Archive for the ‘Arizona Republic’s Political Insider’ Category
Wednesday, February 22nd, 2012
Both men are gay Republicans.
Babeu acknowledged that he is gay Saturday, a day after media reported allegations that he threatened a Mexican ex-boyfriend with deportation to prevent him from exposing their relationship. Babeu has denied the allegation.
Kolbe, who served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1985 to 2007, announced he was gay in 1996 after people threatened to out him for voting in favor of the Defense of Marriage Act.
“I endorse Paul Babeu based on ...
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Wednesday, February 22nd, 2012
Gov. Jan Brewer and state tourism and business officials on Wednesday unveiled a new ad pitching Arizona to coincide with the Republican debate.
The ad, which features Brewer in a white suit against the backdrop of the Arizona desert, will air 44 times on CNN this week and next week – the week of Arizona and Michigan's primary.
The state spent about $300,000 to produce and air the ad, said Matthew Benson, the governor's spokesman. The ad campaign is a joint effort between the Arizo...
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Wednesday, February 22nd, 2012
The rising cost of coverage for employers, plus the implications of the federal Affordable Care Act, add up to big dollar signs and big problems for the state, he said.
State budget staffers project Arizona will have a $40 million obligation in fiscal 2014 when provisions of the federal health-care law kick in. Costs are projected to continue to rise after that.
"It's time to address this now and say, 'How are we going to do this?'" Pierce, R-Prescott said. "We can't afford to s...
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Monday, February 20th, 2012
House Bill 2772 attempts to ratchet down the government involvement. It would get rid of the Arizona Tea Party Committee and its role of handing out money to tea party causes. Instead, any money raised by the plate would go to the state treasury and be used to pay down the state's debt, ...
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Monday, February 20th, 2012
You'd think some of these things would be common sense, but apparently not for politicians. We've seen the scandals over and over, and here we are again with Pinal County Sheriff and Republican congressional candidate Paul Babeu.
But apparently Republican political consultant Chuck Coughlin is an idealist. He seems to believe that maybe politicians will one day get it. Maybe they just need to be told one more time.
After Babeu's Saturday media conference announcing that he is gay, did tak...
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Wednesday, February 15th, 2012
That's the aim of a measure that cleared its first hurdle Wednesday on the long path to a spot on the November ballot.
House Concurrent Resolution 2056 would allow employers to drop the minimum wage -- currently $7.65 an hour -- by $3 for any part-time worker who is employed for 90 days or less. It would apply to any worker under age 20.
A second provision would drop the minimum wage for anyone -- part time or ...
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Wednesday, February 15th, 2012
"Scheduling problems," a trip to Hawaii and a golfing mishap delayed the appointment. An insider said that the supervisors' schedules have been crazy busy with this that and the other, and with President's Day approaching, they just couldn't get everyone together before they split town for the holiday.
The board also lost a day because Supervisor Max Wilson, chairman of the board, ...
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Tuesday, February 14th, 2012
It's another episode in the long-running saga of Arizona's other border war, this one with neighboring Nevada.
First Nevada "steals" the Grand Canyon from Arizona by marketing the Grand Canyon.
Then it takes the state's water (see Colorado River allotment).
And now it's grabbing Arizona's Centennial.
Maybe the Senate Border Security Committee should take a look at this. For which we would say, "Danke Schoen." ...
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Monday, February 13th, 2012
Scorpions for Breakfast wasn't on Gov. Guillermo Padres Elias' must-read list when it came out last November.
The Sonoran governor told The Insider in Rocky Point, Mexico, last week that he learned of the memoir from Gov. Jan Brewer shortly before its release.
But he wasn't hot to trot for a copy of the book, which details Brewer's account of her fight with the feds over illegal immigration.
Padres Elias laughed when asked if he has read the book, saying, "No."
"I've heard...
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Monday, February 13th, 2012
Perhaps Pratt is informed by his experience as president of Pratt Pools and Casa Grande Dive Shop. Among other things, the company builds pools, which in turn, need pool pumps.
Pratt and supporters of this bill, as well as a Senate measure to repeal the mandate altogether, say it's too expensive to buy an energy-efficient pump. Arguably, HB 2775 would hurt Pratt's business, since it would allow the less-expensive pumps to still ...
