Howard Fischer

A federal court ruling today voiding California's ban on same-sex marriage could eventually affect a similar law here. 

In a divided ruling a three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals said the 2008 California initiative banning same sex marriage runs afoul of the equal protection provision of the U.S. Constitution. The court's rulings hold precedent for all Western states, including Arizona, where voters approved a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage also in 2008. 

A Senate panel voted Monday to override rules which now ban guns on college and university campuses. But  some of the supporters appear not entirely convinced.

State lawmakers launched a broad attack Wednesday against public unions -- including an absolute ban on state and local governments and school districts from bargaining with organizations that represent public workers.

Goldwater Institute economist Steve Slivinski told lawmakers that making the move now will save the state more than $500 million a year in about seven years, as wage hikes are held down. But Senate Democrat Steve Gallardo said the Goldwater Institute and the Republicans have a hidden agenda.

A state senator is proposing new procedural hurdles for women who want an abortion. 

Senator Steve Smith said Arizona already has fairly substantial laws requiring that women give "informed consent'' before terminating a pregnancy. That includes everything from a discussion of the risks and a 24-hour waiting period, to offering to let the woman see an ultrasound of the fetus. But Smith wants to add several more things based on what would be a new provision in state law that would define life as beginning at conception.

The 2010 voter-approved medical marijuana law allows those with a doctor's recommendation to obtain up to 2 1/2 ounces of marijuana every two weeks. While the measure bars use of the drug on public school campuses, there is no such ban at colleges and universities.

Gov. Jan Brewer is finding another way to use last week's confrontation with President Obama to her advantage. 

When the governor greeted the president last week, she said he told her he thought her description of their 2010 meeting at the White House in her book, Scorpions for Breakfast, was inaccurate. Brewer said she responded by telling the president he was wrong. One thing that tiff on the tarmac did is drive sales of the governor's book to new heights. 

Legislation approved Monday by the House Education Committee would allow schools to offer courses on the history and literature of the Old and New Testaments.

Rep. Terri Proud said this is simply a recognition that so much of what is part of Western culture comes from the Bible.

Arizona Public Radio's Howard Fischer reports there are some changes designed to make the bill more acceptable to the governor.

In vetoing last year's version, Jan Brewer said there were too many loopholes and problems. So Sen. Ron Gould has scaled back the proposal. One change is that only those who have a state-issued permit to carry a concealed weapon could bring their guns onto campus.

A House panel voted this morning to let bicyclists pretty much ignore stop signs. Arizona Public Radio's Howard Fischer explains.

The legislation would let bicyclists treat stop signs as yield signs -- meaning they would need to stop only if there were cross traffic. Otherwise they could keep rolling. State Rep. Eric Meyer, a cycling enthusiast himself, told colleagues that having to come to a full stop is actually dangerous. That's because most serious cyclists actually clip their feet onto the pedals.

Three months after she published her unflattering description of him, it appears President Obama is still miffed with Gov. Jan Brewer. Arizona Public Radio's Howard Fischer explains.

On Wednesday the president flew into Phoenix as part of a multi-state tour following the State of the Union address. Brewer said she greeted him at the airport and gave him a hand-written note asking that they get together at some point to talk.