Search query: arizona

1. Independents and major parties are responding to primary system in Arizona now that independents are the largest voting bloc. "They long ago surpassed Democrats and this year they passed Republicans. But even then, longtime political strategists pooh-poohed their influence, correctly noting that the indys haven't chosen to flex their considerable muscle." Now that independents are the majority in Arizona, major party leaders -- specifically Republican leaders -- want to close the primaries

1. On Monday, August 11, Lawrence Lessig's Mayday Super PAC announced its support for 3 more congressional candidates. "In addition, today Mayday PAC announces three more of the eight total candidates it will support: Walter Jones (R, NC-3), Carol Shea-Porter (D, NH-1) and Ruben Gallego, Democratic candidate in Arizona’s seventh congressional district to replace retiring Congressman Ed Pastor." The PAC is endorsing candidates committed to campaign finance reform. 2. Roll Call's Beltway Insid

1. Democratic legislators in New Mexico say they support opening primaries up to independent voters. "The effort is being taken up by two Democratic state legislators from Albuquerque. Sen. Bill O’Neill and Rep. Emily Kane planned to announce today that they will introduce legislation in January that would end the exclusion of independent voters or voters who decline to state a party affiliation when they register." Republicans mostly object to the idea, saying that party principles would be d

1. Terry Goddard, the Democratic candidate for secretary of state in Arizona, describes how independent voters and candidates are disenfranchised by the current election system. "Arizona encourages partisan voters to turn out, while our state treats Independent voters like second-class citizens. Our election system should empower every voter equally, but the treatment of Independents has been shoddy at best, malicious at worst and just wrong. Every registered Arizona voter whether Democrat, Rep

Three states -- Colorado, Oregon, and Washington state -- have all-mail voting systems in place, but if recent history is any guide, they will soon be joined by other states like California, Arizona, Montana, Hawaii, Utah, and New Jersey. The all-mail system is relatively new; Oregon was the first state to institute it after a referendum in 1998. Washington followed in 2011 and Colorado soon after in 2013. All three states introduced all-mail locally and its popularity led to its widespread use

The Roberts Court, which began in 2005 and has been altered by two replacements — Sonia Sotomayor in 2009 and Elena Kagan in 2010 — has been asked to clarify the precise nature of the church-state relationship on several matters. One topic the court addressed is whether religious symbols may be displayed on public property: * In 2009, the court handed down a 9-0 decision in Pleasant Grove City v. Summum allowing a town in Utah to keep its display of the Ten Commandments in a public park. The

It’s no secret that the Keystone issue is a political powder keg. Neither is it a secret that it’s a controversial topic pitting two traditional foes: environmentalists versus big oil. Very murky, however, is what benefit Keystone XL offers the United States.As in so many situations, in order to understand the present, we need to understand the past and Keystone has a bit of a checkered and rapidly evolving past. With blinding speed, progress on the Keystone project began in 2005 when it was pr

On May 30, Eric Shinseki resigned as the secretary of Veterans Affairs amid a growing controversy surrounding the administration and treatment of veterans at VA medical centers, something that is said to have contributed to at least 40 deaths due to delayed care, and has 42 VA medical centers and clinics embroiled in scandal. While it was noble of the now ex VA chief to fall on his sword, the action will have little effect on the problem. The VA has been broken for years -- since before the pre

For the 46.5 million Americans living below the poverty line, 16 million of which are children, life has become a consistent struggle. This struggle does not simply begin and end with monetary concerns, but in fact surrounds both a physical and mental exertion of the individual.Using the national U.S. census and NCCP, researchers found that in 2013, the poverty line rested at $11,490, a number which equates an individual working full time while only making $5.00 – far below the national minimum

The hits just keep coming for Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki. For weeks, stories of the deplorable policies and procedures in place at VA Medical Centers across the country have continued to surface and have stirred outrage among service members, veterans, and Americans at large. As these accounts continue to emerge, an increasing number of Americans are calling for justice, but justice doesn't seem to be forthcoming. Earlier this month, more accounts of "secret wait lists" emerged in