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Arizona: Warde Nichols

March 11, 2009 - 11:04 pm
NEWS FEED: East Valley Tribune

Legislators reject 'power parks'

State lawmakers killed a proposal Wednesday to create a new level of government to set up "power parks" around the state as the home for new solar, wind and nuclear power plants.

Proposal would facilitate 'energy parks'

The 4-3 vote by the House Ways and Means Committee came over the arguments of Rep. Warde Nichols, R-Gilbert, who said setting up such a special authority would "put out the welcome mat" for companies to come here and build their generators. Nichols said HB 2090 would create both construction and operating jobs as well as provide clean sources of energy for Arizona.

But the plan Nichols envisioned was more complicated than that, including provisions to give the power plants that built in these special parks a property tax break to help repay investors.

Read More at East Valley Tribune >
There have been 29 comments posted in response to this story.

March 10, 2009 - 07:08 pm
NEWS FEED: East Valley Tribune

Proposal would facilitate 'energy parks'

A veteran state lawmaker is proposing creation of government-run "energy parks" designed to facilitate construction of new solar, wind - and especially nuclear - power plants in Arizona.

HB2090, set for debate today in the House Ways and Means Committee, would give certain financial advantages to power plants that would locate in special districts that the Arizona Energy Park Authority would have the power to create. Most notably, it would allow the owners of these facilities to, in essence, divert some of what they would otherwise pay in local property taxes to instead pay off investors.

The authority also would have the power to condemn private property to create one or more of these power parks where these new solar, wind or nuclear plants would be located.

Read More at East Valley Tribune >
There have been 38 comments posted in response to this story.

February 26, 2009 - 07:18 pm
NEWS FEED: East Valley Tribune

Bill to keep AZ parks open called illegal

The state House gave preliminary approval Thursday to a controversial - and possibly illegal - transfer of funds from a voter-approved initiative to keep state parks open.

The voice vote came over objections from several Democrats who said while the goal might be worthwhile, the maneuver violates the Arizona Constitution. Rep. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Phoenix, even predicted not only that the state would be sued but that it would lose, putting taxpayers on the hook for legal fees.

Tight budget may close 5 state parks

State board delays decision on closing parks

3 more state parks added to closure list

That did not deter Rep. Warde Nichols, R-Gilbert, who crafted the plan.

Read More at East Valley Tribune >
There have been 43 comments posted in response to this story.

Wed, 11/19/2008 - 16:58

Adams announces AZ House committee assignments

By Evan Brown, PolitickerAZ.com Reporter

Arizona House Speaker-elect Kirk Adams has made his selections for who will chair the House's standing committees in the next session of the legislature.

Daniel's News & Views, the blog run by state Representative-elect Daniel Patterson (D-Tucson), had the announcement posted Wednesday.

According to Patterson, the list is:

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There have been 33 comments posted in response to this story.
Mon, 06/02/2008 - 17:16

Legislators want Arizona Bar Association stripped of powers

By Evan Brown, PolitickerAZ.com Reporter

Today a group of 15 Arizona legislators hurled the latest volley in the battle between Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas and the Arizona Bar Association, writing a letter in support of Thomas and calling for sanctions against the Bar.

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There have been 236 comments posted in response to this story.