Nicholas Fontana was sworn in today as the newest member of the House of Representatives, just in time to do the one thing the Constitution requires of the Legislature: approve a budget.

The Republican-led Legislature plans to approve an $8.6 billion spending plan for the state on Tuesday, shortly after Gov. Jan Brewer and GOP leaders sealed a budget agreement last week.

Lawmakers will consider a revised Arizona anti-stalking bill that had riled social media users for making it criminal to annoy or offend someone online.

The Arizona House is scheduled Monday to hold a final vote on a proposal updating state harassment and stalking laws to include smartphones and cyber communication.

Here’s a list of some of the most controversial, substantive or prominent measures that are awaiting a vote, struggling to get support or are simply caught in the moratorium and are ready to be sent to the governor’s desk.

The 2012 session appears to be in its final days, but some of the biggest pieces of legislation this year — including Gov. Jan Brewer’s proposal to make it easier to fire state employees — remain stuck at the state Capitol.

The glut of measures yet to be passed — or in some cases held by legislative leaders — is at least partially a result of an embargo on sending bills to the governor after she threatened to veto all bills until a budget deal is reached.

Former Senate President Russell Pearce says he would consider accepting a $260,000 reimbursement from the state for the expenses of his recall election if his allies in the Legislature are successful in securing the money for him.

Former Senate President Russell Pearce is facing a wealthy opponent in this year’s elections, but his campaign could receive a six-figure windfall from the state treasury if some Republican lawmakers have their way.

As Republican lawmakers begin to receive briefings on the budget deal that GOP leaders and the Governor’s Office agreed to in principle April 25, details are beginning to emerge.

The major sticking point between the two sides has been revenue projections — not just for the upcoming fiscal year, which begins July 1, but also for the following two years. Though Gov. Jan Brewer had been unwilling to adopt the Legislature’s more cautious revenue estimates, it appears she had a change of mind.

The House on Wednesday passed a bill that aims to redefine what constitutes an intersection, despite warnings by police that the change will lead to more traffic fatalities.


The new definition would give would-be red-light runners extra time to get through an intersection without breaking the law.

The Senate today gave final approval to a scaled-back proposal to allow religiously motivated employers to deny contraception coverage to their workers.

The measure, which now only needs the governor’s signature to become law, sailed through after a passionate debate on the floor.