Steve Smith

Jarrett Maupin to Representative Steve Smith: Don't Apologize to Atheists for Prayer

That guy who thought politics makes strange bedfellows was really on to something.Especially in the case of Phoenix African-American activist Jarrett Maupin, who sent New Times a copy of a letter he sent to Republican State Representative Steve Smith, asking him not to apologize for his recent retal ... More >>

Atheists Want Representative Steve Smith to Apologize for His "Repentance" Prayer

A national atheist organization wants Republican State Representative Steve Smith to apologize for his prayer of "repentance," which Smith apparently led for the purpose of spiting a non-Christian colleague.David Silverman, the president of American Atheists, said Smith's stunt was "one of the most ... More >>

State Representative Steve Smith Says Extra Prayer to Offset Atheist Colleague's Non-Prayer

The actions of Republican State Representative Steve Smith have provided us with the reason why Democratic Representative Juan Mendez's God-free invocation at the House Representatives yesterday was such an unlikely event.Today, Smith led the House in a second prayer, apparently his way of saying so ... More >>

Republican Blogger Jeff Vath Fought for Sanity in the AZ GOP

Is John Kavanagh Arizona's Worst Legislator?

Republican Representative John Kavanagh of Fountain Hills has had quite the legislative session thus far.He kicked it off by announcing his support for repealing Arizona's voter-approved medical marijuana law, followed it up with vocal support of a bill that would protect Sheriff Joe Arpaio in the e ... More >>

Why Eddie "Little Lord" Farnsworth and Fellow GOPers Need to Suppress the Latino Vote

Joe Arpaio Flunky John Kavanagh Defends Retroactive, Unconstitutional Recall Bill

Kavanagh's bull starts flying about 2:16 in Republican state Representative John Kavanagh and a pig's intestine share one significant characteristic, and, no, it's not elasticity. Rather, they're both full of it. See also: -Joe Arpaio Recall Scores 120K Valid Signatures: 85 Days Left, a Little O ... More >>

Steve Smith's "Save Joe Arpaio's Ass Bill" Passes State House, and, Oh, It's Unconstitutional

Here's yet another sign worshippers at the font of all things Sheriff Joe know that their boy is doomed by the current recall effort: Their willingness to resort to futile, unconstitutional trickery to keep Arpaio's career on life support. See also: -Russell Pearce-Inspired Recall Bill Unconstituti ... More >>

In the Legislature, Five Reps Did One Man's Bidding

Constantin Querard's Taxpayer-Paid Bootlickers David Gowan, Steve Montenegro, Carl Seel, Steve Smith, and Kelly Townsend Do Their Master's Bidding

If you're political sleaze-maestro Constantin Querard, the Arizona Legislature is practically your own, personal Downton Abbey. Querard's team of taxpayer-funded butlers, bootblacks and maids is extensive, at least 20, by his own claim, in the both the upper and lower chambers. And on February 21 ... More >>

Why Sheriff Joe Actually Is Nervous About the Recall Effort Against Him

Judy Burges or Steve Smith: Which Legislator Supports More Nutso Bills?

Believe it or not, after listening to Republican state Senator Judy Burges run her mouth on an Agenda 21 conspiracy theory earlier this week, we're not actually sure if Burges is behind the craziest legislation at the capitol this session.There's also Republican Representative Steve Smith, who's mor ... More >>

Best Loony Bill Sponsored by Republican State Representative Steve Smith?

As we outlined yesterday, Republican state Representative Steve Smith is sponsoring some legislation that makes no damn sense to the rational mind.For one, consider his sponsorship of a law that only allows public-school children to avoid reciting the pledge of allegiance if they have consent from t ... More >>

Worse Proposal for Arizona Law: Loyalty Oath, or Pledge of Allegiance Requirement?

Arizona may have the highest rate of high school dropouts in the nation, but some of the legislation that's been proposed thus far in the realm of education does nothing but continue the nationally recognized circus act known as the Arizona State Legislature.Chiefly, we're talking about two especial ... More >>

Russell Pearce's Pet Cockroach Steve Smith Tries to Give Pearce $260K of Your Money, Again

Losers are pathetic enough, but losers who don't know they're losers should be given a pistol with one bullet and locked in a shed until they are duly inspired. Among these: sleaze-maestro Constantin Querard, state Representative Steve Smith, and two-time loser, ex-state Senate President Russell Pe ... More >>

Republican State Representative Steve Smith's List of Nutso Legislation

With the news that Republican state Representative Steve Smith is again trying to get the public to cut a quarter-million-dollar check to ousted Senate President Russell Pearce, we took a look at all the bills Smith's sponsoring this session.To describe the list of Smith-sponsored bills in one word: ... More >>

Is a Mandatory Loyalty Oath for High Schoolers Among the Dumbest Things You've Heard This Week?

