U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary

Jim Kolbe, Republican Ex-Congressman, Wants LGBT Couples Covered in Immigration Reform

A Republican testified before a Senate committee Monday to call the "Gang of Eight" immigration bill an "excellent starting point," but said he feels that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender families were left out of the proposed legislation.No, this isn't the The Onion.See also:-Pervgate

Eddie Farnsworth's Flaccid Rationale For Not Closing Child Prostitution Loophole

Courtesy of the conservative Western Free Press, we finally have state Representative Eddie Farnsworth's lame attempt to justify not allowing a bill that would have cracked down on pimps selling teenage prostitutes to have a hearing in the Judiciary Committee, which Farnsworth chairs. See also: -Ed ... More >>

Michelle Ugenti's Anti-Colorado City Bill Gets No Love from State Senate

If more than two-thirds of the state House votes in favor of a bill that would rein in corruption in local police forces, you would anticipate that the proposed legislation at least would receive a hearing in the state Senate, wouldn't you? See also: -Eddie Farnsworth Blocked Hearing for Anti-Child ... More >>

Arizona's Republican Congressmen Take the Jan Brewer Route on Immigration Proposals

The anti-immigration-reform crowd's broken record is currently playing in the offices of Republican Congressmen Matt Salmon, Trent Franks, Paul Gosar, and David Schweikert.The congressmen, like Governor Jan Brewer, insist that they can only even fathom immigration reform proposals if the border is s ... More >>

'Til Death Do Us Part: Arizona's Dangerous Love Affair with Guns

Mark Kelly, Testifying on Gun Violence, Informs Senate Committee of Phoenix Shooting (Video)

Mark Kelly, while testifying in a U.S. Senate committee hearing on gun violence, informed the rest of the room that another Arizona shooting had just taken place during the meeting.After talking about the Tucson shooting of his wife, former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, Kelly fielded a question ... More >>

Ken Bennett's Explanation of Provisional Ballot Issues Disputed by Organizer

The cause of the provisional-ballot uproar has not been solved. At least, there doesn't appear to be an agreement over the cause.Although Secretary of State Ken Bennett said one of the people involved in an effort to register 34,000 new Latino voters admitted that they were checking the permanent ea ... More >>

Ken Bennett: Latino Voters May Have Cast Provisional Ballots Thanks to Those Who Registered Them

Despite activists' complaints that Latino voters were more likely to cast provisional ballots in this year's election -- and that elections officials were likely to blame -- Secretary of State Ken Bennett pointed a finger back at the activists.Bennett recently testified before the U.S. Senate Judici ... More >>

Joe Arpaio's Justice Department Problem Could Cost County Up to $25 Million for His Use of Federal Tax Money

If a U.S. Senator from Vermont is right, then Maricopa County could be on the hook for repaying up to $25 million in federal taxpayer coin thanks to the Justice Department's civil-rights case against Sheriff Joe Arpaio.Senator Patrick Leahy wrote a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder yesterday, a ... More >>

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: No "Absolute Legislative Immunity" for Him, Court Says

While recalled ex-state Senate President Russell Pearce was away in D.C. (likely on Judicial Watch's dime) preparing for his big day before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, and, later, to hear oral arguments on Senate Bill 1070 before the U.S. Supreme Court, a different court here in Sand Land w ... More >>

Russell Pearce Shares "Some Tears" with DREAM Act Students

Pearce confronts DREAM Act students in 2010I'll have more to say soon about recalled former state Senate President Russell Pearce's Tuesday appearance at a U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Senate Bill 1070. There was some good stuff in the nearly two hour donnybrook, especially from U.S. S ... More >>

Trent Franks on Blast by Pro-Choice Activists Over His Anti-Abortion Bill

Carrying signs depicting U.S. Representative Trent Franks of Arizona's Second Congressional District as a hot dog with the slogan, "Congressman Franks, Don't Be a Wiener," around 25 protesters rallied on the sidewalk before Franks' Glendale office this morning to oppose an anti-abortion measure prop ... More >>

State Rep. Kimberly Yee Sneaks Her Dead Abortion Bill Into Senate

​Here's a feature of the Arizona Legislature that Republican state Rep. Kimberly Yee is happy about -- how her bill regulating contracts between the state and private attorneys, passed by the House a month a go, went to the Senate and magically turned into her abortion bill that was previously kil ... More >>

Congressman Ben Quayle: Eric Holder Must Step Down. Still Mum on Joe Arpaio

New TimesCongressman Ben Quayle apparently has no thoughts on Joe Arpaio's several hundred botched sex crime investigations.​Arizona Congressman Ben Quayle today officially joined several other GOP members of Congress in calling for Attorney General Eric Holder to step down over "Fast and Furious, ... More >>

Joe Arpaio (Unintentionally) Holds Second Press Conference About Botched Sex Crime Investigations. Won't Resign, Claims Other Agencies Have Way Worse Problems

Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio's back in the hot seat as two more lawmakers call for his resignation.​Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio seems to think Democratic politicians are using his office's bungling of more than 400 sex crime investigations as a reason to call for his resignation -- no ... More >>

House Republicans Call For Special Counsel to Determine Whether AG Eric Holder Lied During "Fast and Furious" Testimony

​United States House Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith wrote a letter to President Barack Obama today asking that he appoint a special counsel to investigate whether Attorney General Eric Holder lied when he testified before Congress about "Operation Fast and Furious," the Bureau of Alcohol ... More >>

Phoenix DREAM Activist Recognized on Capitol Hill

Angelica Hernandez being recognized by U.S. Senator from Illinois Dick DurbinOn Tuesday, the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee held its first DREAM Act hearing since the legislation was first proposed a decade ago. Illinois Senator Dick Durbin, a Democrat, announced the hearing last week. Durbin ... More >>

Iowa Senator Says Justice Department Policy May Have Led to Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry's Shooting Death

Brian Terry was shot and killed in southeastern Arizona on December 14. ​Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley accuses the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives of instructing Arizona gun dealers to sell firearms that eventually landed in the hands of Mexican drug cartels -- a stra ... More >>

State Senate Gives Preliminary Approval to "Birther" Bill. Welcome to Arizona, the "Meth Lab of Democracy"

​The Arizona state Senate gave preliminary approval to the "Birther" bill, which would require any presidential candidate to prove to state election officials that they are U.S. citizens, old enough to hold office, and meet residency requirements -- despite each of those things already being feder ... More >>

Total Humiliation Delayed: Senate Vote on Birther Bill Postponed

www.icanhazcheezberger.com​The Arizona state Senate was scheduled to debate the humiliating "Birther" bill yesterday, but that didn't happen -- the Senate has postponed a preliminary vote on the bill.The bill already has failed in the Arizona Legislature twice -- once last year and ... 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 >>

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 >>

Why a Russell Pearce Run for Congress Would Be a Good Thing

Jeff Flake to Birthers: Time to Accept "Reality"

www.freedomspeaks.comAttention GOPers: Listen to Congressman Jeff Flake.​Senate hopeful Jeff Flake is a refreshing voice of sanity in state filled with lunatics.Unlike several GOP members of the Arizona state Legislature (see all their names right here), Flake doesn't see President Barack Obama as ... More >>

"Birther Bill" Fails in Senate Judiciary Committee. Score One for Sanity

Arizona's "Birther Bill" has failed...again.​We are happy to report that the "Birther Bill" has failed in the state legislature -- yet again.Jeanette Tejeda de Gomez, spokeswoman for state Senate Democrats, confirms to New Times that the "Birther Bill," proposed by numb-Skull Valley Republican Jud ... More >>

Russell Pearce's "Anchor Baby" Bills Pulled from Agenda, but Don't Get Your Hopes Up

Don't kid yourselves. Pearce's anti-anchor-baby bills are alive and kickin'The bigoted bills state Senate president Russell Pearce has been pushing to undermine the birthright citizenship provision of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution -- SB 1308 and 1309 -- have been pulled from the agenda ... More >>

Russell Pearce, Baby-Basher, on Blast Monday with "Thousand Baby Chain"

Does this man hate your baby? Um, only if it's not white...State Senate President Russell Pearce's baby-bashin', anti-14th Amendment legislation will get a hearing Monday, February 7, in the Senate Judiciary Committee, chaired by Pearce's ally, state Senator Ron Gould. Fortunately, the pro-immigrant ... More >>

Badlands: For Those Living in the Arizona County That's Ground Zero for Drug and Human Trafficking Along the Border, the Illegal Immigration Crisis Is Personal

Sandra Day O'Connor Still on Supreme Court? Many Americans Seem to Think So, Survey Claims

