League will file suit against state over impact-fee limits 

Municipalities are gearing up for a lawsuit challenging restrictions lawmakers put on cities and towns when they approved the fiscal 2010 spending plan.

Ruling on Quelland case expected Nov. 10  

An administrative law judge is expected to issue a ruling by Nov. 10 on a May decision by the Citizens Clean Elections Commission to order the ouster of District 10 Rep. Doug Quelland.

Goddard files exploratory committee 

Paving the way for his third run for Arizona’s top job, Attorney General Terry Goddard took his first official step by filing an exploratory committee for a 2010 gubernatorial run.

New laws take effect on everything from microbreweries to animal fighting 

More than 160 new laws took effect on Sept. 30, the general effective date for legislation passed during the 2009 regular session.

Many of the laws are technical changes to existing law. Others have more far-reaching impacts on the daily lives of Arizona residents.

Special session No. 4 will target schools, DES funding  

Republican legislative leaders have reached a deal with Gov. Jan Brewer to erase a portion of the estimated $2 billion budget deficit in a special session later this month, including about $300 million in spending cuts.

The plan, if carried out, would eliminate a fraction of the overall deficit, and a $1.4 billion shortfall would remain.

The Pulse: Put some jelly on that toast 

We’ve all heard it: Jan Brewer is toast.

She can’t get along with Republican lawmakers. She hasn’t solved the budget deficit. She’s despised by her own party - and by Democrats, too, her critics charge.

Registrar of Contractors among agencies looking for budget fix 

When the Legislature meets in a special session later this month, one of the agencies whose budget problems they will attempt to fix is the Registrar of Contractors.

Tyler Palmer, legislative liaison for the Registrar of Contractors, said the agency lost about $390,000 in funding for operating costs when Gov. Jan Brewer vetoed a budget bill in September.

Goddard cautious as campaign season nears 

SRP loses again in Prescott water ranch case 

A Maricopa County judge has rejected an argument by one of the state’s largest utilities that could have fundamentally changed water law in the state, saying the law’s intentions are clear even though the law itself might be imperfect.

Budget fix pitched to GOP lawmakers 

The budget fix being shopped to Republican lawmakers would erase a little more than a quarter of the estimated $2 billion deficit and include about $300 million in permanent spending cuts.

House Majority Whip Andy Tobin said the deal Republican leaders have reached with Republican Gov. Jan Brewer would include $140 million in cuts to K-12 education and $140 million in cuts to ADES.