Howard Fischer

Taxpayers from throughout the state could end up underwriting a bid by ousted Senate President Russell Pearce to get back in the Legislature. 

Rep. Steve Montenegro points out that the Arizona Constitution requires lawmakers to pay the reasonable expenses of any public official who is recalled. In this case, Pearce spent more than $260,000 last year in his unsuccessful bid to remain in office. Montenegro said other legislators are concerned about ignoring that mandate.

The US Supreme Court gave state officials some reason to believe that part of its immigration law might actually be upheld as legal. 

The Senate Judiciary subcommittee took a closer look at Arizona's SB 1070. The law is designed to give police more power to detain and arrest those not in thge country legally. Schumer contends -- as does the Department of Justice -- that states can enforce immigration laws only with federal permission.

Get ready to give the youngsters in your car a little boost.

State senators voted Wednesday to resurrect a program giving generous tax credits to movie and TV producers who come here to make their shows.

Siding with local governments, Governor Jan Brewer vetoed legislation Tuesday that would have allowed guns into public buildings.

Existing law says all a government agency need do to keep guns out is post a sign and provide lockers for weapons. Charles Heller of the Arizona Citizens Defense League said that's meaningless. In fact, Heller said the signs actually can make the building more dangerous.

Governor Jan Brewer has apparently found a good place to spend some of the donations she is getting to her federal political action committee: buying her own books. 

A federal appeals court today upheld a voter-approved law which requires people to produce ID at the polls before casting a ballot. 

If the idea of 'stand your ground' sounds like something that could happen only in Florida, think again.  Lawmakers here quietly approved a similar plan two years ago.

The issue arose as Dave Kopp of the Arizona Citizens Defense League was trying to keep police from keeping track of who owns guns. But Kopp got Chuck Gray, who then was chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, to tack on language adding a new provision to Arizona's self-defense laws. 

Last minute efforts are underway to craft a deal that would allow some new illuminated billboards but still protect the dark skies around observatories. 

The state court of appeals said last year the signs with their changing messages are illegal. And a bid by the companies to override that legislatively was vetoed by Governor Jan Brewer.

Representative Bob Robson, who sponsored the now-vetoed measure, said this is a compromise.