TO CLIPS INDEX - Clips for March 7, 2008

Legislature OKs spending freeze to help cure shortfall
The Arizona Republic - March 7, 2008 12:00 AM
First came the hiring freeze. Now comes the spending freeze. The Legislature on Thursday agreed to freeze
nearly $600 million in state spending as a way to move along sluggish negotiations on bridging the current-
year budget gap. The action in the House and Senate came on party-line votes, with Republicans voting for it
and Democrats denouncing it as a waste of time. Approval by Gov. Janet Napolitano, a Democrat, is unlikely.

Police seek man in groping incidents at ASU
East Valley Tribune - March 7, 2008 - 12:15AM
Police were actively searching for a suspect who groped and inappropriately touched several female students
at Arizona State University earlier this week, authorities said late Thursday. Complaints from women who said
they were inappropriately touched by a “creep” at the ASU bookstore and a similar report from a woman who
was groped on campus at the Student Services Building led police to believe the attacks were committed by
the same offender, police said.

Police: University of North Carolina student leader's killing was random
Arizona Daily Star - March 7, 2008
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — The student body president at the University of North Carolina was last seen alive just
hours before she was found shot to death on a street in what police said they believe was a random act. Eve
Marie Carson, a 22-year-old senior from Athens, Ga., had been shot several times, including at least once in
the head, police said Thursday. Authorities said they had no suspects and no arrests had been made. Carson
was last seen alive at 1:30 a.m. Wednesday, when she stayed home to do schoolwork while her roommates
went out, authorities said. Officers found the body of a young woman about a mile from campus after
neighbors reported hearing shots around 5 a.m.

Legislature approves budget stopgap
Arizona Daily Star - March 7, 2008
PHOENIX — Ignoring a likely veto, the House and Senate voted Thursday to cut about $260 million in
spending and take more than $320 million from other funds to balance the current state budget. But not really.
The measure advanced by Republican legislative leaders technically does not trim the spending authorization
of any state agency.

Phoenix lander job: Find out once and for all, did Mars have water?
Arizona Daily Star - March 7, 2008
One day scientists are fairly sure there's water on Mars. Then there's news of no water on Mars. Now there's
evidence of an ancient body of water on Mars. Signs of an ancient, and possibly habitable, lake were discovered
by scientists analyzing images from the University of Arizona's High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment,
aboard NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.

Shelton: Talks loom for Olson, Livengood
The Arizona Daily Star - March 7, 2008 3:00 AM
TEMPE -- UA President Robert Shelton said his athletic director will soon meet with Lute Olson to decide whether
he will coach next season, but the president has no plans to play an active role in the discussions unless he is
asked. Olson, the UA men's basketball coach, announced Dec. 7 he was taking an unexplained leave of absence
for the rest of the basketball season. Thursday, Shelton revealed Olson's leave was afforded by the Family and
Medical Leave Act.

Guest Opinion: Dupnik: Keep guns off campuses
Tucson Citizen - March 7, 2008
Sheriff believes that allowing concealed weapons at schools would do more harm than good
Recent multiple homicides on college campuses, like those that occurred at Virginia Tech and Northern Illinois
University, have inflamed the national community and brought about a call to arms that is at once understandable
and dangerous. Currently, 13 states are considering legislation that would allow individuals with concealed
weapons permits to carry weapons on college campuses, Newsweek reported Feb. 15.

Our Opinion: Firearms bills won't make us safer
Tucson Citizen - March 7, 2008
Legislators need to take fingers off trigger, listen to law enforcement
Guns in restaurants. Guns in cars. Guns, incredibly, on college campuses. Bills moving through the Legislature
would make it far easier to let Arizonans carry and brandish firearms in public places. The legislation is supposed
to make us safer. It won't. We oppose the measures. But don't just take our word for it. Ask those on the front lines
- Arizona's law enforcement officers. They know better than anyone that mixing guns and crowds merely increases
the likelihood that they and other innocent citizens will be in increasing danger.

ABOR approves building plans
ASU Web Devil - March 7, 2008
ASU research and athletics profited from the Arizona Board of Regents meeting Thursday, as steps to build new
facilities for both enterprises were unanimously approved. ABOR, the governing body for Arizona's public university
system, authorized ASU to begin architectural planning for the new Interdisciplinary Science and Technology
Building IV at the Tempe campus.

The pricetag for alleged UA prank on 'A' Mountain? $10,000
ASU Web Devil - March 7, 2008
Petroglyphs safe as spray paint removed from Hayden Butte — at taxpayers' expense
Tempe residents may be relieved that Native American petroglyphs threatened by an alleged UA prank are safe,
but many are annoyed that at least $10,000 of their tax dollars were spent keeping them that way. This week the
work to save the glyphs is considered virtually complete, allowing the city to arrive at an estimate of the final price
tag. Workers have spent more than a year removing spray paint from "A" Mountain after a prank stemming from
a football rivalry.

UAPD to carry automatics
UA Daily Wildcat Online - March 7, 2008
New rifles meant to improve accuracy, reduce response time
If a shooter strides onto campus this summer and starts taking aim, the University of Arizona Police Department
intends to have the firepower appropriate to react more quickly and effectively than it could today. Hence, possibly
by June, some officers will be trained to carry automatic rifles capable of accurately hitting targets at greater
distances than with the department's standard-issue handgun.

ABOR briefs
UA Daily Wildcat Online - March 7, 2008
Regents mull ways to increase bachelor degrees
PHOENIX - The Arizona Board of Regents discussed the creation of a state strategic plan for 2020 and were briefed
on a recent workshop in which they discussed the plan. One of the regents' main goals is to double the number of
bachelor's degrees given out in Arizona by 2020, echoing Gov. Janet Napolitano's stated goal at the beginning of the
year. "Most of the people that are going to be in our system by 2020 are already here," said Regent Robert Bulla.

Spending freeze bill sent to governor
Arizona Capitol Times - March 6, 2008
Lawmakers approved what's being termed a "temporary freeze" of about $582 million dollars in the budgets of state
agencies and other dedicated funds. Republican leaders hope it will be the first step toward jump-starting negotiations
to fix a $1.2 billion deficit this fiscal year. House Speaker Jim Weiers brushed aside criticisms from Democrats that the
proposal is out of order because it bypasses bipartisan negotiations that have been ongoing since January. He said
the move wasn't meant to be offensive.