Politics & Government

Griselda Nevarez Educators or politicians? ​It isn’t just undocumented students upset with the Maricopa Community Colleges Governing Board anymore. State politicians and business leaders showed up at last night’s board meeting to condemn MCC’s recent tuition hike targeting undocumented students. Representative Catherine Miranda and her husband, ex-representative Ben Miranda, were…

Ssshhh… Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery seem to be on a secret mission. He’s scheduled to appear at a fundraiser tomorrow for himself hosted by lawyer Mark Goldman and featuring an appearance by Sheriff Joe Arpaio, (whom Montgomery apparently thinks is sort of daffy.) Obviously, this can’t be a simple…

Arizona Congressman Trent Franks wrote a recent article for Roll Call, in which he argues that gender differences between men and women should keep the ladies off the front lines of a combat situation.Franks argues that sexual tension between male and female soldiers “further complicates the situation by providing one…

Arizona Congressman Trent Franks has a message for subscribers of “radical feminism”: you need a penis to serve in military combat roles (cue the feminist outrage).Franks penned an article for Roll Call last week, in which he argues that gender differences between men and women should keep the ladies off…

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 Maricopa County Board of Supervisors announced Pierce’s appointment this morning.Pierce, an employment lawyer with the firm Jackson Lewis, will serve the remainder of Adams’ term,…

A challenger has emerged to run against America’s self-proclaimed “toughest sheriff” in the 2012 election.Mike Stauffer, a lieutenant in the Scottsdale Police Department, announced over the weekend that he will take on Maricopa County’s corrupt top cop, Sheriff Joe Arpaio, because he’s fed up with Arpaio’s “shamelessly and recklessly thumbing his nose…

Rumors that Sarah Palin is planning a Senate run in Arizona seem a little more credible now that it seems the former Alaska governor has purchased a house in Scottsdale.Rumors have been swirling for months that Palin was either looking to purchase a home in Scottsdale, or already had purchased one, and…

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 Arizona tax dollars for the project. Instead, it’s up to Smith to raise private donations for construction. He met…

Immigrants will do just about whatever it takes to obtain a better life in the United States — which apparently includes being crammed into two tractor-trailers with more than 500 other people.Mexican authorities on Tuesday stopped the two trucks, and inside were 513 illegal aliens.The immigrants, according to the Chiapas,…

Like many states, Oklahoma makes the transition from prisoner to politician pretty difficult, and a person convicted of a felony is not permitted to hold public office — but that’s not stopping Pawnee, Oklahoma’s Mayor-elect Chris Linder.Linder was sworn in yesterday, despite the felonious blemish on his criminal record.  He…

Wes Gullett reached out to some Tea Party members, and his hand was slapped away.The Phoenix lobbyist wrote an e-mail on May 11 to TP peeps seeking support for his mayoral bid — and asking them to consider talking to the newest mayoral candidate Jennifer Wright, an attorney and Tea…

Congressman Ben Quayle held a town hall meeting in Anthem last night. It didn’t go well for the young congressman — and the laughter of his constituents after he tried to explain government subsidies for oil companies was caught on film.Constituents apparently aren’t thrilled with Quayle’s support of proposed cuts…

Despite Phoenix police recommending that he be charged with assault for a February freeway fight with his then gal-pal Aubry Ballard, the prosecutor handling State Senator Scott Bundgaard’s case has yet to file a charge — and he says a decision on whether to file charges at all probably won’t…

According to a recent poll, Arizonans mirror much of the country and can’t stand billionaire reality TV bozo Donald Trump, and he’s apparently taken the hint — Trump announced this morning that he will not run for president, ending months of speculation that his candidacy was a publicity stunt to boost…

Arizona Congressman Ben Quayle introduced a bill this morning that would give U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents unrestricted access to federal lands in the southwestern borderlands region.The bill has been co-sponsored by Congressman Peter King, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, and Arizona’s House Republican delegation, including congressmen…

Phoenix lobbyist Wes Gullett, in the running to be Phoenix’s next mayor, says that he isn’t trying to “push” one of his opponent out of the mayor’s race.He sent an e-mail sent yesterday to a few of his supporters asking for them to “talk to [Attorney Jennifer Wright] about her realistic…

The identities of the two Border Patrol agents killed this morning when their SUV collided with a train have been released. In addition to the release of the agents’ identities, it turns out Attorney General Tom Horne was right — members of the “group” the two agents were following were later…

Phoenix lobbyist and mayoral candidate Wes Gullett is threatened by the newest candidate to enter the Phoenix mayors race.He sent out an e-mail — a day after the Arizona Legislative District 11 Republicans hosted a Republican-only mayoral forum — asking them for help getting attorney Jennifer Wright to pull out…

United We Dream Obama’s solicitation ​A national coalition of DREAM Act student activists is furious over Barack Obama’s latest fundraising letter soliciting re-election funds based on his “support” of the DREAM Act.   United We Dream is circulating a petition calling on Obama to stop using the DREAM Act for…

Two Border Patrol agents were killed this morning when their unmarked SUV was hit by a train near Gila Bend, and Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne already is implicating illegal drug traffickers in their death.Either Horne knows something Border Patrol authorities don’t, or he just assumes every illegal immigrant walking through the…

College valedictorians tend to have job offers and paid internships lined up long before graduation. But not Angelica Hernandez, the Distinguished Graduating Senior in Mechanical Engineering at Arizona State University’s Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering. Hernandez graduates from ASU today with much hope and little opportunity. She is undocumented…

eft-leaning Public Policy Polling released results yesterday of a poll showing that — assuming Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords doesn’t run for the Senate seat getting vacated by Senator Jon Kyl — former Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard is the overwhelming favorite amongst Arizona Democrats.Seriously? Terry Goddard is the best candidate Arizona Democrats can…