Senate Dems in the News

Loyola Today: 

When Flavio Bravo (BA ’16) was growing up in Phoenix, Arizona, Catholic school seemed out of reach. His parents both worked as court interpreters, and the students in the Catholic schools were the children of the more well-off judges and attorneys.

Eventually there was an opening at a nearby school, and a coworker encouraged his parents to apply. Bravo was admitted, and his family was happily surprised that they could make it work, thanks to some “generous financial aid,” he says.

However, it wasn’t always easy. His family often discussed the sacrifices made for his education: “I remember those conversations in the household as early as fourth grade,” he says. “It meant a lot to me because I thought, ‘Look how hard my parents are working. They’re juggling different jobs,’” he says. “It was all hands on deck, everyone pitching in.”

Arizona Daily Star: 

Most of the attention to ballot measures set for votes this year has been focused on a few high-profile issues, such as the right to abortion and new laws on border security.

But buried in the 13 measures going to voters in November is one asking them to give up some of their rights to make laws in the first place.

Proposition 134 would require that any group circulating initiative petitions get a certain percentage of their signatures from all 30 legislative districts in Arizona. That would override existing constitutional provisions that have no such geographic requirement.

Arizona Daily Star: 

A judge has immediately blocked Secretary of State Adrian Fontes from enforcing rules about what people can do in and around polling places.

Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Jennifer Ryan-Touhill reaffirmed her earlier ruling that some of what Fontes put into the Elections Procedures Manual violates the First Amendment rights of individuals. These range from what people can wear at polling places to their activities outside.

But two Democratic state senators say they see something darker in what the ruling will allow.

Arizona Capitol Times: 

Following the adjournment of a highly contentious 2024 legislative session last month, Arizona lawmakers now have the opportunity to reflect on the outcomes we accomplished this year and how we achieved them. While some will use the time to tout their records, any sensible state lawmaker will tell you that we must do more to find common ground and advance long-term solutions for our state’s most pressing concerns. If we want to equitably advance the interests of all Arizonans next year, the time for quick fixes and overly partisan policy proposals must come to an end.

Arizona Republic: 

When Republicans feel like they can’t win, they try to change the rules.

Only a few months before the election, state and federal Republican politicians are attempting a desperate, last-minute ploy to throw out voter registration forms and leave many voters who thought they were registered unable to vote for president or by mail in the 2024 election.

ABC15: 

What are the Hispanic voters in Arizona looking for in the upcoming election.

Arizona Capitol Times: 

The Arizona Capitol Times sat down with Senate Minority Leader Mitzi Epstein to talk about the highs and lows of the session, budget negotiations, school funding and Democrats’ plan to flip the Legislature.

Arizona Daily Star: 

This year, for the first time in decades, Democrats in the Legislature were hopeful that the Republican majority was willing to take Arizona’s water security seriously and strengthen our urban water supplies while addressing the free-for-all that is rural groundwater pumping. The state of our groundwater needs attention — desperately — as climate change is no longer a future fear but a reality we now live with daily.

Arizona Daily Star: 

A U.S. Supreme Court ruling Friday empowers states and cities to enact laws designed to keep homeless people from sleeping on the street.

Arizona lawmakers are already making legislative plans and the Tucson City Council is now likely to consider a proposed ordinance banning people from camping in washes.

In a split decision, the justices ruled that laws banning camping on public property do not violate the Eighth Amendment ban against “cruel and unusual punishment.’’ The court also said such laws do not make being homeless a crime.

Arizona Republic: 

This year, for the first time in decades, Democrats in the Legislature were hopeful that the Republican majority was willing to take Arizona’s water security seriously and strengthen our urban water supplies while addressing the free-for-all that is rural groundwater pumping.

The state of our groundwater needs attention — desperately — as climate change is no longer a future fear but a reality we now live with daily.

Arizona Republic: 

State Sen. Anna Hernandez has been critical of use-of-force policies by Phoenix police for years, but Thursday's report by the U.S. Department of Justice is "much worse than I thought it would be."

Hernandez, a Phoenix Democrat, became a civil rights activist and lawmaker after a Phoenix officer shot and killed her brother in 2019 after he allegedly pointed a replica rifle at officers, who weren't wearing body cameras. She hopes the new report encourages the reform in the agency for which she and others have pushed.

12 News: 

Republican legislative leaders want to protect a wealthy family’s ability to obtain taxpayer-funded vouchers while they are simultaneously threatening to hamper public school districts from spending money already allocated to them, said Arizona State Senate Minority Leader Mitzi Epstein (D) on Monday.

KGUN9:

State Senator Priya Sundareshan and State Representative Stephanie Stahl Hamilton sat down exclusively with KGUN 9 this week to discuss the issue of contraception rights. They are Democrats representing Arizona’s 18th and 21st legislative districts in Southern Arizona.

In January, they introduced a bill that would have enshrined the right to contraception in Arizona law, an effort that started in 2022.

KYMA: 

With the recent guilty verdict of former President Trump, some local lawmakers have mixed reactions.

Democratic Arizona Senator Brian Fernandez believes the trial was fair.

Fernandez mentioned how the former president was able to go without bond and continue to disparage the judge even after being warned not to do so.

AZPM:

Arizona is on the frontline for up-and-coming solutions to address climate change thanks to federal investments for renewable energy.

That’s what Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) said today at a press conference alongside Arizona State Senator Priya Sundareshan (LD-18) and other local solar industry leaders outside of the local solar manufacturing facility, Solar Gain Inc. in Tucson.

KOLD: 

U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly and State Sen. Priya Sundareshan met with solar industry leaders Friday to celebrate the nearly $11 billion federal clean energy investment and incentives awarded to the state in 2021.

With Arizona being the sunniest state in the country, there are thousands of solar jobs and more than 300 companies, but the event made it clear that it goes much deeper than the jobs.

Arizona Capitol Times: 

Foes of a Republican-backed border-security referendum say the “rushed” legislative process may have negative consequences for asylum seekers and mixed status families.

On top of that, pro-immigration organizations across the state are gearing up for an awareness campaign as the ballot referral approaches its final hurdle in the Legislature.

Sen. Flavio Bravo, D-Phoenix, said one of the largest failures of the proposal is how it would set up state immigration policy to clash with federal immigration law.

KYMA: 

Governor Gavin Newsom (D-California) signed a bill into law to temporarily allow Arizona abortion providers to perform abortions in California.

Arizona currently has a 15-week abortion ban that runs through September 26 and this new law is Governor Newsom’s response to it.

Fronteras: 

Two Republicans joined Democrats in the Arizona Senate last week to vote down a proposal to lower the minimum wage for tipped workers.

Arizona law allows employers to pay tipped workers $3 below the state’s hourly minimum wage, which is currently $14.35.

The proposed ballot referral would ask voters to change that law to allow employers to instead pay tipped workers 25% less than the minimum wage.

KJZZ: 

A border security ballot measure advanced through the Arizona Senate on Wednesday on party lines with amendments that Republicans say will ensure no one is racially profiled under the proposal.

The legislation, HCR 2060, would make it a state crime to enter Arizona from Mexico outside of a designated port of entry. That’s already illegal under federal law, but can’t be locally enforced.

AP News: 

The Arizona Senate approved a proposed ballot measure that would ask voters in November to make it a state crime for noncitizens to enter the state through Mexico at any location other than a port of entry.

AZPM:

House Concurrent Resolution 2060 makes it illegal under state law to enter the country anywhere besides a port of entry.

Opponents of the bill are comparing it to SB 1070 — the 2010 law that the US Supreme Court partially struck down as unconstitutional.

Arizona Capitol Times: 

A GOP-backed ballot measure that will make it a state crime to enter the country illegally passed out of the Senate with a 16-13 vote on Wednesday. The final vote on the measure was clouded with uncertainty before it was amended because a Republican senator had previously vowed to kill it if certain changes were not made.

KTAR: 

The Arizona Senate voted to pass the Secure the Border Act on Wednesday afternoon.

The vote on Wednesday sends the controversial legislation to the Arizona House.

If it passes, which could happen given the state’s Republican-led legislature, the law will show up on the ballot in the general election on Nov. 5.

KOLD: 

HCR 2060, also known as the Secure the Border Act, was passed in the Arizona Senate on Wednesday, May 22.

Republicans argued that the act will help secure the border.

But on and off the floor, those against the bill described it as racist and harmful to Arizona, with some protestors even interrupting the hearing.

Arizona Central: 

Finally, someone at the state Capitol is asking whether two senators awaiting trial on criminal charges meet the Arizona Legislature’s standards for ethical behavior.

