Tom Horne

Ariz. Attorney General Terry GoddardArizona small business owners overwhelmingly favor a Democrat to replace Gov. Janet Napolitano, according to the Silver State Bank/Arizona Small Business Association/O'Neil Associates Arizona Economic Indicators Monitor.

The poll, conducted among the ASBA's 3,000 members, found that 43 percent of respondents supported Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard in the hypothetical race. Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon came in second with 21 percent.

Rounding out the list were U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary Peters (10 percent), Tempe Mayor Hugh Hallman (8 percent), Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne (8 percent), state Treasurer Dean Martin (7 percent) and Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas (5 percent).

This week's Arizona Winners & Losers are now posted.

A firestorm of controversy was touched off when Rep. Russell Pearce (R-Mesa) and the House Appropriations Committee transformed a homeland security bill, SB1108, into one that would ban teaching in a manner that is contrary to "American values" and "Western civilization."

Though aimed specifically at a Raza Studies program in the Tucson Unified School District, criticism arose claiming the bill was too broad and raised troubling First Amendment issues. Tom Horne, Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction, who would be in charge of enforcing the law, agrees. So, apparently, does Russell Pearce.

A bill that would put the Roosevelt School District under the control of the Arizona Department of Education is advancing in the House, and raising the stakes of the showdown between State Schools Superintendent Tom Horne and foes of the takeover plan.  read more »

State Rep. Andy Tobin, a Prescott Republican, has formed an exploratory committee and is close to making an official campaign announcement in the race to succeed retiring U.S. Rep. Rick Renzi in Congressional District 1, PolitickerAZ.com has learned.

“We’ve always considered the race a wide-open field,” Tobin said Friday evening.  read more »