Arizona consumers will benefit from a substantial tax cut on June 1 as Proposition 100, the temporary sales tax increase approved by voters in 2010, expires.

Some House Republicans are so opposed to the Senate’s “Democratic spendfest” budget, which passed out of the upper chamber with mostly Democratic support, that they want to scrap the proposal and start the budget process over from scratch.

Gov. Jan Brewer’s moratorium on signing bills ensured that after the budget is finished and before lawmakers adjourn, a flurry of legislation will head her way.


Many of the proposals stuck in the pipeline can be rolled into the budget, but others are non-budgetary changes in statutes that need only a few final actions, and a vote, to be sent to the governor when she is ready to receive bills again.

A multibillion-dollar contract for mental health services in Maricopa County is on hold while the Arizona Department of Administration sorts through a protest by the losing bidder.

Police investigating drunken driving cases must get voluntary consent from a suspect without any signs of coercion when drawing blood for testing or else get a search warrant, the Arizona Supreme Court ruled today.

The Arizona Supreme Court has agreed to decide whether Arizona’s Voter Protection Act requires the Legislature to fund inflation for K-12 education.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona and organizations representing black and Asian-American women sued the state today to overturn a law outlawing abortions carried out to prevent the births of females and minority babies.

Former Sens. Frank Antenori and Ron Gould, GOP rivals of Gov. Jan Brewer who were frequently on the receiving end of her veto stamp, are hoping to return the favor.

If the Legislature approves the Medicaid expansion, the former lawmakers want to put it on the 2014 ballot in the hopes of convincing voters to reject Brewer’s proposal.

The U.S. Supreme Court’s refusal to hear a case involving an Indiana law that prohibits public funds for Planned Parenthood has no bearing on a similar Arizona case, pro-life advocates and the Arizona attorney general said.

House Speaker Andy Tobin is dropping his proposed resolution to send Medicaid expansion to the voters, and will deal with the issue in the Legislature, one way or another.