Tucson Politics

  GOP leaders are siding with Arizona’s Democratic secretary of state in a legal dispute over whether roughly 97,000 voters should get a full ballot this election, arguing that despite the uncertainty that those voters ever turned in proof of citizenship, they still have a right vote.

  As the November general election approaches, Arizona is taking a significant step toward ensuring that voters with disabilities are fully prepared to participate in the democratic process.

  The Arizona ballot proposition to end partisan primaries appears to have thousands of duplicate signatures, putting it below the threshold to be placed on the ballot. But what that means for voters remains to be seen.

  Pima County voters will see a four-page ballot spread over two cards when they start casting their votes next month.

  Two campaigns are fighting to persuade voters to either retain or throw out two Arizona Supreme Court justices - at the same time voters will be considering a constitutional amendment that would essentially give judges lifetime appointments.

  Defense attorneys in a federal trial in Phoenix spent most of Tuesday morning questioning the honesty of a witness who said she watched two Arizona men accused of aiding and participating in a child sex abuse ring involving girls as young as 9 years old have sex with children.

  A federal judge in Oregon is tasked with deciding whether or not to thwart two of the country’s largest supermarket chains - Kroger and Albertsons - from merging, as attorneys from both sides presented sharply opposing closing arguments.

  Kari Lake has consistently underperformed Donald Trump in Arizona, which bodes well for Democrats who would almost certainly lose control of the Senate without the Arizona seat.

  While the English language used to describe ballot propositions has been the subject of debate in the press, public, and courts, the translations into Navajo and other languages receive little attention or public scrutiny, even though they are covered by federal law.

  A federal judge Monday declined to assume jurisdiction over the state of Arizona’s criminal prosecution of former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, remanding the case to a state court in Maricopa County.

  The eligibility of nearly 100,000 registered voters in Arizona is up in the air because of an error in state systems uncovered just before the scheduled sending of mail ballots, an error that stems from the way the MVD provides driver’s license information to the voter registration system.

  The Arizona Supreme Court vacated a statement from its Aug. 23 ruling that said if a trial court determines that the Make Elections Fair Act did not collect enough voter signatures, the judge should order the Secretary of State not to count the votes for it.

  The State Bar of Arizona is planning to appeal the decision of an attorney discipline panel that dismissed ethics charges against the lawyers for Republican candidates Kari Lake and Mark Finchem.

  A new Tucson municipal sales tax proposal is drawing criticism for being a plan to fund a range of community services — including affordable housing, shelters, early childhood education, and workforce development — while allocating 65.75 percent of the revenue to first responders and law enforcement.

  A new Tucson municipal sales tax proposal is drawing criticism for being a plan to fund a range of community services — including affordable housing, shelters, early childhood education, and workforce development — while allocating 65.75 percent of the revenue to first responders and law enforcement.

  Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs has ordered flags at all state buildings to be lowered to half-staff from sunrise to sunset on Wednesday, Sept. 18, in remembrance of Phoenix Police Officer Zane Coolidge, who died Sept. 6 after being shot in the line of duty.

  Pima County Supervisor Matt Heinz is facing Republican challenger John Backer in a debate this week.

  Pima County supervisors will vote on housing items meant to help on the fringes, plus: livestock has future in Oro Valley and more from local government meetings around Tucson.

  As demographics shift, advocates from Las Vegas to Alaska are fighting to make voting accessible for citizens who speak different languages. But challenges remain –from the cost of translating materials to outright resistance to the idea.

  With studies showing a decline in civics education and knowledge across the U.S., programs from Arizona to New York are working to engage the next generation in democracy.

  Former Republican lawmaker and candidate for Arizona Senate Mark Finchem went on a talk show hosted by a conspiracy theorist and spread some conspiracy theories himself on the 23rd anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks.

  Before adjourning for the weekend to prepare closing arguments, the FTC brought three expert witnesses to the stand in its rebuttal in the preliminary injunction hearing to determine whether supermarket chain giants Kroger and Albertsons should be allowed to merge.

  Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack highlighed more than $600 million in recent financing to support renewable energy in rural Arizona, including $83.5 million to Trico Electric Cooperative to expand battery storage and increase the reliability of electricity for residents on the Pascua Yaqui Reservation.

  With worries of political violence and threats top of mind for millions of Americans, learning from leaders who have helped navigate conflict in Ireland may give us insights for reducing polarization and maintaining peace here at home. — Ron Barber & Don Henninger

  The Golden Age of democracy might be right in front of us, if the people uniting to save the republic are willing to accept some good faith.