Only I wouldn’t hold my breath awaiting an investigation into Republican Sens. Jake Hoffman and Anthony Kern, who stand accused of forgery fraud and conspiracy.

The Ethics Committee is chaired by a Trump-endorsed Republican who believes the devil stole the 2020 election.

The Tucson Sentinel: 

The two GOP state senators who were indicted last month for being fake electors who tried to help Donald Trump steal the 2020 election in Arizona are now facing an ethics complaint.

Democratic Sen. Brian Fernandez wants the Senate Ethics Committee to investigate Republican Sens. Jake Hoffman and Anthony Kern. In a complaint filed Monday, Fernandez says the pair have broken the Senate’s rules by allegedly committing crimes.

Arizona Capitol Times: 

A Senate Democrat filed an ethics complaint Monday asking for an investigation to determine whether two Republicans should be temporarily removed from their committee assignments following their felony indictments for involvement in the 2020 “fake electors” scheme.

Sen. Brian Fernandez, D-Yuma, sent the 17-page complaint to the Senate Ethics committee chairman, Sen. David Farnsworth, R-Mesa, asking that he launch a probe of the two Freedom Caucus senators.

The Center Square:

Arizona Sen. Brian Fernandez, D-Yuma, is taking a different route in attempting to get two indicted senators removed from their committee assignments for the time being.

Fernandez filed an ethics complaint on Monday against his Republican colleagues, Sens. Jake Hoffman and Anthony Kern, who are indicted on fraud, forgery, and conspiracy charges for seeking to be “fake electors” in the 2020 election for former President Donald Trump, who narrowly lost the state. The Democrat sent a letter to Senate President Warren Petersen in April asking for their removal.

KJZZ:

Democratic state Sen. Brian Fernandez filed an ethics complaint against Republican Sens. Jake Hoffman and Anthony Kern, two of the so-called fake electors indicted by an Arizona grand jury.

Fernandez asked Senate President Warren Petersen (R-Gilbert) last month to temporarily remove Hoffman and Kern from the legislative committees they chair, pending the outcome of the fake elector criminal case.

Arizona Mirror: 

The two GOP state senators who were indicted last month for being fake electors who tried to help Donald Trump steal the 2020 election in Arizona are now facing an ethics complaint.

Democratic Sen. Brian Fernandez wants the Senate Ethics Committee to investigate Republican Sens. Jake Hoffman and Anthony Kern. In a complaint filed Monday, Fernandez says the pair have broken the Senate’s rules by allegedly committing crimes.

ABC15: 

Voters in November could see a ballot measure that would change how early voting works in Arizona.

State senators on Thursday advanced a proposed ballot measure despite objections from state and county elections officials.

“There's not a single provision within this bill that I support,” Pima County Recorder Gabriella Cázares-Kelly told ABC15.

Arizona Capitol Times: 

A Senate elections panel advanced a GOP ballot referral package Thursday on party lines that foes say would impose restrictions on early voting.

The proposed measure, HCR2056, is heavily opposed by Democrats and would likely meet a veto from Hobbs, so Republicans are moving the measure as a concurrent resolution to put it on the November ballot and let voters decide.

Republicans passed the measure from the Senate Elections Committee 4-3. It will need to pass in both legislative chambers before going to voters.

Fronteras: 

Arizona Senate Republicans amended border security legislation with language that could harm some immigrants if the federal government or judge ever ends the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, program.

The ballot referral from Republican lawmakers would ask voters to approve a new state law criminalizing crossing the border illegally outside of official ports of entry and empower local and state police to enforce that law.

ABC15: 

Two months after the governor vetoed a bill to make illegal border crossings a state crime, Arizona Republicans are trying again. This time, they want to go directly to voters.

House Concurrent Resolution 2060 would make it a state crime to enter Arizona from Mexico at points outside of legal ports of entry, allowing local law enforcement to make arrests. Those convicted would be ordered to leave the country, and judges could dismiss the charge if the person voluntarily agrees to leave.

Daily Independent: 

They can’t say they weren’t warned.

When Republican lawmakers pushed a bill that would rewrite state law to include “only two sexes” and specifically rejected “gender identity,” Gov. Katie Hobbs told them she would veto the bill if it passed, just like she vetoed a similar measure last year.

They passed it. She vetoed it, just one of 52 bills vetoed by the governor so far this year.

CBS News:

Arizona's Republican-controlled Senate on Wednesday voted to repeal a Civil War-era abortion ban, one week after a similar motion passed the GOP-controlled state House. Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs said she will sign the bill on Thursday.

Two Republicans, TJ Shopes and Shawnna LM Bolick, joined all 14 Democrats to pass the measure.

After two failed attempts, three Republicans in the state House joined all the Democrats in successfully voting to repeal the law last week, sending it to the Senate.

CNN:

The Arizona Senate on Wednesday voted to repeal the state’s 160-year-old near-total abortion ban, three weeks after the state Supreme Court revived the law and thrust reproductive rights into the political spotlight.

Two Republicans – Sens. Shawnna Bolick and T.J. Shope – voted with the chamber’s 14 Democrats to advance the repeal, which passed 16 to 14.

Arizona Central: 

The Arizona Legislature on Wednesday left 19th-century abortion policy behind with a Senate vote to repeal a 160-year-old law.

Senate Democrats — along with Republican Sen. Shawnna Bolick of Phoenix and Senate President Pro Tempore T.J. Shope of Coolidge — voted 16-14 to pass House Bill 2677, which eliminates the near-total abortion ban from state statutes. The repeal bill's passage came after a procedural vote swapping it for a Senate repeal bill and ensuring it would go directly to Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs' desk.

La Voz: 

El miércoles, la Legislatura de Arizona dejó atrás una política de aborto del siglo XIX con una votación en el Senado para derogar la ley de más de 160 años.

Los demócratas del Senado, junto con la senadora Shawnna Bolick de Phoenix y el presidente pro tempore del Senado, T.J. Shope de Coolidge, aprobaron el proyecto de ley 2677 de la Cámara el a temprana hora del miércoles. La aprobación del proyecto de ley de derogación se produjo después de una votación de procedimiento que lo cambió por un proyecto de ley de derogación del Senado y garantizó que iría directamente al escritorio de Hobbs. La votación aún no es definitiva, ya que los legisladores republicanos aún pronuncian discursos oponiéndose a la derogación.

Politico: 

Arizona lawmakers on Wednesday voted to repeal the state’s Civil War-era abortion ban.

The legislation, which is expected to be soon signed into law by Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs, will preserve access to the procedure for millions of women. But there’s a potential political downside for Democrats, who had been using the Arizona Supreme Court’s decision last month upholding the law to foment outrage and boost turnout heading into the November election.

The New Republic | The Daily Blast with Greg Sargent: 

In a new interview, Donald Trump gave away the game: If he wins the White House, he’d be fine with anti-choice crackdowns in red states going to horrific extremes. Trump vowed (unconvincingly) to leave abortion to the states, but when pressed, he suggested he’d be OK with prosecutions of women who get abortions and even with states monitoring their pregnancies. In addition to revealing what Roe v. Wade’s demise has wrought, that could give Democrats a boost in this fall’s state-level elections. We talked to Arizona state Senator Eva Burch about how the future of reproductive rights will raise the stakes in these contests—and about her own personal and emotional experiences with the issue.

Copper Courier: 

A territorial law banning abortion outright in Arizona has been repealed by the state legislature and is expected to be signed into law as soon as it hits the governor’s desk.

“This is about the Civil War-era ban that criminalizes doctors and makes virtually all abortions illegal, the ban that the people of Arizona overwhelmingly don’t want,” said Sen. Eva Burch, D-Mesa. “The majority of the people in this state believe that abortion is a decision that belongs to patients and providers.”

Cronkite News: 

They can’t say they weren’t warned.

When Republican lawmakers pushed a bill that would rewrite state law to include “only two sexes” and specifically rejected “gender identity,” Gov. Katie Hobbs told them she would veto the bill if it passed, just like she vetoed a similar measure last year.

They passed it. She vetoed it, just one of 52 bills vetoed by the governor so far this year.

The Center Square:

The Arizona State Senate is expected to see some movement on abortion policy on Wednesday.

Senate Bill 1734 is likely to be brought up for a full vote, but Democrats may make a motion to bring House Bill 2677, which passed the House last week with three Republicans and all Democrats voting in favor. The bills would both repeal the abortion law that bans the practice in all circumstances except if a mother’s life is at risk.

Reuters:

Lawmakers in Arizona's House of Representatives on Wednesday voted to repeal an 1864 ban on abortion that could still go into effect within weeks if not also knocked down by the Senate.

