The Gaggle: An Arizona politics podcast

President Donald Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act into law in a Fourth of July ceremony, making tax cuts he passed during his first term permanent.

It offsets those revenue losses to the government with steep cuts to services like the Medicaid program, requiring states to be responsible for funding food stamp programs and delivering tax cuts to the wealthiest taxpayers.

This week on The Gaggle, a politics podcast by The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, our hosts are joined by Republic reporter Stephanie Murray. Together they discuss the key points out of the Big Beautiful Bill, how Arizona politicians showed up and how the new law will impact Arizonans daily.

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Guest: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Stephanie Murray

Hosts: ⁠⁠⁠Ron Hansen⁠, ⁠Mary Jo Pitzl⁠

Producer: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Amanda Luberto⁠

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When Hobbs was elected in 2022, she pledged to bring sanity over chaos. But the Democratic governor has tried to navigate working opposite a Republican-controlled Legislature over the last three years.

This year's session was no exception. Hobbs vetoed 174 bills this year, a new single-year record that surpasses her 143 vetoes in 2023.

But her vetoes aren't the full story, even if they are record-breaking. She also signed 265 bills into law this year.

This week on The Gaggle, a weekly politics podcast, host Mary Jo Pitzl and guest host Stacey Barchenger are joined by Gov. Hobbs in-studio for a sit-down interview.

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Guests: ⁠⁠ Governor Katie Hobbs

Host: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Mary Jo Pitzl⁠⁠⁠⁠, Stacey Barchenger⁠

Producer: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Amanda Luberto⁠

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On July 4th, 1776, 56 men signed a document declaring the newly formed 13 colonies as one United States of America. By this charter, they formed a new country, one free from Britain's rule.

The Declaration of Independence showcased the rights and beliefs of the new country. It was a written record of what America would stand for, and it was signed by the nation's founding fathers.

Today, to honor the country's sovereignty, the gaggle presents a reading of the Declaration of independence. Here to read the country founding document are reporters and staff of the Arizona Republic.

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This week on The Gaggle, a politics podcast by The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, hosts Ron Hansen and Mary Jo Pitzl speak with Republic reporters Stacey Barchenger and Ray Stern to explore the politics of this unusual Arizona Legislature budget cycle.

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Guests: ⁠⁠⁠ Ray Stern, Stacey Barchenger

Host: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Mary Jo Pitzl⁠⁠⁠⁠, Ronald J. Hansen

Producers: Abby Bessinger, Maritza Dominguez

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Early voting begins June 18 in the only federal race this year in Arizona. An election to fill the seat of the late U.S. Rep. Raúl Grijalva is underway in Arizona's Congressional District 7.

The race in southern Arizona has produced competitive primaries on both the Republican and Democratic sides, but most of the attention has been focused on three of the five Democrats seeking their party’s nod.

This week on The Gaggle, a weekly politics podcast, we break down the pros and cons of all the candidates on the ballot and explore how the race is shaping up so far.

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Leave us a voicemail: 602-444-0804

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Guests: ⁠⁠Laura Gersony

Host: ⁠⁠⁠Mary Jo Pitzl⁠⁠⁠

Producer: ⁠⁠⁠Amanda Luberto⁠

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June 2025 marks a decade since the U.S. Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage. The landmark 5-4 ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges resolved a long-standing national debate and brought together a conflicting patchwork of state laws.

Eight months before the SCOTUS decision, the Republican-dominated state of Arizona legalized same sex marriages, though the road to get there was rocky.

This week on The Gaggle, a politics podcast by The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, host Mary Jo Pitzl is joined by Republic editor Shaun McKinnon and LGBTQ+ rights advocate Sheila Kloefkorn to look back at the events that led to Arizona in 2014 joining the states that legally recognize gay marriage, and cast forward on what challenges remain.

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Gov. Katie Hobbs announced in May that she would not submit any more agency director nominations to the state Senate for confirmation, blaming what she called the "circus" environment for vetting her nominees.

Hobbs has been battling the state Senate since she took office for her director nominees, who have gone through a rigorous and unprecedented vetting process.

State Sen. Jake Hoffman heads the Committee on Direction Nominations, which recommends whether a nominee should get a vote of the full Senate. He self-identified on The Gaggle as "one of the most conservative members of the Legislature."

This week on The Gaggle, we are joined by Sen. Hoffman to discuss why he thinks the stiff scrutiny on the governor's picks is justified.

Later in the episode, Doug Cole, a Republican veteran of state government, joins to explore this unheard-of situation between the sitting governor and the leader of the Senate committee.

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Guests: ⁠⁠Sen. Jake Hoffman, Doug Cole

Hosts: ⁠⁠Ron Hansen⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Mary Jo Pitzl⁠⁠

Producer: ⁠⁠Amanda Luberto, Abby Bessinger

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The state's Democratic Attorney General Kris Mayes is focused on the Republicans who tried to help sidestep Arizona's certified election results.

A Maricopa County Superior Court judge recently ordered Mayes to take her evidence back to the grand jury to inform them of a key legal argument made by the electors. This ruling may — or may not — undercut Mayes' case enough to reconsider a matter she has framed as protecting democracy itself.

This week on The Gaggle, a politics podcast by The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, hosts Ron Hansen and Mary Jo Pitzl are joined by former Democratic Attorney General Terry Goddard, and later, Republic reporter Stacey Barchenger.

Goddard breaks down how rare it is for a case to go back to the grand jury for matters of defense, rather than elements of the alleged crimes, and other insights into the law.

Stacey then joins The Gaggle to discuss this specific case and what it means for Mayes' political future.

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Guests: ⁠⁠Terry Goddard, Stacey Barchenger⁠.

Hosts: ⁠Ron Hansen⁠, ⁠Mary Jo Pitzl⁠

Producer: ⁠Amanda Luberto

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The Trump administration has only been in office for a few months, but the early days seem to make good on a promise of stricter immigration reform and border security.

But an intimidating defense along the border is not the only reason detention numbers have decreased. And deportations in other parts of Arizona — like Phoenix — are actually increasing.

This week on The Gaggle, a politics podcast by The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com,  we discuss what the border has looked like since Trump regained office, what it means for the communities along the border, and how a crack down on immigration is playing out in Phoenix.

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Guests: ⁠Richard Ruelas⁠, ⁠Raphael Romero Ruiz⁠.

Hosts: Ron Hansen, Mary Jo Pitzl

Producer: Amanda Luberto

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As lawmakers are on break, work is going on behind the scenes on an education-related bill that would raise teacher pay and maybe provide constitutional protections for Arizona’s private-school voucher program.

Despite widespread agreement that the funding stream from the trust fund should continue, how to get the plan over the finish line is being hotly debated behind closed doors.

This will leave a new version of what is commonly called Proposition 123 up to the voters, presumably in November 2026. But will that be the most strategic way to handle the situation?

This week on The Gaggle, a politics podcast by The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, we analyze different ways Prop 123 2.0 could show up.

Email us! ⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠

Leave us a voicemail: 602-444-0804

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Guest: Lorna Romero Ferguson, owner of Elevate Strategies

Host: ⁠⁠⁠Mary Jo Pitzl⁠⁠⁠ 

Producers: Amanda Luberto, Abby Bessinger

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