After all that, a federal judge sentenced former state Representative Ben Arredondo yesterday to zero days in jail.This, less than a year after being charged with bribery, extortion, and lying to FBI agents in a ticket-bribery exchange, then eventually pleading guilty to a mail-fraud charges, related to running a scholarship…
Paul Penzone, former candidate for Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, is supporting Lawrence Robinson for Phoenix City Council’s District 8 seat. The race promises to be interesting, if not contentious. Robinson is vying to represent South Phoenix against Kate Gallego and Pastor Warren Stewart — all candidates with impressive resumes…
With the news that Republican state Representative Steve Smith is again trying to get the public to cut a quarter-million-dollar check to ousted Senate President Russell Pearce, we took a look at all the bills Smith’s sponsoring this session.To describe the list of Smith-sponsored bills in one word: nutso.See also:-Russell…
A 26-year-old Mexican national is apparently a new record-holder in the world of marijuana smuggling.According to Customs and Border Protection, nobody’s been caught with this much marijuana at an Arizona port of entry — more than 14,000 pounds.See also:-230 Pounds of Cheese Seized at U.S./Mexico Border-Drug Smugglers Now Shooting Cannons…
A majority of Americans are in favor of a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants, according to poll commissioned by the Associated Press.Not only do Democrat and independent voters favor this idea, but 53 percent of Republicans do too, according to this poll…
Democratic Congressman Raul Grijalva says it’s pretty clear that deferred action beneficiaries should be allowed to apply for driver’s licenses.Grijalva, and previously, the ACLU, have disagreed with the executive order issued by Governor Jan Brewer, in which she stated that Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program do not have…
Maybe there’s something to be said about the posts on this blog today — legislators hoping to make high school students take a loyalty oath to graduation, Arizona leading the nation in high school dropouts, and now, an effort to make reciting the Pledge of Allegiance a “requirement.”Under current Arizona…
State lawmakers have been trying to regulate salvia divinorum, a hallucination-inducing plant, since 2009, and it still hasn’t been regulated.Now, legislators are trying once again to regulate salvia, this time banning its sale to anyone under the age of 21.See also:-2009: Salvia Targeted by Arizona Lawmakers…
“Finally, our state legislators are making sure Arizona’s teenagers will ask for the Lord’s help defending the Constitution before they’re allowed to earn a high school diploma.” –NobodyIf a handful of Republican state legislators have their way, high school students in Arizona would not be allowed to graduate until taking…
While the ACLU is still suing over Governor Jan Brewer’s order to deny driver’s licenses to participants in the Obama Administration’s deferred-action program, a bill has been submitted that would change the current policy.Democratic state Representative Catherine Miranda submitted House Bill 2032, which aims to get the people receiving deferred…
Although we heard a couple weeks ago that Pastor Warren Stewart was going to run for Phoenix City Council, he’s made it official today.Stewart is now one of two African-Americans who are running for the Phoenix City Council seat in District 8 — which is currently held by Vice Mayor…
In one of the less-thought-out attempts to smuggle meth into the United States, Customs and Border protection officers busted a Washington woman with a couple pounds of meth taped to her belly.Believe it or not, an officer got suspicious when he spotted 28-year-old Laura Ivanez-Ramirez in the pedestrian lane at…
Former Democratic Congressman and Tempe Mayor Harry Mitchell has taken an interesting route in supporting ex-state Representative and recently admitted felon Ben Arredondo.While prosecutors are looking to lock up Arredondo for as much as three years on a pair of mail fraud charges, Mitchell was one of a couple dozen…
An organization co-chaired by Pastor Warren Stewart is endorsing his candidacy for a District 8 seat on the Phoenix City Council. The Black-Brown Coalition of Arizona, forged to maintain an alliance between the black and Latino communities, believes the Phoenix City Council should maintain diversity. The only black Phoenix City…
The race for the Phoenix City Council seat in District 8 — a seat that has been held by African-Americans for the past 46 years — has been further complicated for those who are determined to keep that streak alive.Phoenix School of Law professor and Roosevelt school district board member…
UPDATE: Hallman’s folks respond, at the bottom of this post.Although New Times called out then-Tempe Mayor Hugh Hallman for touting an apparently fake endorsement from the city’s firemen and cops, we have not called out potential gubernatorial candidate Hugh Hallman for using an apparently fake endorsement from Tempe’s firemen and…
Former Tempe Mayor Hugh Hallman today posted a statement on his website, saying he’s considering a run for governor.”Over the next few months, I will be traveling the state of Arizona to speak with and listen to people from all walks of life about what’s really important to them in…
To the credit of the Arizona House Minority Leader, Democrat Chad Campbell, he unveiled a pretty wide-ranging plan to change laws related to school safety, mental health, and guns.Unfortunately for Campbell, he’s in the blood-red legislature in Arizona, so let’s just say it’s the thought that counts…
U.S. Customs and Border Protection is proud to report that it has prevented 230 pounds of cheese from entering the United States of America.See also:-Drug Smugglers Now Shooting Weed Cannons Into United States-Border Crossing Gone Wrong: Jeep Gets Stuck on Top of 14-Foot Fence-Piñatas Used to Hide 425 Pounds of…
Although the election for the Phoenix City Council seat in District 8 — a seat that has been held by African-Americans for the past 46 years — is still months away, race is definitely going to be an issue.Several people, including leaders in Phoenix’s African-American community, already have publicly stated…
Here’s yet another way to end up in one of Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s press releases: bring along your 3-year-old daughter while you’re getting paid to smuggle people into the United States.Better yet, MCSO says the 3-year-old girl was “seated between two unknown males and not properly restrained by a seatbelt.”See…
African-Americans have held the Phoenix City Council seat in District 8 — which is currently held by Vice Mayor Michael Johnson — for the last 46 years.That streak could be in jeopardy later this year, since Johnson is term-limited, and the district doesn’t have the same demographic makeup as it…
