FDA vs. SPF: Feds say new look at sunscreen regulations long overdue
WASHINGTON - The Food and Drug Administration wants to take a closer look at ingredients and labeling for sunscreens, updating regulations that have not been changed "in literally decades" But it also said people should still slather up, "given the recognized public health benefits of sunscreen use."
Bill would have repealed requirement that doctors try to save fetuses that survive abortion
PHOENIX – Members of the Arizona House Judiciary Committee debated a bill that would repeal a law that requires doctors to attempt to save the lives of babies born alive during an abortion, showing battle-scarred divisions.
Senate bill would outlaw dropping off early ballots on Election Day
PHOENIX – Senate Bill 1046 would prevent voters who receive their early ballots in the mail from dropping them off on Election Day. Advocates say it would simplify elections and opponents say it would hamper voter rights.
Luke AFB F-35 facility funds could be tapped for border wall emergency
WASHINGTON - Arizona lawmakers vowed to fight the loss of any funding at Luke Air Force Base, where up to $40 million in construction projects could be tapped under President Donald Trump's national emergency declaration that could divert billions from Pentagon projects toward a border wall.
Lawsuits, rallies protest Trump declaration of national border emergency
WASHINGTON - Hundreds gathered outside the White House to protest President Donald Trump's declaration of a national emergency at the southern border, a move the protesters called a "massive abuse of presidential power" that is not an actual emergency.
UA professor sues state over denial of health-care coverage to transgender employees
TUCSON – Transgender state employees in Arizona are excluded from insurance coverage of transition surgery and related medical treatments, according to a lawsuit filed by University of Arizona professor Russell Toomey. The ACLU-backed suit says the policy violates his civil and constitutional rights.
Supreme Court to decide if 2020 Census can ask about citizenship
WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court agreed to fast-track a case asking whether the Census Bureau can ask people their citizenship status, a move that advocates and local government officials fear will suppress immigrant participation in the count that is used to allot congressional seats and federal funds.
Constitutional experts express concerns after Trump declares state of emergency
PHOENIX – President Trump declared a national state of emergency on Friday, and law experts are worried about the legality of the action as well as which statutory powers the president will seize.
Arizona reaction to Trump’s border emergency splits along party lines
WASHINGTON - Arizona lawmakers' reaction to President Donald Trump's declaration of a national border security emergency split along party lines, with Democrats calling it "fear-mongering" that sets "a dangerous precedent" while Republicans said the action is needed to "protect American lives."
Sinema joins GOP, two Democrats, to confirm Barr as attorney general
WASHINGTON - Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema was one of just three Democrats who crossed party lines and voted to confirm William Barr as attorney general, despite critics' concerns that Barr might not defend probes of the Trump administration. Sen. Martha McSally, R-Arizona, also voted for Barr.
Moms Demand Action supports bill to ban guns for people convicted of domestic violence
PHOENIX – Moms Demand Action, a group committed to ending gun violence, talked with state lawmakers to lobby for support of SB 1219.
Senate OKs open-space bill, reviving Land and Water Conservation Fund
WASHINGTON - After months of gridlock, the Senate overwhelmingly approved a bill that permanently authorizes the Land and Water Conservation Fund, a popular program that sent almost $240 million to Arizona for parks and open space projects over the years before expiring last fall.
