Arizona Capitol Times

Bee Poll Shows He has a Chance Against Giffords in Arizona's District 8

The Republicans' top lieutenant in the state Senate indicated in a fundraising letter sent recently to supporters that he would have a fighting chance if he decided to run for Congress against a Democrat incumbent in Arizona's District 8. An unverified poll conducted on Dec.3-4 among 300 voters showed that in a match-up between Bee and U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, the incumbent would hold a 36-percent-to-30-percent advantage, according to data released by Bee's exploratory team, which has be...

Arizona Senator O'halleran Wants to Change Water-Conservation Law

A state senator is preparing to modify a key provision of a law passed last year that more strictly tied approval of new development to proof that it will have an adequate long-term water supply. The new law allows rural local governments to hinge their approval of new subdivisions on whether there will be enough water to support them for 100 years.

Maricopa County Businesses Pay Record Amount for Air-Quality Violations

Maricopa County businesses that violated air-quality standards paid a record $5.3 million in fines during 2007, up more than 40 percent compared to the prior year's totals. Violators paid more than $285,000 in fines during just the month of December, according to the Maricopa County Air Quality Department.

New Arizona Vehicle Emissions Standards On Hold

Arizona's push to regulate tailpipe greenhouse gases now hinges on the outcome of a new lawsuit against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Arizona joined California and 14 other states in suing the EPA and the Bush Administration to reverse a Dec. 19 decision preventing states from adopting standards to control vehicle emissions such as carbon dioxide.

Disputed Quotes to Be Removed From Arizona's 9/11 Memorial

A state commission has approved plans to remove controversial inscriptions from the state's Sept. 11 memorial more than a year after critics derided the monument for being unpatriotic and lacking historical context. At a Dec. 21 meeting, the Legislative Governmental Mall Commission approved, by a 7-1 vote, alterations already adopted by the volunteer commission that oversaw the design and construction of the memorial. The steel-and-concrete structure is located on the north side of Wesley Bol...

Arizona Governor Napolitano Wants Cuts, Borrowing to Balance Budget

Gov. Janet Napolitano has released long-awaited details to a plan she initially proposed in September to rectify a mounting deficit that some predict will reach $1 billion, proposing a combination of budget cuts, borrowing for capital projects and using a state savings account to balance the budget. "This is a temporary dip in our economy, and we will work our way through it, just as we have before," Napolitano stated in a press release.

State Bar of Arizona Dismisses Complaint Against Romley

The State Bar of Arizona will not pursue an investigation into the billing practices of former Maricopa County Attorney Rick Romley that was urged by a top deputy of Sheriff Joe Arpaio. That news was released Jan. 2, and Romley said he believes the filing may be political payback from the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office for his public endorsement of Democrat Dan Saban, who will challenge Arpaio in the election for sheriff in 2008.

Drunk Boaters in Arizona Could See Same Penalties As Drunk Motorists

Watercraft operators could be next in line for enhanced DUI laws. An effort is underway to extend the recently enacted drunk- driving laws to Arizona's lakes and rivers.