Alexander Barouch

By Tatum Weight. In a desolate land, thwarted by the scorching sun, spectators from surrounding nations convened by the masses. Some traveled by day and night, journeying thousands of miles to observe the annual phenomenon; others fixed their tents outside the arena, observing the contemporary ritual known as “tailgating.” As the deafening roars of the crowd inside grew, the whole world watched in great anticipation. In the United States, perhaps no sporting event is revered more than the Super Bowl, and this year’s game took place in Arizona. While hosting America’s beloved event is a great honor, it came at a certain price, threatening the constitutional rights of Arizona’s residents.Leading Up to the Big GameOn October 12, 2022, the City of Phoenix adopted Resolution 22073 (“Resolution”), restricting temporary signage within the City’s…

By William Harren. In 2020, litigation over mail-in voting exploded across the country.  Concern about COVID-19 forced many voters to stay home and resulted in a record number of absentee ballots. Lawsuits began to percolate as Republicans and Democrats jockeyed for position in the new voting landscape.During the pandemic, Arizona became a battleground for controversy over mail-in ballots. First, Democrats sued the state for “ballot-harvesting,” successfully enjoining an Arizona law that required mail-in ballots to be delivered by family members or caregivers. Then, following the election, Republicans sought to decertify the election, alleging widespread voter fraud primarily from mail-in ballots. For a while disputes over mail-in ballots appeared to cool off, but midterm elections reinvigorated the controversy. The recent case of Arizona Republican Party v. Fontes provides a notable example. Arizona Republican Party…

By Mary Saxon.Arizona has one of the worst homelessness crises in the country. Despite this, Senator John Kavanagh of Fountain Hills recently introduced a pair of bills, Senate Bill 1022 and Senate Bill 1024, which criminalize homelessness. Senate Bill 1022, makes it a class one misdemeanor to sell goods, solicit donations, or beg on traffic islands or medians. Senate Bill 1024 makes it a class one misdemeanor to sit, lay, or sleep on a public roadway except in circumstances where one is experiencing a medical emergency, administering medical assistance, or is subject to a permit to conduct a festival, fair, parade, or similar event. In Arizona, a class 1 misdemeanor is punishable with up to six months in jail and carries a fine of up to $2,500 as determined by…

By Katharine Greer. ‘Tis the season for bills. On January 9th, the Arizona State Legislature opened with forty-one new members and a new governor. Representatives and Senators are excitedly plopping their bills in their respective hoppers. As of January 25th, 783 bills have been introduced, a number that will likely increase until the Senate and House deadlines (January 30th and February 6th, respectively). It’s unclear how many of these bills will make it to the finish line. In 2022, the legislature introduced 1,613 bills, and yet, only 388 were enacted into law.  To appease their constituents, members have already introduced bills concerning “hot button” topics such as critical race theory, drag shows, pronouns, and abortion. Representative Athena Salman, a Democrat representing District 8, introduced a particularly interesting bill on state…