On Tuesday, Aug. 27, the city of Phoenix will hold the regularly scheduled City Council Election for voters in Districts 2, 4, 6 and 8 to elect a council member. There is no election for council member in Districts 1, 3, 5 and 7 this year because the terms of the council members are staggered. The Council Election is open to Phoenix residents who are registered voters and reside within Districts 2, 4, 6 or 8 at least 29 days prior to the election.

What do United States Congressman David Schweikert, State Senate Majority Leader John McComish, Phoenix City Councilman Sal DiCicco, Kedrick Ellison of the Phoenix Community and Economic Development Department, Kyrene Superintendent Dr. David Shauer, Tempe Union High School Superintendent Dr. Kenneth Baca, and Pangea Development have in common?

Calling the governor's proposal unacceptable and politically dead at the Legislature, House Speaker Andy Tobin unveiled his own new plan Tuesday to expand Medicaid, one that would give Arizona voters the final say.

A new statewide survey suggests that if Arizonans were asked about it today, it's more likely that gay couples would be able to marry here.

Three years ago, in the wake of a new Arizona law aimed at those in the country illegally, tens of thousands converged on the Capitol with a message: Today we march, tomorrow we vote.

Gov. Jan Brewer signed legislation Thursday to allow foster children to be placed in homes with youngsters who are not immunized.

When Arizona voters approved the use of medical marijuana in 2010, Steve Cottrell saw a way to combine his laboratory background and his interest in the plant he’d been studying since his 11-year-old son died of cancer more than a decade before.

Claiming the measures target minorities, some groups are threatening to sue if lawmakers adopt new restrictions on early voting and who can take someone else's ballot to the polls.

Future bids to oust public officials through recall could get a lot harder under the terms of legislation given preliminary approval Tuesday by the Senate.

Last week, Mayor Greg Stanton backed away from his campaign promise to the repeal of the food tax. Although I and many other Phoenicians are disappointed in his decision, I have appealed to the city manager and the other city councilmembers to help provide a plan that allows us to wean ourselves off the food tax revenue.

It will be sad to see the gentle South African go.

City elections

Unable to get the plan through the Republican-controlled Legislature, a party activist is seeking a public vote on a measure that would undermine union political influence.

Phoenix voters approved changes to the city’s pension system during a special election on Tuesday.

Clean elections

Phoenix resident Karlene Keogh Parks has filed a Notice of Candidacy with the city of Phoenix to run against current City Councilman Sal DiCiccio in the Aug. 27 election.

This is turning out to be a really bad month for Phoenix residents and it looks like a radical agenda is now being moved forward. First, Phoenix is selling its citizens on “pension reform,” but the reality is, it is anything but reform.

The tribal council for the Gila River Indian Community is sending the GRIC Landowners initiative — which could move the Loop 202 Freeway off the Pecos Road Alignment — to be investigated by tribal police before it decides if the initiative will be accepted as is or go to a public vote.

State lawmakers launched what could be considered an end-run of last year's voter rejection of a change in how judges are selected.

Early voting for the city of Phoenix Special Election began on Feb. 14.

Claiming illegal retaliation, the Arizona Students' Association is asking a federal judge to void a vote by the Board of Regents changing how its fees are collected.

Hoping to avoid another ouster of one of their own, Republican legislators on Thursday voted to change the rules for recall elections.

When I start talking about real estate in 2012 all I can say sometimes is, “WOW!” Do you realize that in 2012 the “Phoenix median home prices jumped 36 percent from $116,000 to $158,000 in one year, November to November” (housingwire.com)?

State lawmakers are making another bid to shorten the time that individuals and groups have to put issues on the ballot.

A special election in March will decide if changes are made to Phoenix’s unbalanced pension system, which could save the city about $600 million over 25 years.