Warren Petersen – California Globe

AZ GOP Senators Allege Medicaid Fraud Plagues Tribal Communities Despite State Crackdown

May 20, 2026 11:09 amMay 20, 2026 11:09 am

Arizona lawmakers, tribal advocates, behavioral health providers, and survivors gathered at the Arizona Capitol on Monday to allege that Medicaid fraud targeting Native Americans continues despite years of state crackdowns, intensifying a growing dispute between Republican lawmakers and Attorney General...

Arizona Budget Standoff Deepens After Third Veto, No Timeline for Renewed Talks

May 9, 2026 1:04 pmMay 9, 2026 1:04 pm

Arizona’s budget standoff deepened this week after Governor Katie Hobbs vetoed a third Republican-backed spending proposal, though the governor also signaled a willingness to resume negotiations with legislative leaders. The latest veto continues a weeks-long impasse between Hobbs and the...

Arizona Lawmakers Consider Mandating School Access to Religious Instruction Programs

May 6, 2026 10:53 amMay 6, 2026 10:53 am

A renewed debate over the role of religion in public education is unfolding in Arizona as lawmakers consider legislation that would expand access to “released-time” religious instruction programs during the school day, drawing opposition from secular advocacy groups. At the...

Supreme Court Ruling Could Trigger Challenge to Arizona’s Congressional District Maps

May 1, 2026 4:10 pmMay 1, 2026 4:11 pm

The U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Louisiana v. Callais on congressional redistricting could prompt a legal challenge to Arizona’s current district maps, including those covering Congressional Districts 3 and 7, according to reporting from Votebeat. The ruling, which addressed a...

Arizona Appeals Court Forces AG Mayes to Justify Withholding Election Records

May 1, 2026 10:13 amMay 1, 2026 2:37 pm

The Arizona Court of Appeals has vacated a lower court ruling and remanded a public records case involving Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes and Judicial Watch for further proceedings, according to a decision filed April 29, 2026. The case, Judicial...

Arizona Republicans Unveil $1.45 Billion Tax Relief Budget After Governor Hobbs Claimed ‘No Plan’ Existed

April 28, 2026 2:15 pmApril 28, 2026 2:15 pm

Arizona Republican lawmakers released a detailed budget proposal this week that they say would spend approximately $800 million less than Governor Katie Hobbs’ plan, while including $1.45 billion in tax relief, according to a release from legislative leadership. The proposal,...

ASU Event Claiming Christian Right ‘Darkened America’s Political Soul’ Draws Fire

April 21, 2026 12:35 pmApril 21, 2026 12:37 pm

Arizona State University hosted a campus event this month built around the argument that the Christian right has fueled “political hate” in the United States, prompting criticism from one ASU professor who argued the event unfairly targeted Christians and conservative...