Gov. Jan Brewer used a veto of a Tucson development district bill to send a lengthy message to legislators about her budget priorities.

Brewer’s letter explaining the veto Monday of the Rio Nuevo Multipurpose Facilities District says it is unwise to approve legislation with spending or tax changes before there’s agreement on a new state budget.

Lawmakers will get a briefing this afternoon about the progress of budget negotiations with the governor.

This is the first concrete sign of movement on the budget front since talks over the state’s final spending plan began several weeks ago.

Phoenix may be sitting on a pile of money when the new budget year begins in July. It’s the first time in years the city may have a surplus of cash that city officials are projecting could be from $10 million to $15 million in the general-fund budget for the 2012-2013 fiscal year.

Arizona’s tax collections in February dropped from the same month a year ago, raising questions about its impact on the state’s fiscal situation.

The Senate Appropriations Committee will take up the governor’s proposal to overhaul the state’s merit system tomorrow.

The proposal, which is her top priority for the legislative session, would essentially make it easier to fire state employees.

The Republican-controlled Legislature is advancing a slew of measures that ultimately aim to limit spending by state government.

The Arizona Independent Redistricting Committee will file suit against the state Friday in an attempt to force the Legislature to provide more funding for the remainder of the fiscal year.

A personnel reform plan championed by Gov. Jan Brewer sailed through the House on a party line vote, with a few tweaks to soften the blow for law enforcement officers and other state employees who will retain their civil service protections.

Democratic lawmakers today castigated the Republican-led Legislature and Gov. Jan Brewer for what the minority party characterized as a disastrous budget plan and an abandonment of government programs Arizonans care about.

Opponents of Proposition 100, who warned that the 1-cent sales tax increase wouldn’t truly be temporary, are watching their predictions come true.