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Friday, February 10th, 2012
The maps were mailed Thursday by overnight mail, according to the commission. It comes 3 1/2 weeks after the commission gave final approval to the maps, which create a new ninth congressional district and reconfigure the lines for the other eight districts.
If approved by the commission, the maps would be the guideline for elections for the next decade.
Once the Justice Department receives the maps, which the commission estimates will be today, a 60-day clock starts running for a department res...
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Wednesday, February 8th, 2012
Once again, Committee Chairman Don Shooter, R-Yuma, refused to accept public testimony.
Organized by PAFCO, an advocacy group for families and children, the group included people with serious mental illness at risk of losing their AHCCCS coverage. The governor's budget does not include funding to open enrollment for childless adults, who have been frozen out of AHCCCS since July.
"This is outrageous," said PAFCO coordinator Tim Schmaltz. "The rationale for do...
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Wednesday, February 8th, 2012
Gov. Jan Brewer’s appointment of longtime lobbyist and charter-school founder Jay Heiler to the Arizona Board of Regents received Senate approval today with lawmakers voting on party lines, but the Dems came out swinging against it.
The governor first appointed Heiler to the board in September. He will replace outgoing Regent Fred DuVal, the current board chairman.
On Tuesday, the Senate Education Committee voted along party lines to confirm the appointment.
But in today’s hearing...
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Wednesday, February 8th, 2012
The Senate Commerce and Energy Committee approved Senate Bill 1338 on a unanimous vote. It would collect sales tax from any online retailer that "maintains a distribution center, warehouse, fulfillment center or similar place of business" in Arizona.
It's aimed at getting sales tax dollars out of Amazon.com purchases, since Amazon has four warehouses in the state. Bricks-and-mortar retailers cite a study they commissioned that showed 24 percent of online purchasers might switch to a l...
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Tuesday, February 7th, 2012
Well, yes, there is the usual assortment of railbirds, lawmakers and an occasional protester, but the rose bushes that bloom in the public space between the two buildings have been moved. Again.
This time, it's to make room for the stages that will be erected to celebrate Arizona's centennial next Tuesday. It's a ritual familiar to Capitol crews -- the bushes are dug up at least once every four years to make way for a gubernatorial inauguration.
One regular lamented the loss, albeit temporary, ...
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Monday, February 6th, 2012
It's alive!! ... Senate Dems made much ado about the Committee on Economic Development and Job Creation last week, noting the panel has been more idle than a laid-off worker who's exhausted his 99 weeks of unemployment benefits.
The panel has not met this year, and only four times since it was created last year. What's the point of a job-creation committee if it isn't, you know, working on jobs bills, the Dems wanted to know.
Despite the protestations of committee chairman Sen. Michele Reagan...
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Thursday, February 2nd, 2012
Smith last month met with the three county supervisors who have not filed suit against the county -- Andy Kunasek, Max Wilson and Fulton Brock – to discuss how to settle the issue once and for all. He proposed a strategy: File motions to dismiss lawsuits against the county by judges and county officials because of the actions of former County Attorney Andrew Thomas and Sheriff Joe Arpaio. If they aren't ...
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Thursday, February 2nd, 2012
Former Sen. Bundgaard last month went to lunch during the Senate Ethics Committee investigation about an altercation Bundgaard had with a girlfriend, and he never returned. Shortly before he would have had to testify in his own defense, Bundgaard dropped off a resignation letter with the Senate president and snuck out the door, stunning even his attorneys.
Bundgaard hasn't been seen or heard from since - at least not on the public's radar - until today when he decided to emerge from his hole an...
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Wednesday, February 1st, 2012
A bill that would provide tax incentives to television productions is back, after being killed off last year.
"Bear in mind, no bad idea dies around here," complained Sen. Ron Gould, R-Lake Havasu City,Gould, who likened the tax break to fascism because it would have the government telling industry what to produce.
Senate Bill 1170 would create a 30-year program with a refundable tax credit ranging from 20 percent to 30 percent of any production costs higher than $250,000.
Sen. John N...
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Tuesday, January 31st, 2012
That's because the change to House procedures, offered by Rep. Justin Olson, R-Mesa, would put a cap on the size of the budget and Brewer's self-described "fiscally conservative and smart" plan would not meet that standard.
Brewer has proposed an $8.96 billion budget for fiscal 2013; Olson's proposal would draw the line at $8.54 billion, according to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee.
The Children's Action Alliance, which takes a keen interest in budget matters, comes to essentia...
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