House lawmakers voted 32-28 to repeal the law, which provides no exceptions for abortions even in cases of rape or incest. Three Republicans crossed party lines to join all 29 Democrats in voting for the repeal.

Copper Courier: 

The Arizona legislature moved forward two bills Wednesday that would repeal the state’s 1864 abortion ban.

A bill to repeal the ban has been introduced in both chambers of the Arizona Legislature. Both bills, Senate Bill 1734 and House Bill 2677, contain identical language: “Section 13-3603, Arizona Revised Statutes, is repealed.” If passed, the state would revert to its 15-week abortion ban, which also has no exceptions for victims of sexual assault.

Here’s where both bills currently stand. 

US News & World Report: 

Lawmakers in Arizona's House of Representatives on Wednesday voted to repeal an 1864 ban on abortion that could still go into effect within weeks if not also knocked down by the Senate.

House lawmakers voted 32-28 to repeal the law, which provides no exceptions for abortions even in cases of rape or incest. Three Republicans crossed party lines to join all 29 Democrats in voting for the repeal.

The Arizona Senate, where Republicans hold a slim 16-14 majority, could vote on the measure as early as May 1.

Arizona Mirror: 

After two weeks of thwarted attempts, the Arizona House of Representatives voted Wednesday to repeal a near-total abortion ban from 1864, with three Republican lawmakers breaking from their party to join Democrats in striking it down.

Earlier this month, the Arizona Supreme Court upheld the 1864 law, which carries with it a mandatory prison sentence for doctors who provide an abortion for any reason other than saving a woman’s life, over a 15-week gestational ban passed in 2022.

LA Times: 

A proposed repeal of Arizona’s near-total ban on abortions has won approval from the state House, clearing its first hurdle two weeks after a court concluded the state can enforce the 1864 law, which only offers an exception for saving the patient’s life.

New York Times: 

Arizona took a major step on Wednesday toward scrapping an 1864 law banning abortion, when three Republican lawmakers in the state House of Representatives broke ranks with their party and voted with Democrats to repeal the ban.

Republicans have narrow majorities in both chambers of Arizona’s Legislature, and had blocked earlier repeal efforts in the two weeks since the Arizona Supreme Court ignited a political firestorm by reviving the Civil War-era law.

Arizona Capitol Times: 

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.

Daily Kos: 

In a recent passionate broadcast, Katie Phang, a forthright journalist known for her unyielding stance on social justice issues, spotlighted the ongoing controversy in Arizona surrounding the application of a pre-Civil War abortion law. This archaic statute, dating back to 1864, has been thrust into contemporary discourse, revealing a stark discord between historic legal frameworks and present-day societal values. Phang, alongside Arizona State Senator Eva Burch, a vociferous advocate for women’s rights, eloquently dismantled the justifications for reviving such an outdated and oppressive law.

KJZZ: 

The Senate Ethics Committee won’t hold a hearing to investigate accusations that Republican leaders in the chamber violated Senate rules when they ignored Democrats’ efforts to repeal the state’s near-total abortion ban.

Democrats in the Senate filed an ethics complaint against Sen. T.J. Shope (R-Coolidge) and Senate President Warren Petersen (R-Gilbert) on Monday.

Reuters:

Democrats in the Arizona House of Representatives tried repeatedly to repeal an 1864 ban on abortion on Wednesday but failed to get the Republican support they needed against the Civil War-era measure poised to become state law once again.

In four votes, the chamber deadlocked 30-30 on a procedural motion that would have allowed a repeal bill to come to the floor, with one Republican joining the 29 Democrats.

Washington Examiner: 

The Arizona State Legislature did not repeal an abortion law created in 1864 banning nearly all abortions on Wednesday for the second week in a row. However, the Senate did begin the process on a new bill Wednesday.

On the House side, a motion to get House Bill 2677 to go straight to the floor for a vote failed twice, as Democratic Reps. Stephanie Stahl-Hamilton and Alma Hernandez made motions but it got shot down during roll call votes over whether the motion was even allowed to be made. There were two other unsuccessful attempts made last week, The Center Square reported.

Arizona Central: 

Abortion will be the dominant topic at the Arizona Legislature for weeks to come, thanks to Wednesday's action by state lawmakers.

House Republicans again rebuffed attempts to repeal a near-total abortion ban, while Democrats promised to keep trying. Three hours later, state senators on a bipartisan vote started the process to consider a repeal bill. Back in the House, a conservative lawmaker promised Republicans will soon unveil a plan to give voters a choice on abortion laws in November.

Good Morning America: 

State senator and nurse practitioner Eva Burch talks about her personal journey with abortion and how her work in healthcare has influenced her fight for abortion rights.

MSNBC:

Arizona State Senator Anna Hernandez joins Katy Tur to discuss Arizona Republicans blocking the repeal of the state's 1864 abortion ban that was reinstated.

The Center Square:

The Arizona State Legislature did not repeal an abortion law created in 1864 banning nearly all abortions on Wednesday for the second week in a row. However, the Senate did begin the process on a new bill Wednesday.

On the House side, a motion to get House Bill 2677 to go straight to the floor for a vote failed twice, as Democratic Reps. Stephanie Stahl-Hamilton and Alma Hernandez made motions but it got shot down during roll call votes over whether the motion was even allowed to be made. There were two other unsuccessful attempts made last week, The Center Square reported.

KJZZ:

Lawmakers in the Arizona Senate took a first step today toward repealing Arizona’s near-total ban on abortion that dates back to 1864.

Senate rules prohibit new legislation from being introduced this late in the legislative session, but Sen. Anna Hernandez (D-Phoenix) asked her colleagues to make an exception for a bill to repeal the near-total ban.

The Washington Post: 

A Republican state legislator proclaimed on the floor of the Arizona Senate two months ago that “abortion is the ending of an innocent human life.”

Another includes a declaration on his website that he will always “fight for the unborn.”

And a third championed a law to allow those who are pregnant to use the carpool lane, arguing that a “pre-born baby” should be treated “as the human they are.”

Now all three state lawmakers say that — if presented with the opportunity — they would be likely to vote to repeal a Civil War-era law that would soon ban abortion across the state.

Shortly before going to floor session and successfully passing the motion to introduce SB1734, Sen. Anna Hernandez joined Katy Tur on MSNBC to talk about the 1864 Arizona abortion ban.

Arizona Mirror: 

Two top Arizona Senate Democrats have filed an ethics complaint against Senate President Warren Petersen and President Pro Tem T.J. Shope for violating procedures by shutting down Democrats’ attempts last week to repeal the 1864 abortion ban.

The complaint addresses an occurrence on the Senate floor on April 10, where Democrats claim Shope failed to recognize Sen. Anna Hernandez and Senate Minority Leader Mitzi Epstien after both had made proper attempts to speak. Rather than recognizing the several motions made by the Democratic senators, the body instead adjourned.

The Daily Independent: 

House Republicans are weighing putting one or more of their own abortion measures on the ballot in a bid to undermine an initiative to enshrine the right to terminate a pregnancy in the Arizona Constitution.

The plan, obtained by Capitol Media Services, starts with one option that would appear to look like the Arizona Abortion Access initiative, but with additional restrictions. But its wording also would appear to preserve the right of lawmakers to enact new regulations of their own, something the initiative would not permit.

Arizona Capitol Times: 

Democrat leaders in the Senate are filing an ethics complaint against two GOP leaders in the chamber for what they call a violation of rules during an attempt April 10 to repeal the pre-statehood ban on abortion.

The complaint alleges that Sen. T.J. Shope, R-Coolidge, violated a Senate rule relating to proper procedures in the chamber. Sen. Mitzy Epstein, D-Tempe, said Shope violated practice that is outlined in Mason’s Manual of Legislative Procedure by refusing to acknowledge the multiple substitute motions made by Democrats after Borrelli made a motion to adjourn. Because the motion to adjourn had been made but not voted on yet, Epstein said Mason’s rules outline that the substitute motions should have been heard. She said Senate President Warren Petersen, R-Gilbert, was included in the complaint because Shope “broke the rules under the direction of the Senate President.”

The Center Square:

Arizona Senate Democrats are filing an ethics complaint against Senate President Warren Petersen and President Pro Tempore T.J. Shope for allegedly violating "parliamentary procedures" on Wednesday, specifically referring to Mason's Rules and the chamber's own guidelines.

The Democrats say that their attempts to motion were not properly recognized, including a motion that Sen. Anna Hernandez, D-Phoenix, tried to make for a late introduction of bills that would allow a process to kick off for a bill that would repeal the 1864 abortion law.

