Quitter Phoenix Lawmaker Steve Gallardo

Anna Tovar, the 34-year-old vice mayor of Tolleson, was today named to replace former Phoenix legislator Steve Gallardo, who quit his post despite recently winning a fourth term. According to a recent article in Latino Perspectives Magazine, Tovar began lobbying for Gallardo's seat soon after ... More >>

Paul Charlton endorses Gerald Richard over Andrew Thomas for Maricopa County Attorney

Dems, activists at state convention demand Gov. Janet Napolitano veto HB 2807. (w/UPDATE: GUV COMPLIES, VETOES BILL.)

The Arizona Capitol Times pulls out the kneepads for Russell Pearce.

WHERE WAS GOOBER? Mayor Phil Gordon weenies out yet again, skips Town Hall Meeting at South Mountain High.

Flashes