If you haven't heard the latest brilliant idea out of the state capitol, it's to make high schoolers pledge their loyalty to upholding and defending the Constitution in order to receive their diplomas.That's how the sponsors of House Bill 2467 -- Republican state Representatives Bob Thorpe, Sonny Bo ... More >>

Legislators Have More Education Proposals: Make the Pledge of Allegiance a Requirement

Maybe there's something to be said about the posts on this blog today -- legislators hoping to make high school students take a loyalty oath to graduation, Arizona leading the nation in high school dropouts, and now, an effort to make reciting the Pledge of Allegiance a "requirement."Under current A ... More >>

Legislators Propose Forcing High School Students to Swear to Defend Constitution in Order to Graduate

"Finally, our state legislators are making sure Arizona's teenagers will ask for the Lord's help defending the Constitution before they're allowed to earn a high school diploma." --NobodyIf a handful of Republican state legislators have their way, high school students in Arizona would not be allowed ... More >>

After Election Day, AZ's Far Right Now Has a Fight on Its Hands

Russell Pearce's Vanquisher Jerry Lewis Slimed by Democrats

Here's proof positive that Democrats can be just as scummy as Republicans. I mean this hit piece mailed out to folks in Legislative District 26, declaring that state Senator Jerry Lewis, the man who took on former state Senate President Russell Pearce, the biggest bigot in this state, and defeated ... More >>

Russell Pearce Fundraiser Scrapped by Macayo's, Oaxaca's...

Seems there's there's no room at the posada for former state Senate President Russell Pearce.Yesterday, I gave you a rundown of the nativist goons set to appear at Macayo's Mexican Restaurant on Central Avenue tonight for a fundraiser to benefit Pearce, a veritable who's who of anti-Mexican bigots i ... More >>

Russell Pearce Bigot Bash at Central High School Library CANCELED!!!

UPDATE 4:30 P.M.: Just received a call from Phoenix Union School District's community relations office. They tell me they've CANCELED Pearce's event, as they don't have the security to handle it. This just in...now (apparently) they're going to be having the event at a high-school that's 60 per ... More >>

Russell Pearce's $260K Reimbursement Bill Will Be SB 1449, Sources Say

Multiple sources at the state Legislature are informing me that former state Senate President Russell Pearce's $260,000 "reimbursement" will be added as an amendment to Senate Bill 1449, which I'm told will be in Conference Committee today at 4 p.m. in the State Senate Building.The bill could go to ... More >>

Russell Pearce: Plot to Give $260K of Taxpayer Cash to Recalled Pol Still Alive?

The Capitol Times' Luigi del Puerto is reporting that the plot to cut a $260,000 check to recalled, disgraced former state Senate President Russell Pearce remains alive at the state Legislature.I've heard the votes are not there in the Senate, but, hell, ya never know. Also, it's not in the bud ... More >>

Russell Pearce Wants $260,000 of Your Money, and His Flunkies Want to Give It to Him

Remember when I informed you of the trial balloon being floated by toadies of recalled state Senate President Russell Pearce, lickspittles who long to give their lord and master more than $260,000 of taxpayer funds because he had to endure a recall election, one he lost by a humiliating 12 points?We ... 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 >>

Russell Pearce-Inspired Recall Bill Unconstitutional, Say Experts

A proposed legislative remedy to the successful recall of ex-state Senate President Russell Pearce is unconstitutional, according to experts in election and constitutional law.Senate Bill 1449, sponsored by state Senator Steve Smith, recently moved through the Senate judiciary committee with a do-pa ... More >>

Sylvia Allen's "Arizona Guard": Disaster in the Making

If you need an example of wigged-out, dysfunctional democracy verging on outright insanity, look no further than state Senator Sylvia Allen's Border Security, Federalism and States' Sovereignty Committee.Here, Chairwoman Allen and a cadre of right-wing loons hold sway. Rational questions and reasone ... More >>

Ethnic Studies at TUSD on the Ropes Till Federal Judge Rules

Los Tigres del Norte, apparently not to Judge Kowal's liking...Is there any doubt save in the most muddled of noggins that Arizona's Latino population continues to dwell beneath the bootheel of a hostile political class made up almost entirely of Anglos?Yes, the successful recall of the state's top ... More >>

