Search query: arizona

Tucson's mayoral election is shaping up to be a two-party race, but due to a series of petition signature challenges, it’s not the two parties you would expect.  This November, voters in Tucson will head to the polls to cast their ballots for mayor and city council.  In the mayoral election, the names of only two candidates will appear on the ballot: Democrat Jonathan Rothschild and one of two Green Party hopefuls, Mary DeCamp or Dave Croteau.  The Green Party’s candidate will be nominated in a

In two separate cases Monday, the Supreme Court struck down laws in California and Arizona as violations of the First Amendment: a California ban on violent video games and an Arizona campaign finance law that publicly finances "matching funds" for political candidates whose opponents outspend them beyond a certain threshold. On the basis of the First Amendment, the Roberts Court has ruled in favor of every challenge to campaign finance laws that it has heard so far, with a bloc of five Justice

In two separate cases Monday, the Supreme Court struck down laws in California and Arizona as violations of the First Amendment: a California ban on violent video games and an Arizona campaign finance law that publicly finances "matching funds" for political candidates whose opponents outspend them beyond a certain threshold. On the basis of the First Amendment, the Roberts Court has ruled in favor of every challenge to campaign finance laws that it has heard so far, with a bloc of five Justice

In  addition to the Democrats and Republicans, there are four other ballot-qualified political parties in California, and over a dozen smaller  political bodies which are formally attempting to gain ballot access  ahead of the 2012 presidential election.  At least one of the latter is already well on its way. According  to the most recent report on voter registration from the Secretary of  State’s office, there are currently over 17 million registered voters in  California. With 23.6 million el

Government pensions, including CalPERS and the other public pension plans in California, are permitted to use far laxer accounting standards than private pension plans. This allows them to greatly overstate how much money they have and to understate future liabilities, something which does not bode well for the financial health of the funds or for those relying on the money for retirement. Yes, you got that right. Federal government rules allow their own pensions, as well as state and local pen

From police actions, to court rulings, to the impending renewal of key provisions of the Patriot Act next week, the debate over the Fourth Amendment, its meaning, and its relevance could not be any more heated, nor could a frank national conversation about civil liberties be more urgent than right now. What does the Fourth Amendment say and what rights does it guarantee to all U.S. citizens? Is the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution under assault? How can we balance the interests of publi

Lost in last week's coverage and commentary of the unfolding Osama bin Laden story was the discovery of yet another drug tunnel on the U.S.-Mexico border, this time in Arizona. Border Patrol agents working in conjunction with the Government of Mexico confirmed the existence of an illicit tunnel on May 5th, three days after U.S. agents discovered evidence indicating a cross-border drug tunnel. Chiseled right through solid rock in some places, the sophisticated drug tunnel traversed 250 feet acro

If asked what type of renewable energy is most prevalent in California, most would choose solar or wind, but in reality, those two forms of renewable energy aren't even close. Instead, the current California champion for renewable energy is geothermal, followed by small hydro. Say what? As an example, on Wednesday May 4, 2011, geothermal energy production in California was 23,980 MWh, followed by small hydro with 13,210, then wind at 10,166. Solar power was last, with 3,094, behind biomass and

The Los Angeles City Council is asking its lawyers to review a proposed measure that would give its policy enforcement officers a monopoly on the “open carry” of handguns on city property. The new measure is being sought by the council as a stepping stone for a statewide prohibition on the possession of non-concealed weapons in public, such as those carried in holsters. In typical knee-jerk form, the council reacted to the assassination of Arizona Federal Judge John Roll in January (an event un

This month, the Los Angeles Police Department responded to complaints from "immigrant rights groups" by revising its policy of impounding the vehicles of unlicensed drivers at DUI checkpoints.  The California Watch blog has released some pretty compelling statistics demonstrating that most of the cars impounded at those LA checkpoints (and statewide) belonged to illegal immigrants. "Police cited 12,867 unlicensed drivers during the 2010 fiscal year, according to the data. Not every one of those