Arizona: Sam Crump

Arizona's budget deficit is now estimated at $3.4 billion.  During the worst budget crisis in state history, many of our Republican state legislators are attending an ALEC convention in Atlanta, Georgia listening to the likes of Zell Miller suggest that Rahm Emanuel put "Gorilla Glue" on President Obama's chair to prevent him from "gallivanting around" the globe.

The Arizona Education Network reports:

The list of our "representatives" who are reportedly bailed out of Arizona for a little Georgia hob-nobbing this week:  Representatives Cecil Ash, Ray Barnes, Nancy Barto, Sam Crump, John Kavanagh, Debbie Lesko, John McComish, Nancy McLain and Steve Yarbrough.

In addition to Senate President Robert Burns, Senators Pamela Gorman, Jack Harper, Barbara Leff, Al Melvin and Russell Pearce also on the list of ALEC conference attendees.

Sunday night's shooting death of a RedFlex Traffic Systems employee sent ripples through the debate surrounding photo enforcement on Arizona highways.
Doug Georgianni, 51, was parked inside a photo enforcement vehicle on the eastbound State Route 101 near 7th Avenue when the vehicle was attacked, according to authorities. Police on Monday arrested Thomas Patrick Destories, 68, of Phoenix on suspicion of first-degree murder.
State Rep. Sam Crump, who is sponsoring legislation to terminate the speed-camera system, issued a statement condemning the attack.
"I am also aware of the escalating passions on both sides of the public debate over speed cameras. While we don't ...

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Randy Malick knew when he moved into the Rancho Vistoso subdivision in Oro Valley, north of Tucson, seven years ago that the homeowner rules did not allow amateur radio towers.

But he decided to buy a house there anyway even though he has had a ham radio license since 1991.

Now Malick is at the forefront of a move to convince state lawmakers to force homeowner associations to allow these towers, regardless of whether a majority of neighbors want them or not.

Malick and his fellow operators won the first round Wednesday when the House Committee on Military Affairs and Public Safety voted 5-3 to force HOAs to provide for "reasonable heights and dimensions" for such towers.

Quick: What's Arizona's official nickname? Think you know? You're probably wrong.

Templar: Let’s call it ‘Land of the Saguaro’

Truth be told, it's a trick question. Arizona has no official nickname, as state historian Marshall Trimble said he learned. But state lawmakers took the first steps Tuesday to change all that.

Trimble told members of the House Government Committee that he gets queries from around the world about the state. One of those, he said, came from a child inquiring about Arizona's nickname.

It's not, as he found out, "The Grand Canyon State," even though that's what's on license plates.

Nor, he found out, were some of the other names used for Arizona.