The Gaggle: An Arizona politics podcast

Can the Democratic governor of Montana win over supporters of President Donald Trump? That's what Gov. Steve Bullock is betting on. The 2020 presidential candidate is polling too low to make it on stage for any of the Democratic debates so far, but he hasn't dropped out of the race. In this week's episode of The Gaggle, a politics podcast from The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, Bullock told national political reporter Ronald J. Hansen that he's the only candidate in the Democratic field who can win in red states. Bullock said his ability to speak to conservative voters is what sets him apart from his opponents. Listen to this 15-minute interview to hear more about Bullock's policy priorities and strategy for beating President Donald Trump in the 2020 general election, should he win the primary.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Vice President Mike Pence came to Phoenix this week, high-dollar donors weren't the only ones to hear from him. In this week's bonus episode of The Gaggle, a politics podcast from The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, Pence spoke to host Yvonne Wingett Sanchez for an exclusive one-on-one interview. Pence talked to us about Sen. Martha McSally, R-Ariz., and why he supports her election in 2020. Listen to this six minute interview to hear Pence's response to the impeachment inquiry and what is in the future for the Trump-Pence team.In this episode you'll hear: Why he supports McSally's 2020 campaignA response from Pence about the Ukraine controversy A breakdown of the interview and what it means for the 2020 senate race Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A member-by-member breakdown of where Arizona's leaders in the Senate and House of Representatives stand and the political implications for each.National political reporters Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ron Hansen talk about:Sen. Kyrsten SinemaSen. Martha McSally Rep. Debbie LeskoRep. David Schweikert Rep. Paul GosarRep. Raul Grijalva Rep. Greg StantonRep. Ann Kirkpatrick Rep. Tom O'HalleranRep. Ruben GallegoRep. Andy Biggs  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Arizona Supreme Court ruled in a 4-3 decision this month to allow the owners of Brush & Nib Studio to refuse to make custom wedding invitations for gay and lesbian couples.In 2016, the owners sued the City of Phoenix over its anti-discrimination ordinance. The ruling seems like it only affects one business, but it could have broad impacts across Arizona and maybe even rise to the U.S. Supreme Court. This week, The Gaggle podcast will break down how this state Supreme Court decision could impact same-sex couples and other minority groups. In this episode, we hear from Jessica Boehm, a Phoenix city hall reporter, and Shaun McKinnon, who previously reported on legal rights for the LGBT community. In the episode you'll hear: How the case about wedding invitations for same-sex couples got to the Arizona Supreme Court What next steps the city might take How the LGBT community reacted to the legal decision Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

By now, you've likely seen headlines about vaping and how it's caused illness in hundreds of people across the U.S. and even a handful of confirmed deaths. How popular is vaping in Arizona? Is vaping causing lung illnesses or deaths in metro Phoenix? How might the concern over vaping affect the state's medical-marijuana industry, which is one of the largest in the country? In this week's episode of The Gaggle, a podcast from The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, hosts and political reporters Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ron Hansen talk with health care reporter Stephanie Innes and marijuana reporter Ryan Randazzo about the rise of vaping in Arizona.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bill Montgomery is the newest Arizona Supreme Court justice appointed by Gov. Doug Ducey.The Arizona Supreme Court decides thousands of cases that affect your everyday lives, from education funding to abortion policies. (To hear more about it, listen to The Gaggle podcast's May 15 episode about the Arizona Supreme Court and Ducey’s previous appointments.)This week, The Gaggle podcast will break down what you need to know about Montgomery's controversial prosecutorial record, his conservative politics and how he might approach the job of jurist on the state's highest court. Hosts Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ronald Hansen talk with Arizona Republic reporters Lauren Castle and Robert Anglen about this new appointment and how it might affect life in Arizona. In the episode you'll hear: What's at stake for Montgomery with this ethics complaintHow his appointment will shape the future of the state Supreme CourtHow his childhood shaped his political ideology Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The legalization of marijuana in Arizona could be up for a vote once again in 2020.A group backing the movement released the language for a ballot measure in August for the first time. After a failed 2016 effort at legalization, Arizonans have been expecting the state's licensed medical-marijuana dispensaries to propose another measure.In a previous episode of The Gaggle, the hosts looked at why Arizona is likely to legalize recreational marijuana and which political figures are changing their messaging on marijuana.This week, The Gaggle podcasthosts Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ronald Hansen talk with Arizona Republic reporter Ryan Randazzo to break down what you need to know from the 16-page proposal. In this episode you'll hear: What would people be able to purchase under this initiative? How much revenue would recreational marijuana bring to the state? What is the likelihood this ballot measure will pass? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio said he has few regrets and wants to serve the public as Sheriff again in an interview with The Gaggle podcast hosts Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ron Hansen.Arpaio, who is 87, served as Maricopa County sheriff from 1993 to 2016. He lost his 2016 race to Democratic challenger Paul Penzone. His tenure was marked by controversy, filled with investigations into his policing and jailing practices that brought many costly lawsuits.  Referring to his 2020 bid to become Maricopa County sheriff, Arpaio said he's "in it to win it." In the 30-minute sit-down interview, Arpaio said he wants to fight drug trafficking and illegal immigration and "put those tents back up." He said "good things" he did (as sheriff) were "erased by a certain sheriff," referring to current Maricopa County Sheriff Paul Penzone. For all that and more, listen to this week's bonus episode of The Gaggle podcast.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Arizona has about 55,000 certified, working teachers. Every year, about 40 teachers are disciplined by the Arizona State Board of Education or surrender their teaching certificate after allegations of sexual misconduct.The Arizona Republic and KJZZ 91.5 FM, the Phoenix public radio station, together reviewed more than 180 allegations of teacher sexual misconduct from the past four years investigated by the Arizona Department of Education. The cases encompassed a range of offenses, raising questions about oversight and children's safety.You can read Lily's portion of the investigation at positionoftrust.azcentral.com or listen to Mariana's audio stories at positionoftrust.kjzz.org. You can report suspected child abuse, neglect, exploitation or abandonment to the Arizona Child Abuse Hotline at 1-888-SOS-CHILD or dcs.az.gov/report-child-abuse. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's been a year since Arizona Sen. John McCain died of glioblastoma. The six-term Republican senator is seen as one of the greats by his supporters, who mourn the loss of his bipartisan leadership. In today's increasingly divided political climate, his calls for unity continue to resonate. And his legacy dominates political conversation. Now his supporters want to preserve and grow McCain's bipartisan legacy. One way they're doing that is through the McCain Institute, an organization at Arizona State University, which trains leaders from both parties in McCain's leadership style. In this week's episode, The Gaggle hosts Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ronald Hansen talk to two people who were close with McCain, Rick Davis and Jon Seaton, about the senator's lasting legacy. The two worked as political advisers to the senator in his presidential campaigns and are close to the McCain family.In this episode you'll hear: Why McCain is still a looming character in American politics.A behind the scenes look at moments in McCain's presidential campaign A look into the future of McCain's legacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices