The Gaggle: An Arizona politics podcast

Gov. Katie Hobbs signed Arizona's $17.8 billion state budget into law in record time. Among the winners are Republican pet projects such as money for the Prescott Frontier Days Rodeo, funding to repair a bridge in Lake Havasu City, and Democratic wins such as more reliable funding for public schools and investment in more services for the unhoused. But not everyone is happy with the budget or how...

The Arizona Legislature is considering a plan to allow Maricopa County to hold an election on a transportation tax, but it has been a bumpy ride. Supporters say extending a half-cent tax for transportation for another 20 years will help the county’s transportation network keep pace with continued economic and population growth. The plan would build out Phoenix's freeway network, improve miles of m...

Tempe votes on May 16 to either welcome or boot out the Coyotes hockey team and accompanying entertainment complex. Proponents of the development claim that the sport and entertainment district will be a huge win for Tempe including generating nearly 7000 jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenue. Opponents claim that the city should put its energy into fixing present issues like cre...

On March 21, the Apache Stronghold’s case against the proposed Resolution Copper mine was reopened. The battle is over a proposed copper mine in Oak Flat, just southeast of metro Phoenix.  The land sits on top of one of the world’s largest undeveloped copper reserves in the world. The mine, if allowed to go forward, would produce an estimated 40 billion pounds of copper over the next four decades....

Two Democratic representatives in Tennessee were expelled this month over their involvement in gun control protests in the House of Representatives chamber after a deadly school shooting in Nashville. Another was allowed to remain by a one-vote margin. Rep. Justin Jones, D-Nashville, and Rep. Justin Pearson, D-Memphis, accused the GOP-led House in Tennessee of racism and oppression after their exp...

When Katie Hobbs won the governor’s race in 2022, she became the first Democrat in 14 years to hold the seat. It also made her the first governor in 14 years to have to deal with a Legislature controlled by the opposite party. As she marks her 100th day in office this week, her achievements and pushbacks are equally noteworthy. At the time of recording, the governor had vetoed 38 bills, and it's e...

On March 28th, a Maricopa county Superior Court judge, ordered the city of Phoenix to clear out a large homeless camp. This is an area of tents, tarps, sleeping bags and other makeshift housing that lies within view of the state capital. The city hasn't made clear whether it intends to carry out that order or appeal it. What is clear is that Phoenix, and the greater Valley, have an enormous homele...

While you won’t be filling in the bubbles on your ballot in November, the upcoming U.S. Senate race is lurking in the shadows. So far, only one prominent candidate — a Democrat —has announced he's running: U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz. As Arizona continues to be one of the most watched swing states in the country, all eyes are on who will be on the Senate ballot in 2024. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, I-...

Arizona is one of the nation’s newest swing states — and one of the most competitive. President Joe Biden’s 2020 win in Arizona had the smallest margin of any state in the country. Arizona is working on its fourth straight cycle with a competitive Senate race, which could be a three-way contest next year. U.S. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema left the Democratic Party to register as an independent earlier this...

It didn’t take freshman Congressman Juan Ciscomani long to draw attention in Washington D.C.  The Republican who took over a Tucson-based seat from retired Democratic Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick, prominently threw his backing for the House speakership to Kevin McCarthy, when three of his fellow Arizona Republicans had misgivings. McCarthy rewarded Ciscomani’s loyalty with a coveted seat on the House Appr...

It’s 2023, but if you listened to some of the events around the annual Conservative Political Action Conference or a hearing at the Arizona Legislature in recent days, it could feel like we’re stuck in 2022 or even 2020. Arizona’s lawmakers need to reach an accord with the governor on an annual budget, and there is no shortage of issues to deal with in Washington, D.C. But prominent Republicans re...

City Council candidates Sam Stone and Kevin Robinson are running to replace longtime seat holder Sal DiCiccio. The NAACP, the National Coalition of 100 Black Voters and the League of Women Voters hosted the District 6 candidates in a public debate. Here it is in full. For analysis on the Phoenix runoff election, be sure to listen to our episode with Republic reporter Taylor Seely. Learn more about...

