Arizona

An Arizona lawmaker plans to reintroduce a state bill that would deny citizenship to the “anchor babies” of illegal immigrants after the bill stalled in a Senate committee on Tuesday.

State Sen. Ron Gould (R) said he plans to reintroduce two Arizona bills disqualifying the children of illegal immigrants from being legal citizens of the state and the United States to a committee next week for a vote. Gould cancelled the vote originally slated for Tuesday.

The two bills introduced by Republicans provide law enforcement tools for immigration laws and reduce state costs related to illegal immigrants. One proposed bill would define Arizona citizenship - and by default U.S. citizenship - as requiring at least one parent to prove he/she is a U.S. citizen or permanent legal resident. more >>

Focusing first on the victims of last week’s shooting in Tucson, Ariz., President Obama delivered a speech Wednesday night to hundreds seeking comfort at a memorial service.

Applause resounded after each victim was eulogized and continued throughout his praise for the heroes who stopped the gunman – Jared Lee Loughner, 22 – and ministered to the wounded.

As he addressed some of the speculations surrounding the motive behind the attack, Obama challenged Americans "to guard against simple explanations in the aftermath." more >>

St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center was stripped of its Catholic affiliation Tuesday after outrage circulated over an in-house abortion.

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix, Ariz., stripped the prestigious hospital of its affiliation after it was discovered that the medical staff ended a patient’s pregnancy and the life of an 11-week baby in 2009. The abortion was reportedly performed to save the woman who was ruled to be at risk of death.

"In the decision to abort, the equal dignity of mother and her baby were not both upheld," announced Bishop Thomas Olmsted at Tuesday’s press conference. more >>

Church mergers mostly involve one healthy church saving a dying one. But in Arizona, two growing congregations are coming together for the purpose of creating a greater impact.

East Valley Bible Church and Praxis Church – just 12 miles apart in Gilbert and Tempe, respectively – have decided to merge to form Redemption Church. The official launch date for Redemption is January 9, 2011.

"[W]e’ve felt God’s strong call to come together for the good of his Kingdom," church leaders say on their website. "By doing so, we have faith that more people throughout Arizona will be changed by the Gospel." more >>

A rural Arizona church is facing a bill of $50,000 in back taxes and faces the possibility of foreclosure after a local property assessor sat on tax exemption paperwork for three years.

The church, known as the Isaiah 58 Project of Arizona, purchased property in 2006 and thereafter submitted paperwork to the La Paz County property assessor to be exempt from taxes.

At first, the assessor requested the church's government tax-exempt letter but when the church said Arizona property tax exemption statutes didn't require the letter, the assessor waited three years before granting a property tax exemption for the church. more >>

The Oklahoma chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations announced its plans to sue the state, claiming that state Referendum Question 755 banning Sharia law is anti-Islamic and violates the U.S. Constitution.

“It specifically targets the Muslim community, it specifically targets the faith of Islam in a way that it doesn’t target any other faith,” CAIR Executive Director Muneer Awad said.

CAIR asserts Sharia does not pose any threat to the U.S. or state Constitutions. “Our constitution ensures that our religious law will never conflict and replace with our laws,” he stated. more >>