Prediction: State Senator Russell Pearce Will Be Kissing His Political Career Goodbye on November 8

Michele Bachmann: "America's Failure to Secure the Border is Now a Terrorism Issue"

James King Michele Bachmann with state Senate President Russell Pearce and Congressman Trent Franks. Yikes.​Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann was in Phoenix this morning, where she met with local politicos at the State Capitol to talk about illegal immigration and, to quote Senator J ... More >>

Michele Bachmann Will Be Back in Arizona on Monday...to Meet With Russell Pearce

www.notmytribe.com Michele Bachmann deepthroating a corn dog is still hawt. A little crazy, but still hawt.​Last time Minnesota Congresswoman/presidential candidate Michele Bachmann was in Phoenix, she told reporters she plans to target Arizona in her bid to become the Republican nominee fo ... More >>

State Senator Steve Smith Meets With Governor Jan Brewer to Discuss Harebrained Scheme to Build "Border Fence" Several Miles From Border

Getty Images Steve Smith wants more of this -- several miles north of the border.​Governor Jan Brewer signed legislation earlier this month to create a state border fence with Mexico. The bill she penned, sponsored by Maricopa Republican state Senator Steve Smith, does not designate Arizon ... More >>

Arizona Senate Votes Down Five Immigration Bills Sponsored By Russell Pearce and Dingleberry Right-Wingers

Arizona SenateIs your senator a Russell Pearce dingleberry, like Steve Smith?​Five anti-immigration bills sponsored by Senate President Russell Pearce and dingleberry right-wing senators went down in defeat yesterday as sanity prevailed in the Arizona legislature. The rejected measures were S ... More >>

Senate Passes Legislation to End Distribution of Spanish-Language Election Material

Arizona SenateRookie senator, veteran boot-licker.​The Arizona Senate passed legislation yesterday that would eliminate Spanish translation of election materials in information booklets distributed by the Secretary of State. Russell Pearce acolyte -- or is it wannabe? -- Sen. Steve Smith, R-M ... More >>

Russell Pearce's Day of Bigotry, Barbarism and Triumph

Democratic Senator Olivia Cajero Bedford, calling out Pearce as a "dictator"In the end, they all passed out of the state Senate Appropriations Committee, all of state Senate President Russell Pearce's anti-immigrant bills, other hate-filled measures offered by his stooges, and cataclysmic proposed l ... More >>

Steve Smith, Wingnutty Hater, Wants To Turn Hospital Employees into ICE Agents

azleg.govState Senator Steve Smith: He wants emergency room staff to ask for your papersFreshman Republinut state Senator Steve Smith, the guy who knocked off Democrat Rebecca Rios in District 23 last year, longs to make a name for himself on the backs of impoverished and ill undocumented immigrants ... More >>

Feb. 9 In Blogs: ICE Agents, Great American Lawn Sale, Philthy Phil's, Chicken Hearts, and Gabrielle Giffords

​​​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:

Pro-SB 1070 Phoenix Rising Rally: Neo-Nazis, Nativists, Crackpots, and More

A white supremacist in the nativist nut bag... A fruitcake of nativist rage and looniness baking in the Arizona sun: That's what was generally to be found at Wesley Bolin Plaza this Saturday, June 5 for the pro-SB 1070 Phoenix Rising rally, which drew around 2,000 mostly white participants to ... More >>

William Gheen's Facebook "Friend," Neo-Nazi Harry Hughes, and Hughes' "Patrols" for Illegals

FacebookScreenshot taken earlier today, showing neo-Nazi Harry Hughes as one of Gheen's "friends"Does it matter that one of William Gheen's Facebook buddies is a well-known Phoenix-area neo-Nazi, a neo-Nazi that likes to go out on "patrols" with wannabe stormtrooper J.T. Ready, totin' assault rifles ... More >>

Greene Party

The producer

Higher Authority

Authority Zero is recording its sophomore album in a gated community in Scottsdale. Totally punk rock!

Producing Tension

Local producer Larry Elyea finds himself in the midst of the Valley's national ambition

Big Bang

Iroc Beats' new track blew up the Billboard chart — and got the Valley Finally on tha Map

THAT'S SPELLED P-L-A-G-I-A-R-I-S-M

BIG BROTHER IS LISTENING-TO YOUR LEAKY FM SIGNAL