The state House voted Wednesday to repeal the 1864 law that outlaws abortions except to save the life of the mother. The 32-28 vote came after three Republicans — Tim Dunn of Yuma, and Matt Gress and Justin Wilmeth, both of Phoenix — voted with all the Democrats. That sends the measure to the Senate where a preliminary vote last week shows their appear to be sufficient votes to approve identical language. That would send the measure to Gov. Katie Hobbs who has said she will sign it. But none of this changes the fact that, even with her signature, the change would not take effect until 91 days ..read more

Deposit Photos Arizona has the fastest growth rate for Alzheimer’s disease in the country. Dementia takes an emotional toll on a family support system which is often unprepared for the level of care they must provide. AZ Complete Health is partnering with Oakwood Creative Care to develop a fully integrated Adult Day Club and Dementia Hub, focused on supporting patients living with dementia, their family members, and caregivers. It includes services for patients, but also education for family members and caregivers allowing dementia patients to remain at home for as long as possible ..read more

In the quest to address the affordable housing crisis gripping our state, particularly in urban areas where space is at a premium, one solution stands out: Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs). These secondary units, also known as casitas, have gained traction across the country and the state as a viable means to bolster housing supply while offering affordable options for renters. Arizona Senate Bill 1415 presents a timely opportunity to streamline regulations surrounding ADU construction and unlock their potential to alleviate the housing shortage in Arizona  At the heart of SB1415 lies the ..read more

Four lawsuits from the same law firm challenging candidate petitions were voluntarily dismissed after opposing counsel pointed out a laundry list of false factual allegations later backed up by reports from Maricopa County Recorder’s Office.   A challenge to Marlene Galan-Woods, candidate in Congressional District 1, was rescinded on April 19, and three lawsuits targeting petitions submitted by Tabatha LaVoie, a Republican candidate for Maricopa County Supervisor in District 3; Ralph Heap, Republican House candidate for Legislative District10; and Josh Barnett, Senate candidate in L ..read more

Progress Arizona is launching a campaign to deny new terms to two of the state Supreme Court justices who voted earlier this month to allow the 1864 law on abortion to once again be enforced in Arizona. And they’re gearing up to kill a proposal by a Sierra Vista Republican to strip voters of that right. The organization that supports progressive causes wants to convince voters to exercise a seldom-used right to reject a bid by a judge to be retained in office. If they are successful, that would end the tenure of Clint Bolick and Kathryn King, both appointees of former Republican Gov. Doug Duc ..read more

Kari Lake and Mark Finchem are not going to get a do-over of their losing claim that machines used in some Arizona counties to tally ballots are so inherently unreliable that they violate their constitutional rights. In a brief order Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to consider the petition they filed to review the decisions of both a trial court judge and the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals that they should be allowed a new trial to present evidence they did not have before. The justices provided no reason for their decision. The action came even though none of the entities that the pair ..read more

Pima County has been awarded $21.8 million to continue efforts with temporary shelters for asylum seekers.   Organizations partnered with Pima County have been providing transportation, food and temporary shelter for migrants to prevent people from turning to the streets. The money was awarded as part of Homeland Security Shelter Service’s $650 million project.  “We’re trying to do is continually make sure that the federal government pushing this (Border issue) aside doesn’t become the responsibility of Pima County or individual cities,” said Pima County Board of Superviso ..read more

Gov. Katie Hobbs has ordered what is essentially a hiring freeze for new state employees and instructed her department heads to send her a plan this week to cut $1.2 billion in spending out of their current and coming year budgets. The move is a major admission that the state’s budget shortfall is going to require big belt-tightening, and fast. The details were outlined in a Friday letter to state agency heads from Hobbs’ operations director obtained by Capitol Media Services. The letter sets out a “headcount cap” that will allow agencies to replace employee losses but not to fill currently v ..read more

State lawmakers return Wednesday with another attempt to deal with the 1864 abortion law. But it won’t go away this week, no matter what happens in the House or Senate. The Senate appears poised to approve repeal. But not just yet. The Arizona Constitution requires all measures to be read “on three different days.” And with the Legislature now on a once-a-week schedule, Sen. Anna Hernandez, D-Phoenix, says that makes May 1 the earliest her chamber could give final approval. House Speaker Ben Toma, R-Peoria More problematic is what happens in the House where Speaker Ben Toma could take any Sen ..read more

Attorneys for two Cochise County supervisors facing criminal charges lashed out Friday in a hearing at Attorney General Kris Mayes for indicting them in the first place. Dennis Wilenchik who represents Tom Crosby called the move “vindictive and in retribution” because his client and Peggy Judd, both Republicans, said they had the right to get some questions answered before they certified the results of the 2022 election. He said the indictment was “based on a broad reading of the statute that was never written that way or intended that way.” “What we have here is a rogue prosecutor and a rogu ..read more