Partisan split: Democrats picked up seven additional seats in the Nov. 7 election, reducing Republicans’ House majority.
The numbers are: House: 33-27 • Senate: 17-13
Family ties:
Rep. Pete Rios, D-23, and Sen. Rebecca Rios, D-23, are father and daughter. Rep. Ben Miranda, D-16, and Sen. Richard Miranda, D-13, are brothers. House Speaker Jim Weiers and Jerry Weiers, R-12, are brothers. All six were re-elected in November to new terms.
Final terms: Lawmakers beginning their final two-year terms in their current offices include Senate President Tim Bee, Senate Minority Leader Marsha Arzberger. Also Reps. Eddie Farnsworth, R-22; Pete Hershberger, R-26; Linda Lopez, D-29; Marian McClure, R-30, John Nelson, R-12; Russell Pearce, R-18; Bob Robson, R-20.
Lawmakers who are never ‘board’
Six legislators do double duty by serving on various school district governing boards:
• Rick Murphy Peoria Unified
• Steve Gallardo Phoenix Union
• Martha Garcia Cartwright Elementary
• David Lujan Phoenix Union
• Ben Miranda Roosevelt Elementary
• Rich Crandall Mesa Unified

Weighty issues
On the advice of his doctor Senate Appropriations chair Bob Burns has dropped 40 pounds in the season.
Arizona by the numbers: Agents with the U.S. Border Patrol have seized a record amount of marijuana from smugglers along the Arizona-Mexico border for the fifth year in a row. The agency said it has seized more than 331 tons of marijuana worth $530 million last federal fiscal year, ending Sept. 30. The record amount nearly equaled the 350 tons seized in California, Texas and New Mexico combined. Officials say Arizona is on pace to set another record this year. Since Oct. 1, agents have seized more than 106 tons of pot worth $170 million. That’s nearly 20 tons more than the same period the previous year.
There were at least 49 reported hate crimes in the communities of Mesa, Tempe, Scottsdale, Chandler and Paradise Valley last year, according to federal statistics. Nationally, Arizona ranked 14th last year in the total number of hate crimes reported.