Councilman Carlos Garcia is defending his seat against challenger Kesha Hodge Washington. The editorial department of the Arizona Republic hosted the District 8 candidates in a public debate. Here it is in full. For analysis on the Phoenix runoff election, be sure to listen to our episode with Republic reporter Taylor Seely. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last November, no candidate in Phoenix City Council District 6 or District 8 received enough votes to win the election outright. Residents now get a second chance to try to put their favored candidate onto the council in a runoff March 14. Candidates are Kevin Robinson and Sam Stone in District 6 and incumbent Carlos Garcia and Kesha Hodge Washington in District 8. This week on The Gaggle, a podca...

U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy visited the Arizona-Mexico border for his first time since his election to that position. With him were other GOP House members, including a new lawmaker from Arizona, Rep. Juan Ciscomani.  This stop was seen as an indicator of how Republicans plan to handle border security and immigration issues. They now hold a House majority in a split Congress. This week on Th...

It’s been 14 years since Arizona last had a Democratic governor. At that time, just like today, Arizona’s legislature was ruled by the state GOP.  As Gov. Katie Hobbs settles into the business of governing, she’s battling a Republican-controlled legislature she hopes will turn Democratic next year. Today we’re talking to reporters in two states where Democratic governors have been hard to find — a...

Everywhere you look, it’s clear that the Super Bowl is here. Murals and banners are up, cities are cleaning up, and the fans are flying in. Many guests are staying and partying in Scottsdale. Football-themed events and entertainment are transforming downtown Phoenix, and the game itself is in Glendale. Experts predict that a large percentage of the people attending these events will be tourists, a...

When U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego announced he was running for U.S. Senate, the Arizona Democrat made clear that it’s in part because of what he views as the misguided priorities of U.S. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema. Sinema, now an independent, has long made clear she views raw partisan politics as a policy dead end. But the bad vibes between them aren’t really new. It’s part of a split that began 17 years ago...

A joke that is so overused it's not even funny anymore: Congress can't get anything done. But with a new split Congress, the joke might be reality, and Arizona’s congressional delegation is helping set the tone.  Republican Rep. Andy Biggs helped lead a rebellious faction within the GOP in a fight over the House speakership that forced days of drama over that normally routine matter. Republican Pa...

Residents of the Rio Verde Foothills community just north of Scottsdale are facing dry taps and no immediate solution. The unincorporated land has for years relied on the City of Scottsdale to process the water that gets hauled up to the community. Scottsdale has been warning the community for many years that its water processing services is not a permanent solution, particularly in light of the c...

Arizonans heard the plans from a new Governor for the first time in 8 years as Democrat Katie Hobbs started her second week in office. In her State of the State address, she set the tone for her legislative priorities for 2023 and emphasized a desire for bipartisanship. It didn’t take long for some of the Republicans in the Legislature to make clear they have little desire to find common ground on...

It’s 2023 and Arizona has a new governor, a U.S. senator without a party affiliation, a more conservative Legislature and familiar issues to face in this new year. So how will all that play out? Today on The Gaggle, host Ron Hansen is joined by The Arizona Republic's Mary Jo Pitzl and Stacey Barchenger to hash out what the start of a new political era looks like for Arizona. Tops on the list are i...

We’re taking a break this week to celebrate the holidays with our loved ones. In the meantime, be sure to check out our 2022 retrospective episode from last week. Or catch up on our exit interview with Governor Doug Ducey.  We’ll be back with a fresh episode in the new year.  As always, thank you for listening, subscribing, and sharing our show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm...

The year 2022 was filled with political ups and downs and drama seemingly from every corner in Arizona.  The year began with Gov. Doug Ducey’s final State of the State address. Arizona House Speaker Rusty Bowers, R-Mesa, shared his firm views that the 2020 election was not stolen. We covered Ukraine, Uvalde and Roe v. Wade, all before diving into the 2022 midterm elections. We heard from the youth...

On Jan. 2, 2023, Katie Hobbs will take up the mantel as governor of Arizona. Passing the baton is Gov. Doug Ducey, who is ending his second term in the highest elected position in the state. Ducey entered the Governor's Office at a turbulent time. Arizona was dusting off the vestiges of the Great Recession. His tenure included a teacher-led revolt at the state Capitol for higher wages and a once-i...