Yahoo! News: 

Last month, I had a safe, legal abortion in Arizona. Today we are all tied up in white-knuckled knots, wondering if we’re going to start throwing doctors in jail for the care they gave me. People of America: We need to talk.

I am an Arizona state Senator. I’m also a nurse practitioner and a mother of two. My husband and I live in Mesa, where we look after my sons, our two dogs, and a very well-fed cat. Okay, fine, we have three cats.

MSNBC: 

Arizona State Senator Eva Burch, who shared her abortion story just a few weeks ago joins The Weekend to speak out on the near-total abortion ban about to go into effect in her state. Fatima Goss Graves also joins to discuss.

Fronteras:

Democrats in the Arizona Senate plan to file an ethics complaint against Republican leaders who blocked their attempt to repeal the state’s near-total abortion ban.

When the Senate met on Wednesday, Minority Leader Mitzi Epstein (D-Tempe) and Anna Hernandez (D-Phoenix) attempted to introduce a bill to repeal the state’s abortion ban that dates back to 1864.

But President Pro Tempore T.J. Shope (R-Coolidge), who was presiding over the chamber at the time, ignored their motions and instead adjourned the Senate’s session until next week.

AP News: 

For decades, only three people knew Gloria Johnson had had an abortion.

But a year of watching women and doctors agonize under Tennessee’s strict abortion ban kicked up a fire in the longtime Democrat. She watched in dismay as her Republican colleagues in the General Assembly dismissed concerns that the law was harming women. Many GOP lawmakers argued that only on rare occasions was an abortion needed to save a life.

MSNBC: 

MSNBC’s Katie Phang is joined by Arizona Democratic state senator Eva Burch who shares her painful story of having to end a recent pregnancy. Burch puts the blame for Arizona’s abortion ban squarely on Donald Trump and the GOP.

Cronkite News: 

Vice President Kamala Harris blasted former President Donald Trump Friday as “the architect” of new abortion restrictions sweeping the country, including the near-total ban that was resurrected this week in Arizona.

The hastily arranged Tucson campaign stop came just three days after a divided Arizona Supreme Court ruled that, since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned its Roe v. Wade decision in 2022, an 1864 abortion ban that was still on the books in Arizona was back in effect.

KOLD: 

Arizona state Sen. Eva Burch shared her own abortion story after the Arizona Supreme Court's ruling upheld the near-total abortion ban.

ABC News: 

When Democrats in the state house tried to move forward with a vote to repeal the bill one day after the Supreme Court’s controversial ruling, Republicans blocked their efforts.

“They do not want to repeal the pre-Roe law, end of sentence. They know what we were asking, we were moving to repeal the 1864 ban.”  

Senate Democratic Leader Mitzi Epstein speaks with Maritsa Georgiou on Scripps News Tonight about the Arizona total abortion ban and how AZ Legislative Republicans refused to help repeal it.

Jezebel:

On Wednesday, in the quiet of the night, Arizona Republicans in the legislature shut down an effort to repeal the state’s Civil War-era abortion ban following Monday’s state Supreme Court ruling that the 1864 law can be enforced. In the state House, Republicans called for a recess and adjourned until next week, blocking a member of their own caucus—Rep. Matt Gress—from trying to initiate a vote on Democrats’ bill. Earlier in the day, in the state Senate, Republicans shut down a similar bill from Democrats, gaveling down a motion from Sen. Anna Hernandez (D).

AZ Family: 

An Arizona state senator is once again sharing her deeply personal firsthand experience with abortion to try and dispel misconceptions about who this ruling impacts.

Democratic Sen. Eva Burch is deeply disturbed by the state supreme court’s decision this week, which comes nearly one month after announcing her pregnancy and plans for an abortion. She had the medical procedure three weeks ago.

“[There is] a trend over here where we are silenced and we are not allowed to move solutions forward.”   

Senator Anna Hernandez joined Andrea Mitchell Reports on MSNBC to discuss the 1864 abortion ban and how Republican lawmakers shut down Democrats trying to repeal it.

The Guardian: 

Arizona’s state Republican leadership halted an effort by Democrats on Wednesday to repeal an 1864 law banning almost all abortions, which the state supreme court this week ruled could go into effect.

The move came after Republican lawmakers in the state had denounced the court’s decision, including some who previously expressed support for the law. Donald Trump and other high-profile Republicans, such as the Senate candidate Kari Lake, had also declared their opposition to the ruling with Lake urging lawmakers to “come up with an immediate commonsense solution that Arizonans can support”.

The Hill: 

Democrats in Arizona attempted Wednesday to repeal a law banning nearly all abortions in the state that is set to take effect because of a state Supreme Court decision a day earlier, but they were blocked in both chambers by Republicans.

The action took place in both chambers of Arizona’s Legislature.

In the House, Phoenix Republican Rep. Matt Gress joined Democrats in seeking to bring up a bill to repeal the ban, set by an 1864 law the Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled must be enforced.

NewsWeek:

Arizona Republicans have blocked an initial attempt to repeal a 160-year-old abortion ban that was controversially revived by the state's top court earlier this week.

The Arizona Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday a near-total abortion ban enacted in 1864, decades before Arizona even became a state, was still enforceable. Following the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to dismantle federal abortion protections by overturning Roe v. Wade in 2022, the procedure remained legal in Arizona through 15 weeks of pregnancy.

AZ Mirror:

A day after the Arizona Supreme Court ruled to reinstate a near-total abortion ban from 1864, Republican lawmakers in the legislature blocked multiple efforts to repeal the law, saying they need more time to consider the repercussions of doing so.

On Tuesday, the state’s high court overturned the decision of an appeals court that preserved a 2022 law limiting abortions up to 15 weeks and concluded that a Civil War-era law which punishes doctors with prison time for performing an abortion should be the law of the land.

The Daily Beast: 

Arizona Republicans refused to vote on a bill to repeal the state’s extreme abortion ban Wednesday, a day after Republicans—including President Donald Trump—attempted to distance themselves from the decision.

State Rep. Matt Gress (R) moved Wednesday to bring a Democratic bill repealing the ban, which outlaws all abortions except to save the life of the mother, to a House vote. Before a vote could be called, Rep. David Livingston motioned for a recess and all Republicans in the House—including Gress—voted to table the proceedings.

HuffPost: 

“By their actions, the message from this chamber is that they are so pro-life they will kill you,” a state senator wrote.

Arizona Democrats tried to repeal a controversial, 1864 law set to take effect that will effectively block almost all abortions in the state, but were stymied by Republicans in both chambers of the legislature on Wednesday.

AZ Central: 

Chaos erupted in the Arizona House on Wednesday as Democrats attempted to repeal the 1864 near-total abortion ban, only to be thwarted by the Republican majority.

The raucous event, unusual for the chamber, came a day after the Arizona Supreme Court ruled that Arizona's Civil War-era abortion law stands and laid bare the raw feelings and political divisions swirling around the issue.

Arizona Daily Star:

House Republican leaders used procedural maneuvers Wednesday — twice — to block lawmakers from deciding or even debating whether to repeal the state’s 1864 law banning abortions except to save the life of the mother.

And one of those maneuvers was to adjourn until next Wednesday, so that means it will be at least a week before legislators have the chance to address whether women in Arizona will again be denied the right to terminate a pregnancy in all but the narrowest circumstances.

The Copper Courier:

Several years ago, when the US Supreme Court began taking a hatchet job to our rights, protesters warned that we were headed for a reality that resembled The Handmaid’s Tale. This fictional TV show depicted a dystopian future where women had no rights and forced birth was the status quo.

Today, we took a dangerous step towards Hollywood’s imagination turning real. The Arizona Supreme Court’s decision to ban nearly all abortions in our state literally takes us back 160 years.

Yahoo! News Malaysia:

Arizona Democrats tried to repeal a controversial, 1864 law set to take effect that will effectively block almost all abortions in the state, but were stymied by Republicans in both chambers of the legislature on Wednesday.

Lawmakers tried to repeal the law, which dates to the Civil War era and predates Arizona’s statehood, in both the state’s House and Senate on Wednesday. During a fiery moment, state House Rep. Matt Gress (R) tried to initiate a vote on the matter before he was shot down by others in the GOP who then called for a recess and adjourned until next week.

Axios: 

Republican lawmakers blocked a legislative attempt to repeal the state's ban on nearly all abortions, one day after the Arizona Supreme Court ruled that it's the law of the land.