Sandra Day O'Connor: No longer a Supreme Court justice (write that down, America).​If you think former Supreme Court Justice -- and Arizona native -- Sandra Day O'Connor is still a member of the U.S. Supreme Court, you're not alone but you're wrong -- she retired from the bench in 2006. Don't feel ... More >>

Russell Pearce's Latest Unconstitutional Measure, Illegal Re-Entry

Meaner than a junkyard dog, Hispanic-hater Russell Pearce has got more unconstitutional legislation in the hopper todaySomething wicked this way comes, and no, it ain't Macbeth, it's state Senator Russell Pearce's latest unconstitutional legislation, SB 1394, which is scheduled to be discussed in th ... More >>

Pack Your Heat With no Training or Background Check? Arizona Senate Panel OKs Concealed-Weapons Bill

www.nintendic.com​Lock 'n' load, Arizona. A state Senate panel has approved a measure that would allow any adult in Arizona to carry a concealed weapon without a background check or Department of Public Safety mandated training.Yippie ki-yay!The bill, SB 1102, was introduced by the Sena ... More >>

Dennis Burke Confirmed as U.S. Attorney in Arizona

​ Dennis Burke, one of former Governor Janet Napolitano's chiefs-of-staff, has been confirmed as the next U.S. Attorney in Arizona. Burke's ultra-qualified for the job. He's a graduate of Georgetown University and University of Arizona, worked as counsel under former Arizona Senator Dennis D ... More >>

U.S. House 287(g) Hearings: Mesa Police Chief George Gascon Says 287(g) in Some Cases Sets "the Police Profession Back to the 1950s"

MCSO paramilitary-style raid on Mesa's public library that George Gascon cited to the Judiciary Committee.After the second panel of witnesses was seated and introduced, Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren cited the Southern Poverty Law Center letter about witness Kris Kobach mentioned in my firs ... More >>

Immigration Holds Mostly for Minor Offenses, Sheriff's Data Shows; Office Thwarted New Times' Attempts to Get Same Data

  The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office released records last week showing what New Times readers already knew: Most jailed inmates kicked out of the country under the county's 287(g) agreement with the feds were picked up by local police forces for relatively minor crimes. O ... More >>

John Conyers' House Judiciary Committee to Hold 287(g) Hearing April 2

from Congressman Nadler's Web site NYC Congressman Jerry Nadler (left), with House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers. Trying to get info out of Washington, D.C. from here in Sand Land is like attempting to obtain cheese directly from the cow's teat sometimes. Nevertheless, I'm in rece ... More >>

Maricopa Warrants Go Unserved as Sheriff's Office Denies Responsibility Before Legislature

Paul Chagolla There were certainly no surprises from the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office yesterday during a legislative hearing on unserved felony and misdemeanor warrants. Back in November of 2007, Paul Chagolla, then the spokesman for the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office, told the Scottsdal ... More >>

State Senate to Hold Hearing on Issue of Felony Warrants

  Whether Sheriff Joe Arpaio is using his resources correctly when it comes to serving felony warrants will be among issues discussed at a legislative hearing on Monday. The State Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to hear testimony starting at 1:30 p.m. on the sub ... More >>

Head on a skewer: Joe Arpaio was so obsessed with getting a hard-charging New Times writer prosecuted that he badgered Andy Thomas into making a fool of himself

Donkey Kong

After looking like political asses in the '90s, Arizona Democrats have the money, moderation and 800-pound gorilla to kick some pachyderm tail

Straitjacket Jan Brewer

Empowering the Secretary of State, especially this secretary of state, to decide when elections can be suspended is a crazy idea. Sanity must prevail in state government

Letters From the Issue of Thursday, Jnauary 26, 2006

Lock Up, Rub Down

State lawmakers push dubious Mexican drug rehab program

Youth Decay

Governor ignores calls for investigation of abuses within juvenile corrections

Tom and Janet's Excellent AG Venture

Tom McGovern and Janet Napolitano are running close in a cordial race for attorney general. But somebody has to win.

Flashes

Flashes

Tokin' Resistance

Proposition 200 -- the Drug Medicalization Act -- is causing high anxiety among politicians and lawmen

SHE FOUGHT THE LAW

STELLA GAUDREAU LEADS HER FELLOW DOCUMENT PREPARERS TO A VICTORY OVER THE STATE BAR

MEANWHILE, BACK IN THE LOBBY

"THE DEAL" GOES DOWN. INFLUENCE GETS PEDDLED. IS IT ANY WONDER LAWMAKERS ARE GETTING A LIFE---SOMEPLACE ELSE?