Arizona lawmakers, who will decide how to best reduce the cost of government this year in the midst of a billion-dollar-plus budget deficit, received new laptop computers this session at a cost of about $400,000.
The Senate's tally was $116,000 for 90 desktop computers, 65 laptop computers and accessories such as docking stations for the laptops. The House received 118 laptops, 102 desktops and accessories at a cost of $284,000.

The House and the Senate made separate purchases. The computers were manufactured by Hewlett-Packard. Assistants to senators also received new desktop computers, as did some assistants in the House.
The purchases were made because the existing computer systems were failing, according to the Legislature's information offices and several lawmakers themselves. Sen. Jorge Garcia, the minority leader, said as far as he knows, his old laptop was about five to six years old.
"I would come in, log in, get it running, go get my coffee, go to the restroom and get back and it would still be booting up," he said.
"My understanding," said Becky Blackburn, the House communications director, "is that they were four-, five- and six-year-old computers, and so it was prohibiting people from effectively doing their work.
"It was just time to replace the computers," she said, adding the purchase was also based on recommendation from a technical committee.
Senate communications adviser Laura Devany said, "Systems were failing, and laptops were breaking and things weren't working."
The Legislature's information offices said the previous administration – meaning Senate President Tim Bee and Speaker Jim Weiers – had requested the purchases. The House purchased its computers in October. It was unclear when the Senate put in its order.
Senate President Bob Burns said he was concerned when he found out about the order late last year. He said he had discussed the possibility of rolling back or reducing the size of the equipment order, but it was too late by that time. The purchase, apparently, has been in the works for months.
"It was a concern when I found that out as the incoming president, and I checked into it and when I asked what was going on with that, they said they are unloading the truck. They have already been shipped. They have already arrived," Burns said. "It was past the point of return." 
Mixed reviews
The purchase of computers and accessories received mixed reviews. Some called it unwise; others saw it as an investment.
Sen. Paula Aboud, a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, questioned the timing of their purchase. She said she did not need a new computer.
"I was fine using my computer. I could have used my computer for another four years easily," Aboud said. "In this time of huge deficit, do we have money to burn or did somebody gift those to us?" 
The state faces a $1.6 billion budget deficit in fiscal 2009. Depending on how lawmakers solve this year's budget, that deficit could be as high as $3 billion next year.
Sen. Russell Pearce, a Republican from Mesa who is chairman of the Appropriations Committee, said he wouldn't have purchased them.
"Not having all the information they have, based on the information I have, I would not have done that," he said. Pearce has been pushing for a moratorium on capital projects that are "not critical" to the state.
Pearce said he knew some computers were worn out. His old computer over at the House crashed coincidentally on the day he was told he was getting a new one, he said.
"But again, these are tough times. I would have pushed that out a little further," he said. "Everybody has a need. But the point is: Is it a want or a need and how critical is it? And that's the bottom line. We have an obligation to be fiscally responsible and lead by example here at the Legislature."
Sen. Jim Waring, a Republican from Phoenix, said, "I think it's a travesty. I applaud Bob Burns when he found out about it for trying to cancel the order. I think a lot of us were incensed that these computers were ordered. It was completely unnecessary. I can't even explain it. I'm embarrassed that it happened. I am just happy I had no part in that decision."
Sen. Ron Gould, a Republican from Lake Havasu, said it was a "stupid thing to do."
"If we are trying to lead by example (and) we are going to tell the employees to tighten their belts but, yeah, we are going to get new computers," he said.
Gould's old computer still worked, although its battery only lasted about 20 minutes, he said. "(But) it doesn't control nuclear warheads or anything. It's just so I can do e-mails and write letters. So we could have gotten through the budget crisis with the existing computers," he said.
Other lawmakers were more understanding, and said the purchases were a necessity despite the budget situation.
House Minority Leader David Lujan, a Phoenix Democrat, said he welcomed the new computers. He said it would be nearly impossible for many lawmakers to perform their jobs without functioning computers.
"We do everything with them. We look at bills, follow what the Legislature is doing, communicate with constituents (by computer)," he said. "A lot of us take them home. They take quite a beating."
Sen. Thayer Verschoor of Gilbert, who said he didn't know that lawmakers were getting new computes until they arrived, said he views them as an infrastructure investment.  
"I can tell you those old, other computers were very outdated," he said. "I don't really want to cast a judgment on whether it's the right timing or not. I think there are just certain things in doing business that you have to keep up with."
Verschoor compared the situation to the business world. Companies, he said, often continue to invest in infrastructure during economic downturns. Some costs can be cut, but other expenses are simply necessary.
"We probably have an opportunity now, where things are less expensive because of the downturn in the economy, to kind of catch up on a lot that stuff."
– Reporter Jim Small contributed to this article.