Why it matters: Abortions are likely to become unavailable within two months if the ban isn't repealed. If it is repealed, a 2022 law allowing abortions through 15 weeks of pregnancy would go into effect — though that likely wouldn't be for a few months.

Democracy Docket: 

Justices and judges in Arizona are currently subject to term limits, but a new amendment resolution proposed by state Republicans could allow for all members of the judiciary to serve lifetime terms.

Senate Concurrent Resolution 1044 (SCR 1044), which was introduced in the state Senate in early February, proposes a constitutional amendment that seeks to eliminate judicial retention elections in the Copper State.

Yahoo! News Singapore: 

Arizona Democrats tried to repeal a controversial, 1864 law set to take effect that will effectively block almost all abortions in the state, but were stymied by Republicans in both chambers of the legislature on Wednesday.

Lawmakers tried to repeal the law, which dates to the Civil War era and predates Arizona’s statehood, in both the state’s House and Senate on Wednesday. During a fiery moment, state House Rep. Matt Gress (R) tried to initiate a vote on the matter before he was shot down by others in the GOP who then called for a recess and adjourned until next week.

NY Times: 

A decision by Arizona’s highest court upholding an 1864 ban on nearly all abortions created chaos and confusion across the state on Wednesday. As abortion providers were flooded with phone calls from frantic patients, Republican lawmakers at the State Capitol blocked efforts to undo the ban, prompting angry jeers from Democrats.

Democrats, who seized on the decision to resurrect the 160-year-old ban as a pivotal election issue, tried to push bills through the Republican-controlled Legislature to repeal the ban, a move they said would protect women’s health and freedom, and also force Republicans to take a formal vote on the law.

HuffPost:

Arizona Democrats tried to repeal a controversial, 1864 law set to take effect that will effectively block almost all abortions in the state, but were stymied by Republicans in both chambers of the legislature on Wednesday.

Lawmakers tried to repeal the law, which dates to the Civil War era and predates Arizona’s statehood, in both the state’s House and Senate on Wednesday. During a fiery moment, state House Rep. Matt Gress (R) tried to initiate a vote on the matter before he was shot down by others in the GOP who then called for a recess and adjourned until next week.

Arizona Capitol Times: 

A Republican in the state House of Representatives attempted to put up a bill for a vote Wednesday that would repeal the 1864 state ban on abortion procedures, leading to chaos on the House floor after the chamber went into recess instead of voting on the measure.

Rep. Matt Gress, R-Phoenix, made the motion for the chamber to vote to suspend its rules and place HB 2677 up for a vote. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Stephanie Stahl Hamilton, D-Tucson, never received a committee hearing during the session, requiring a motion to suspend House rules and have the bill skip committee hearings.

La Voz (AZCentral): 

La Cámara de Representantes de Arizona, que está controlada por el Partido Republicano, rápidamente suspendió su sesión del miércoles luego que legisladores demócratas intentaron derogar la prohibición casi total del aborto de 1864 que la Corte Suprema del estado dictaminó podía entrar en vigor.

La acción por parte de los demócratas, respaldados por un solo legislador republicano, fue frendada por la mayoría republicana de la Cámara.

KJZZ:

A Navajo state senator is calling on public schools in Arizona to give Indigenous students and staff time off to observe next week’s solar eclipse.

Sen. Theresa Hatathlie (D-Coal Mine Canyon) said many Indigenous cultures consider eclipses sacred.

“Throughout the years, when these events happened, I, myself, took the liberty and the privilege to keep my children home,” Hatathlie said. “And so it's very important that we observe that as Indigenous peoples.”

Arizona Central: 

Flanked by a group of law enforcement leaders, Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs held a ceremony Wednesday marking her signing of a bill that increases prison time for fentanyl dealers.

House Bill 2245, the Ashley Dunn Act, toughens penalties for dealers and traffickers of the synthetic opioid that has led to thousands of overdoses in recent years.

One America News: 

The state of Arizona has now formally adopted Pluto, the celestial body that was previously demoted to the position of “dwarf planet.”

Pluto is now included in the Arizona Revised Statutes, among symbols like the bola tie and the cactus wren, thanks to legislation approved by Democrat Governor Katie Hobbs.

The Center Square: 

Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs signed a bill on Friday of galactic proportions.

"Pluto is the official state planet," House Bill 2477 simply states.

Although it is now labeled a "dwarf planet" by the International Astronomical Union, it was considered a planet up until a "resolution" made by the Paris-based group came to fruition in 2006.

Hindustan Times:

Arizona has reportedly declared Pluto its “official state planet," although it was relegated to “dwarf planet” status several years ago.

According to The Arizona Daily Star, Gov. Katie Hobbs signed legislation on Friday, Match 29. When questioned on whether or not Pluto is a full-fledged planet, she ignored it. “I am proud of Arizona’s pioneering work in space discovery,” Hobbs said.

New York Post: 

Arizona has declared Pluto its “official state planet” — despite it being relegated to “dwarf planet” status nearly two decades ago.

Gov. Katie Hobbs signed legislation on Friday and afterward dodged a question about whether or not Pluto is a full-fledged planet, The Arizona Daily Star reported.

“I am proud of Arizona’s pioneering work in space discovery,” Hobbs said.

Daily Independent: 

Thanks to the work of Rep. Justin Wilmeth, R-Phoenix, Arizona has an official state “planet” – Pluto.

Gov. Katie Hobbs wouldn’t say whether she believes Pluto is a full-fledged planet or something less; nevertheless, she signed legislation Friday designating it as Arizona’s own.

It joins a list of other items that the state has declared to be "official,'' ranging from turquoise as the state gemstone and copper as the state metal to the Sonorasaurus as the state dinosaur.

Arizona Capitol Times:

Gov. Katie Hobbs won’t say whether she believes Pluto is a full-fledged planet or something less.

But as far as she’s concerned, it now belongs to Arizona to the extent a state can “own” a planet.

Without comment, the governor signed legislation Friday designating Pluto as Arizona’s “official state planet.” It joins a list of other items that the state has declared to be “official,” ranging from turquoise as the state gemstone and copper as the state metal to the Sonorasaurus as the state dinosaur.

Arizona Central: 

Counting undocumented residents and noncitizens in Arizona in the U.S. Census helps set the boundaries of legislative districts, often concentrating Democratic power in areas with more immigrants.

But a proposed ballot measure by Republicans to have Arizona conduct its own census, tallying only citizens, could tip the balance of the Legislature toward the GOP.

White Mountain Independent:

Senate Republicans continue to thwart efforts to allow the Arizona School for the Deaf and Blind to operate for more than just the next few years.

As senators discussed a bill reauthorizing the board that oversees charter schools in Arizona earlier this week, Democratic Sen. Priya Sundareshan proposed an amendment to secure an eight-year continuation for the Arizona School for the Deaf and Blind.

Tucson Sentinel: 

Senate Republicans continue to thwart efforts to allow the Arizona School for the Deaf and Blind to operate for more than just the next few years.

As senators discussed a bill reauthorizing the board that oversees charter schools in Arizona earlier this week, Democratic Sen. Priya Sundareshan proposed an amendment to secure an eight-year continuation for the Arizona School for the Deaf and Blind.

Yahoo! News UK:

Senate Republicans continue to thwart efforts to allow the Arizona School for the Deaf and Blind to operate for more than just the next few years.

As senators discussed a bill reauthorizing the board that oversees charter schools in Arizona earlier this week, Democratic Sen. Priya Sundareshan proposed an amendment to secure an eight-year continuation for the Arizona School for the Deaf and Blind.

Arizona Mirror: 

Senate Republicans continue to thwart efforts to allow the Arizona School for the Deaf and Blind to operate for more than just the next few years.

As senators discussed a bill reauthorizing the board that oversees charter schools in Arizona earlier this week, Democratic Sen. Priya Sundareshen proposed an amendment to secure an eight-year continuation for the Arizona School for the Deaf and Blind.

ELLE: 

Last week, Arizona state Sen. Eva Burch did the unthinkable: She announced her decision to get an abortion on the floor of the Arizona Senate. In her speech, which quickly went viral, Burch talked about the importance of access to abortion care in America and why she, as a politician, felt compelled to share her story in such a public manner. Now, in an exclusive essay for ELLE, Burch writes about that emotional moment on the Senate floor—and why she wants to “change the narrative about what abortion care looks like.”

NPR: 

For the first 25 minutes, the Arizona Senate's floor session on March 18th was unremarkable.

Then, state Sen. Eva Burch stood up and announced to her colleagues that she was pregnant, and planned to get an abortion.

Detailing a deeply personal medical history of past miscarriages, Burch told her fellow lawmakers that she made the decision to seek an abortion after discovering that her fetus is not viable.

