Buckmaster: Flake defends stand against earmarks

One state lawmaker wants Arizona police departments to focus on increased policing and deterrence programs to combat what he said is an out-of-control surge in violent crime, but critics say that his recommendations will only lead to increased incarceration for low-level crimes. Read more»   

As schools across Arizona face down an impending fiscal cliff, lawmakers met on Thursday to discuss what their options are — despite the fact that legislation to address the issue has been ready to go since the session started. Read more»   

Democrats' dissent wasn’t enough to stop the Arizona House Municipal Oversight and Elections Committee from passing four Republican-sponsored bills aimed to instill faith in the election process back into voters, whom Republicans say have less trust following recent elections. Read more»   

A decision on the legality of DACA - when it eventually goes to the U.S. Supreme Court - is not expected to be issued until 2024, and while Congress appears unlikely to take action, participants in the program are left uncertain if they will be protected from deportation. Read more»   

A proposal in the Arizona House to target predators who were able to plead felony offenses down to a misdemeanor and increase the punishments for sexual offenders could put teenagers in prison for having intimate relationships with their peers. Read more»   

Descendants of the four surviving Hia-Ced O’odham families who fled their ancestral lands in the mid-1800s to escape yellow fever are researching the history of the Hia-Ced to prove their existence, and working to advocate for recognition with the federal government. Read more»   

Fentanyl dealers linked to an overdose death could face the death penalty under an Arizona Republican proposal that critics say will also sweep up drug addicts and send them to death row. Read more»   

Homelessness disproportionately affects veterans, but the Department of Veterans Affairs announced that a variety of efforts to help veterans find housing has resulted in the rate dropping 11% in the past three years nationwide and more than 50% since 2010. Read more»   

Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs signed her sixth executive order Wednesday, establishing an independent prison oversight commission to improve the transparency and accountability of Arizona’s corrections system. Read more»