State Rep. Jonathan Paton, R-Tucson, has been working hard this summer to win voter support for re-election to a second term in the Legislature. He has to hope he’s done enough, because he’s about to end his personal campaigning early to go serve his country in wartorn Iraq.

Newspapers usually don’t get along with politicians. As government watchdogs, journalists are naturally skeptical of a politician’s actions and sometimes of their motives, too. But there are moments when politicians clearly deserve some recognition, and perhaps even a little admiration, for their hard work on behalf of the general public.

  It might not be as entertaining as Parliament. But a southern Arizona lawmaker wants to force the governor to come to the Legislature at least twice a month to answer questions from political friends and foes.

State lawmakers have decided to allow railroads to condemn private property to build new switching yards or tracks.

State officials would have to sell off investments in some firms that do business in Iran under the terms of legislation given final approval Monday.

The state House has voted to put some new restrictions on railroads that want to expand their operations in Arizona even though the measure might run afoul of federal law.

State senators voted 26-1 Thursday to let prosecutors hold smuggled illegal immigrants for up to a week without bringing criminal charges against them.

State senators voted Monday to ask voters to wipe out the Clean Elections system they approved 12 years ago - but without actually killing the program. The measure approved on a 16-12 vote would constitutionally prohibit public dollars from being used to finance the campaigns of candidates for office.

Arizona legislators are moving to toughen and broaden state laws against border-related crimes such as human smuggling and trafficking.

The failure of lawmakers to patch a problem in the public financing system could effectively force candidates next year to go back to running for office the way they did years ago: taking money from special interests and other private sources.

Two state legislators want to expand what constitutes a conflict of interest under regulations that govern when lawmakers can - and cannot - vote on certain issues.

As a U.S. Army Reserve intelligence officer deployed to Iraq, Jonathan Paton faced bombs, snipers and rocket attacks. While dealing with the dangers and worries that come with serving in a war zone, he also faced a vexing problem back home: His health club continued to charge him $29 a month for a membership he couldn't use.

PHOENIX - Arizona drivers can choose from more than 30 special license plates promoting the state’s three universities, cancer awareness, spaying and neutering pets, child abuse prevention and more.

Foes of Tucson’s system of partisan elections are going to get another chance to wipe them out.

People who hire "coyotes" to get them into this country can be prosecuted under a state law aimed at the smugglers, the Arizona Court of Appeals ruled Thursday.

People who hire “coyotes” to get them into this country can be prosecuted under a year-old state law designed to crack down on smugglers, a Maricopa County Superior Court judge ruled Friday.

People who hire “coyotes” to get them into this country can be prosecuted under a year-old state law designed to crack down on smugglers, a Maricopa County Superior Court judge ruled Friday.

A judge has thrown out an effort by foes of public financing of elections to effectively gag members of the Citizens Clean Elections Commission and its director.

The state's largest private sector union is trying to block voters from deciding in November whether to constitutionally guarantee a secret ballot in public and union elections.

The state’s largest private sector union is trying to block voters from deciding in November whether to constitutionally guarantee a secret ballot in public and union elections.

A Senate panel voted Monday to effectively kill public financing of elections — but not entirely.

Without dissent, the House voted Tuesday to make it a crime to use the name or picture of any deceased soldier for certain commercial purposes.

The Arizona House of Representatives on Tuesday gave final approval to legislation making it a crime for people to use fraud or deceit to get someone else’s cellular phone records.