Arizona Horizon: 

It’s time for our weekly legislative update. This week, we’re joined by Arizona State Representative Nancy Gutierrez (D) and Arizona State Senator Priya Sundareshan (D).

Cronkite News: 

On Tuesday morning, health care advocates and others gathered at the Valle del Sol Community Health Center in central Phoenix to celebrate the 14th anniversary of the Affordable Care Act.

The Affordable Care Act is a comprehensive health care reform law enacted in March 2010 and is sometimes known as ACA or “Obamacare.” During the 2024 open enrollment period, a record 21.3 million people across the country selected an ACA Health Insurance Marketplace plan. The number of Arizonans covered by the ACA rose more than 110,000 during the year, to 348,055, also a record.

Telemundo AZ:

La semana pasada Ylenia Aguilar de Moms Clean Air Force se unió a Senador Juan Mendez, Senador Flavio Bravo y ANHE para instar a EPA que completen estándares de vehículos limpios más estrictos.

12News Sunday Square Off: 

Eva Burch is a mom to two young boys, a registered nurse, and, for just more than a year, an Arizona state senator.

Then, this past week, she made a very personal decision public on the Senate floor: Burch planned to have an abortion.

"After numerous ultrasounds and blood draws, we had determined my pregnancy is not progressing and not viable," Burch said, surrounded by fellow Democrats during a time reserved for senators' statements.

MSNBC AYMAN: 

“Crickets." State Senator Eva Burch says her GOP colleagues showed zero compassion for her after she took to the floor to share her experience trying to obtain an abortion under Republicans' restrictive laws.

Rolling Stone:

On Wednesday, Arizona State Senator Eva Burch had an abortion. 

Deciding to terminate a pregnancy is a highly personal decision, one that usually takes place quietly, with the involvement of the patient, their medical providers, a cadre of loved ones, and — to the bewilderment and frustration of those seeking the procedure — the government.

Arizona Capitol Times:

The Department of Child Safety will likely be granted a four-year continuation, following significant concerns from lawmakers as to how it operates. However, its lifeline comes with a set of conditions.

A large part of the Legislature’s job includes keeping a close eye on the function of state agencies. However, there are hundreds of agencies that the chambers are responsible for overseeing, so the relationship reflects more of a distant oversight dynamic.

CNN News Central: 

"I'm not expecting things to change within the chamber, I'm expecting things to change in Arizona."   

Senator Eva Burch joined Kate Bolduan on CNN News Central this morning to discuss her personal abortion story and the Arizona Legislature's failure surrounding abortion policy.

KJZZ:

Democratic lawmakers walked out of a vote at the state Capitol Wednesday to protest the latest immigration bills moving through the Arizona Senate.

House Bills 2748 and 2821 would make it a state crime to cross the southern border illegally and give local and state police the power to enforce immigration laws. The bills are nearly identical to a measure Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs vetoed earlier this month.

PBS NewsHour: 

The patchwork landscape of abortion restrictions in post-Roe America can be both confusing and dangerous. This is true even for some lawmakers, one of whom took to the floor of the Arizona state Senate to describe her experience with a non-viable pregnancy. Amna Nawaz discussed that with Eva Burch, the Democratic Whip of the Arizona Senate.

Arizona Mirror: 

As Republican lawmakers unanimously greenlit bills to jail and deport migrants in the state Senate on Thursday, Arizona immigrants and Latino voter advocates rallied outside, vowing to unseat them for pushing “racist” policies.

Inside, the four GOP members of the Senate Military Affairs and Public Safety committee cast their votes in favor of House Bill 2821 and House Bill 2748. The bills mirror a Senate version vetoed just two weeks ago by Gov. Katie Hobbs that would punish migrants who cross Arizona’s southern border anywhere but at a port of entry with up to 6 months in jail.

Fronteras: 

Since the fall of Roe v. Wade, Democratic lawmakers in states across the country have focused on protecting other reproductive rights like contraception, sometimes preemptively.

We saw this on display last week at the Arizona Legislature when Democratic lawmakers attempted to force a vote on a bill to guarantee the right to contraception in our state, only to be blocked unanimously by Republicans.

Fronteras Desk:

Democratic lawmakers walked out of a vote at the state Capitol Wednesday to protest the latest immigration bills moving through the Arizona Senate.

House Bills 2748 and 2821 would make it a state crime to cross the southern border illegally and give local and state police the power to enforce immigration laws. The bills are nearly identical to a measure Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs vetoed earlier this month.

AOL: 

Should state and local police be able to arrest migrants suspected of crossing the country illegally? That’s the question at the heart of a proposed bill at the Arizona State Capitol.

The Republican-sponsored bill closely resembles a Texas law that is currently tied up in a national legal battle with whip-lash rulings. If passed, House Bill 2748 would authorize state and local police to arrest migrants suspected of crossing the border illegally.

Fox 10: 

Should state and local police be able to arrest migrants suspected of crossing the country illegally? That’s the question at the heart of a proposed bill at the Arizona State Capitol.

The Republican-sponsored bill closely resembles a Texas law that is currently tied up in a national legal battle with whip-lash rulings. If passed, House Bill 2748 would authorize state and local police to arrest migrants suspected of crossing the border illegally.

Arizona's Family: 

Some Arizona state lawmakers walked out the House floor Wednesday during a committee hearing for two immigration bills, HB 2748 and HB 2821,

The measures would authorize state and local police to arrest migrants suspected of living in the country illegally.

Both have drawn comparisons to the controversial SB 1070 immigration law that passed over a decade ago, requiring law enforcement to ask people for proof of immigration status.

Yahoo! News: 

Should state and local police be able to arrest migrants suspected of crossing the country illegally? That’s the question at the heart of a proposed bill at the Arizona State Capitol.

The Republican-sponsored bill closely resembles a Texas law that is currently tied up in a national legal battle with whip-lash rulings. If passed, House Bill 2748 would authorize state and local police to arrest migrants suspected of crossing the border illegally.

El Pais: 

Eva Burch, senadora del Estado de Arizona, declaró en una audiencia legislativa que planeaba abortar, en un discurso donde defendió los derechos reproductivos de las mujeres. Durante la sesión realizada este lunes en la legislatura estatal, Burch describió en detalle su trayectoria de fertilidad, en la que ha tenido que lidiar con abortos espontáneos y problemas para concebir. Durante su discurso, la senadora destacó que no considera que las mujeres deban justificar sus abortos, pero buscaba alentar una reflexión entre los legisladores sobre el impacto que tienen las decisiones que toman en la Cámara alta.

The Cut: 

Democratic lawmaker Eva Burch stood on the Arizona Senate floor on Monday and did something unprecedented: She announced to her colleagues that she’ll have an abortion this week for her nonviable pregnancy. Burch, a 43-year-old nurse practitioner who was elected to her seat in 2022, says she chose to share her experience on the record to remind her colleagues of the harm abortion restrictions cause to pregnant people and their families. “I am a typical person seeking abortion care,” she tells the Cut. “There’s nothing extraordinary about my situation.”

The Independent: 

An Arizona lawmaker made headlines when she announced her plans to get an abortion on the state Senate floor - in an effort to shed light on the state’s restrictive abortion laws.

US News & World Report: 

A pregnant Arizona lawmaker who revealed in a speech at the state Senate that she was planning to get an abortion says she wanted to share with her colleagues and the public the practical effects of abortion restrictions passed over the years.

Washington Times: 

An Arizona lawmaker announced Monday on the state Senate floor that she plans to have an abortion after learning that her pregnancy is not viable.

State Sen. Eva Burch, a registered nurse known for her reproductive rights activism, was surrounded by fellow Democratic senators as she made the announcement, The Arizona Republic reported.

Arizona Central: 

An Arizona lawmaker known for her activism on reproductive rights announced on the floor of the state Senate Monday she was preparing to have an abortion.

Arizona's Family:

A survey from the Keiser Family Foundation found one in eight registered voters say abortion is one of the most important issues driving their vote.

Here in Arizona, we can expect abortion rights to be on our ballot this November, and a state lawmaker is throwing her support behind a ballot measure after giving a speech on the state senate floor sharing her personal experience with abortion.

ABC News:

An Arizona state lawmaker revealed she is pregnant with a nonviable fetus and said she plans to get an abortion, taking the floor in the state Senate to detail her experience seeking care in the state.

PBS NewsHour:

An Arizona lawmaker announced Monday on the state Senate floor that she plans to have an abortion after learning that her pregnancy is not viable.

Politico: 

A pregnant Arizona lawmaker who revealed in a speech at the state Senate that she was planning to get an abortion says she wanted to share with her colleagues and the public the practical effects of abortion restrictions passed over the years.

Yahoo! News Australia: 

An Arizona lawmaker made headlines when she announced her plans to get an abortion on the state Senate floor - in an effort to shed light on the state’s restrictive abortion laws.

Arizona Central: 

On Monday, Democratic state Sen. Eva Burch took to the Senate floor and told her colleagues something that no one should need to discuss in public.

And she did so for the very best reason.

KTAR:

An Arizona Democratic lawmaker took to the Senate floor Monday to criticize the state’s abortion laws, sharing her own ongoing experience to demonstrate the real-world impact of the Legislature’s actions.

The Canadian Press:

A pregnant Arizona lawmaker who revealed in a speech at the state Senate that she was planning to get an abortion says she wanted to share with her colleagues and the public the practical effects of abortion restrictions passed over the years.

12News:

As the Arizona Supreme Court weighs whether or not to uphold an abortion ban from 1864, state Sen. Eva Burch (D-District 9) shared to her colleagues that she plans to get an abortion.

Scripps News:

Arizona state Sen. Eva Burch announced on the Senate floor Monday her plan to have an abortion due to a nonviable pregnancy, highlighting what she sees as Arizona's "cruel" laws.

USA Today:

An Arizona lawmaker shared plans to terminate her pregnancy during an emotional speech on the state Senate floor on Monday aimed at supporting a ballot measure that would enshrine the right to abortion.

Axios:

Democratic Arizona Sen. Eva Burch plans to get an abortion after learning her pregnancy "is not progressing and is not viable," she told her colleagues in the state Senate Monday.

ABC15: 

An Arizona state senator told her fellow lawmakers Monday afternoon that she needs an abortion, using her experience to criticize restrictions on the procedure passed by the Legislature.

Washington Post:

When Eva Burch learned recently that she would lose another pregnancy, she felt exhausted.

The Arizona state senator had struggled with fertility for years, suffering a miscarriage more than a decade ago and getting an abortion after experiencing a nonviable pregnancy in 2022. She and her husband knew there was a chance her current pregnancy would not be viable. And after a medical provider told her that she would not be able to deliver a healthy baby, she knew she would seek another abortion.

Copper Courier: 

A pregnant Arizona lawmaker who revealed in a speech at the state Senate that she was planning to get an abortion says she wanted to share with her colleagues and the public the practical effects of abortion restrictions passed over the years.

The Daily Mail:

A Democratic Arizona state senator announced on the chamber floor she needs an abortion - then slammed her Republican colleagues for enacting laws that she said has made it difficult for her to obtain one.

AP News:

A pregnant Arizona lawmaker who revealed in a speech at the state Senate that she was planning to get an abortion says she wanted to share with her colleagues and the public the practical effects of abortion restrictions passed over the years.

Fox News:

An Arizona lawmaker announced on the state Senate floor Monday that she plans to have an abortion after learning that her pregnancy is not viable.

State Sen. Eva Burch, a registered nurse known for her reproductive rights activism, was surrounded by fellow Democratic senators as she made the announcement, The Arizona Republic reported.

CNN Politics: 

Arizona State Senator Eva Burch speaks with CNN's Abby Phillip about announcing her intention to terminate her pregnancy during a floor speech.

Arizona Mirror: 

Arizona’s anti-abortion laws impact women across the Grand Canyon State, and one Democratic state senator spoke out about how those laws have hurt her as she seeks to end an unviable pregnancy, urging GOP lawmakers to consider the harm caused by the restrictive laws they support.

Yahoo! News Singapore

An Arizona lawmaker shared that she plans to get an abortion during a powerful speech she gave on the state Senate floor Monday afternoon.

HuffPost:

An Arizona lawmaker shared that she plans to get an abortion during a powerful speech she gave on the state Senate floor Monday afternoon.

State Sen. Eva Burch (D) stood at the end of Monday’s session to make a point of personal privilege, a right afforded to Arizona lawmakers when they would like to make a personal remark. Burch, who for the last 12 years has worked as an emergency room nurse and nurse practitioner at a women’s health clinic, shared that a few weeks ago she and her husband found out she was pregnant. Burch described how she’s had “a rough journey with fertility,” miscarrying many times, and recalled how she got an abortion two weeks before Roe v. Wade fell in 2022 due to a nonviable diagnosis of a wanted pregnancy.

The Daily Beast:

Part of Eva Burch’s job is to make policy decisions as an elected senator in the Arizona State Legislature. But earlier this month, she found herself on the receiving end of her colleagues’ strict laws on abortion.

MSNBC: 

Senator Sundareshan joined Jonathan Capehart to discuss the Arizona Right to Contraception Act and the Republican majority’s move to block the bill.

HuffPost:

After refusing to have committees take up two bills that would enshrine access to contraceptives in state law, Arizona Republicans on Wednesday blocked a Hail Mary effort by Democrats to force a hearing on the legislation.

Arizona Mirror: 

Arizona Democrats are calling on President Joe Biden to pass the “strongest-ever” federal clean air regulations as Republican proposals in the state legislature continue to threaten efforts to reduce pollution.

Arizona Horizon:

It’s time for our weekly legislative update, this week focusing on the Democratic party, and we were joined by District 21 Rep. Stephanie Stahl Hamilton (D) and District 23 Sen. Brian Fernandez (D).

Arizona Capitol Times: 

House and Senate Republicans used their rules Wednesday to block a vote – or even a debate – on a proposal to enshrine the right to contraceptives in Arizona law.

Arizona Mirror:

Arizona Republicans unanimously blocked an effort by Democratic lawmakers to force a vote on legislation guaranteeing the right to access contraception in the Grand Canyon State.

Daily Independent:

Two Democrat lawmakers are lashing out at Republicans for refusing to even consider their measure to enshrine the right to contraceptives in Arizona law. The twin measures would create a law saying individuals have the right to obtain “any drug, device or biological product intended for use in the prevention of pregnancy.” Senate Bill 1362 and House Bill 2678 then lists various items ranging from oral contraceptives to mechanical devices.

Arizona Mirror: 

Republicans and Democrats in the Arizona Senate came together on Wednesday in an effort to legalize construction of casitas, or accessory dwelling units, in cities and towns across the state as a way to combat housing shortages.

The state currently has a shortage of more than 270,000 housing units, according to the Arizona Department of Housing, and proponents said Senate Bill 1415 would make strides to address the increase in homelessness and skyrocketing rental prices.

Arizona Mirror:

A bid to make birth control a right in Arizona that was a top policy priority for Gov. Katie Hobbs has stagnated in the Republican-controlled legislature and is likely dead.

The Democrat lashed out at the GOP on Thursday, questioning its support for contraceptive access. Republicans hold a one-seat majority in each legislative chamber, and every legislative committee chair is a Republican. Those chairs choose which bills get heard and which don’t move forward.

KJZZ:

A package of bills designed to improve housing affordability for Arizonans passed out of the state Senate today after similar housing proposals failed to gain traction last year.

KJZZ:

The Arizona Senate voted down a bill Tuesday that would have created a registry for people convicted of abusing animals.

The bill would have required people convicted of animal cruelty, animal fighting or bestiality to register with the Department of Public Safety. 

And it would have prohibited a person from knowingly giving an animal to a person on the list.

Tucson Sentinel: 

The Arizona Senate will soon consider a bill that would turn the clock back more than 10 years on state election procedures. The state Senate Committee on Elections voted Monday to advance a bill that would ban countries from using widely available voting centers for all elections, instead returning to precinct-based voting.

Arizona Daily Star:

Republicans who control the Arizona House and Senate are advancing a slew of measures asking the state’s voters to directly enact laws on subjects ranging from elections to immigration to making it easier to sue over citizen initiatives.

Copper Courier:

There’s a chilling familiarity to this story coming out of Alabama. I remember all too well when, in June of 2022, abortion clinics closed down all across the state of Arizona. It was two weeks after my own procedure, following a failed pregnancy that my husband and I desperately wanted.

Arizona Central: 

A new bill looks to change how student clubs are funded on college campuses following heightened tensions on the war in Gaza.

House Bill 2178 would allow college students to pick one or more clubs that they do not want to receive money from their student activity fee. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Alexander Kolodin, was written largely in response to the Scottsdale Republican's concerns about Students for Justice in Palestine and similar advocacy groups.

Arizona Horizon: 

This week, we’re joined by Rep. Mariana Sandoval (D) of District 23, and Sen. Flavio Bravo (D) of District 26 to discuss various legislative updates.

Arizona Central:

There’s a good reason the population of our state grew at nearly double the national average over the last decade and was ranked among the top five fastest-growing states: Opportunity.

Arizona Central:

Republicans who control the Arizona Senate — on a party-line vote — pushed through a bill that would allow the Ten Commandments to be posted in Arizona’s public schools.

Arizona Capitol Times: 

State senators voted Monday to force teachers to “out” students who want to be identified by a different gender to their parents.

Sen. John Kavanagh, R-Fountain Hills, said parents have a right to know so they can get their children mental health treatment for their “gender dysphoria.” He said many with that condition can suffer from depression and be suicidal.

Arizona Mirror:

Jacob Chansley, more commonly known as the QAnon Shaman, was a guest of Glendale Republican Anthony Kern at the Arizona Capitol this week, allowing Chansley access to areas where the public is generally prohibited.

Cronkite News:

House Speaker Ben Toma says his latest immigration bill could save Arizona billions in welfare benefits annually, but small-business owners rallied Monday to say it will cost the state instead, by driving out businesses and workers.

Phoenix Business Journal:

In this guest column, Sen. Bravo and Rep. Blattman criticize a proposal to sunset the Arizona Commerce Authority, which they argue would hamstring the state's rapidly growing economy.

Arizona Daily Star:

Saying the federal government has failed Arizona, state lawmakers voted Wednesday to let police here start arresting people who have entered the country illegally.

12 News: 

Two dozen Arizona educators gathered Monday at a metaphorical “negotiating table” outside the state capitol, asking for Republican leaders to meet with them over school funding proposals.

The teachers said empty chairs placed at the table represented the absence of State Senate President Warren Petersen (R) and House Speaker Ben Toma (R).  Republicans are sponsoring bills to place a Prop 123 extension on the November ballot, a funding mechanism that expires next year. Those proposals call for raises for teachers and not other school employees.

Arizona Central: 

Arizona's massive Medicaid fraud scandal involves multiple reports of "horrific" human trafficking and kidnapping, but so far, known criminal indictments connected to the case concern financial crimes only.

Arizona Central: 

Republican lawmakers hope to add teeth to a 2022 law that bans public school teachers from referring students to or using sexually explicit material, making violations of the law a felony.

Arizona Central: 

Republican lawmakers hope to add teeth to a 2022 law that bans public school teachers from referring students to or using sexually explicit material, making violations of the law a felony.

But, they don't want the law to apply to private schools, even though an increasing number of Arizona students receive state money to subsidize their tuition. Two Republican senators claim only public schools use sexually explicit materials.

Arizona Horizon: 

Arizona Horizon provided an in-depth look into new Democratic legislative updates. We were joined by Sen. Priya Sundareshan (D) of District 18 and Rep. Jennifer Pawlik (D) of District 17.

Arizona Central:

Arizona lawmakers pushed forward a bill on Monday that would stop landlords from refusing to rent to tenants with certain dog breeds.

Yahoo! News: 

Arizona lawmakers pushed forward a bill on Monday that would stop landlords from refusing to rent to tenants with certain dog breeds.

The bipartisan Senate Bill 1439, sponsored by Sen. Brian Fernandez (D-Yuma) mainly targets restrictions placed most commonly on owners of pit bulls, German shepherds, and Rottweilers. It passed its first hearing in a 5-2 vote.

Copper Courier:

Republican legislators have expelled three members of the public from state committee meetings this week, and have cut off or silenced the testimony of several others in a draconian exercise of power.

Arizona Central:

The 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution says a candidate who has previously taken an oath of office can be disqualified from the ballot if they participated in insurrection or rebellion against the United States.

Arizona Central:

A joint legislative bill making its way through the Arizona Legislature aims to make illegal immigration a state crime, bypassing federal judicial processes and authorizing local and state police to enforce federal immigration law — a proposed legislation that has received strong opposition as critics say it mirrors what once was Senate Bill 1070, the controversial "show me your papers" law.

Bloomberg:

You really have to hand it to Arizona: Even as its population has doubled and it has suffered through a decadeslong megadrought, the state uses less water today than it did 40 years ago.

Arizona Capitol Times: 

A Democrat Senator who has spearheaded efforts to reform mental health treatment in the state garnered bipartisan support for her legislation which aims to increase oversight of mental health services and broaden screening procedures – particularly those that are often overlooked.

Sen. Catherine Miranda, D-Phoenix, has championed efforts centered around expanding services for individuals with serious mental illness, or SMI.

Telemundo Arizona:

Los republicanos de Arizona están siguiendo los pasos de Texas al presentar un proyecto de ley inconstitucional, SB1231, que aumentará la discriminación racial al igual que SB1070. Los demócratas de Arizona prometen hacer todo lo posible para luchar contra la inequidad racial en nuestro estado.

Arizona Daily Star:

On a party-line vote, an Arizona Senate Committee approved a bill Wednesday to establish a rural groundwater management setup that’s favored by many farming interest groups but opposed by many environmentalists and some rural community leaders.

Arizona Capitol Times:

Republican lawmakers’ plan to increase teacher pay by extending Proposition 123, which uses state land trust funds, passed out of a Senate committee Wednesday.

The passage came with a caveat that the current resolutions are still working drafts given ongoing negotiations with Democrats, the teacher’s union and education stakeholders.

Arizona Central:

A legislative committee advanced three proposals targeting transgender youth on Wednesday.

All were sponsored by John Kavanagh, R-Fountain Hills, and passed the Senate Education Committee on a party-line vote, with Democrats opposed.

Daily Independent: 

A Senate panel voted Wednesday to require teachers to contact parents if a student asks to be addressed by a pronoun that does not match his or her biological sex.

The measure, which now goes to the full Senate, also says that same parental notification would have to take place when a student asked to be addressed by something other than a first or middle name that is not listed on the official school record. The only exception would be a nickname “commonly associated with the student’s name of record.”

Copper Courier:

Being poor in Arizona is expensive, and despite the single-party control Republicans have had at the legislature, they have been unable—or more realistically—unwilling to do anything about it.

Last year, we had a budget surplus and the opportunity to make reality significantly better in Arizona for all people. But rather than work on honest, common-sense solutions to Arizona’s ongoing affordable housing crisis, our lack of groundwater management protections, and public school funding, the Arizona Freedom Caucus raised federal taxes on working families instead of investing in initiatives to make life in Arizona more affordable.

The Appeal: 

Arizona State Sen. Anna Hernandez introduced a bill last week to repeal the state’s felony murder law, which has repeatedly been used to imprison bystanders for killings committed by police officers. Hernandez also introduced a separate bill that would change the law so that people can only be charged with murder if they killed someone or helped kill someone.

Arizona Mirror:

Republican lawmakers are gearing up for a showdown with Gov. Katie Hobbs over creating a fix for an impending election timeline issue created by Republican changes to the state’s recount law which could lead to overseas and military voters becoming disenfranchised and the state’s choice for president not being counted.

KOLD:

On Tuesday, Feb. 6, Arizona lawmakers met in a joint session to talk about changing the primary election dates.

It could alter the dates for this year but will happen in 2026 at the latest. The lawmakers have said they will have a final decision by the end of the week.

Blog for Arizona:

In 2022 when it was becoming increasingly clear in the Cyber Ninjas fiasco that there was no fraud in the Presidential Elections in Arizona, Republican lawmakers and Governor Doug Ducey, largely at the behest of their Trumpets-MAGA masters passed a election law that would trigger more automatic voter recounts if the margin of victory is 0.5 or less.

Arizona Capitol Times: 

Two bills introduced by the Arizona Freedom Caucus leader sparked a heated floor debate relating to the definition of discrimination and its implications for the functioning of state agencies and businesses.

Sen. Jake Hoffman, R-Queen Creek, saw his SB1005 and SB1014 clear the Senate floor on Wednesday following deliberation centered on whether the bills aim to address harmful initiatives or merely express concerns about specific acronyms.

Arizona Central: 

The Arizona Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday unanimously advanced a bill that would ban brass knuckles after hearing passionate testimony from a teen who was attacked in the Gilbert In-N-Out Burger parking lot.

Phoenix New Times:

Democratic lawmakers in the Arizona Legislature filed bills on Tuesday that would guarantee better access to paid medical and family leave for workers.

Navajo Hopi Solidarity:

Yee Ha’ólníi Doo received a historic $2 million grant from the Arizona Department of Housing State Housing Trust Funds (HTF). This marks the first-ever HTF allocation directly to a nonprofit and aims to address the critical need for safe and healthy housing on the Navajo Nation.