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Recent Articles from Hank Stephenson and Ben Giles
Lawmakers mull sine die delay until key senator returns from absence
The Arizona House and Senate may delay adjourning the session until next week, as the Legislature waits for Republican Sen. John Kavanagh to return from a trip to Louisiana to provide a crucial vote for a pair of bills.
Petition measure sparks heated debate over future of citizens’ initiatives
When Republican Rep. Vince Leach proposed a bill to ban paying petition circulators for citizens’ initiatives on a per-signature basis, Democrats were collectively outraged and denounced the bill as an “attack on democracy.”
House, Senate to undergo security renovations in response to global attacks
As his parting gift to the “People’s House” Arizona House Speaker David Gowan is installing metal detectors, gun lockers and is overhauling the House lobby, to the tune of at least $290,000.
Republicans and Democrats see presidential race as key to shaking up state Legislature
With Donald Trump atop the November ballot, Arizona politicos say all bets are off in the down-ballot races, where the ripples from the “Trump effect” could turn into giant waves that wipe out the status quo at the Capitol.
Memorable moments from a very loooong sine die night
Sine die was filled with several memorable moments.
FIZZLED BILLS: Fireworks, marijuana and flex loans all went down in smoke
Lawmakers introduced 1,361 bills, memorials and resolutions in the 2016 legislative session, but in the end, most of those measures were left on the cutting room floor.
Lawmakers end session after all-nighter with flurry of votes
The Arizona Legislature adjourned sine die shortly before 6 a.m. Saturday morning, capping a nearly 20-hour workday that ended a grueling week in which lawmakers passed a budget, staged a coup over health insurance for children and approved hundreds of bills in the eleventh-hour of the legislative session.
Legislature approves GOP-crafted $9.6B budget for 2017
Largely along party lines, Arizona lawmakers approved a roughly $9.6 billion budget shortly after midnight Wednesday morning that they credit with increasing spending after years of tough decisions while the state slowly recovered from economic turmoil.
The state budget: potential winners, losers and question marks
Lawmakers are debating a proposed $9.58 billion budget, which for the first time in years, makes significant increases in a handful of key areas.
Budget moving down different paths in House, Senate
A Senate committee on Wednesday advanced a package of budget bills that outline a $9.58 billion spending plan, with a promise of amendments to the bills on the chamber’s floor.
Legislative leaders reach budget agreement with governor
House Speaker Pro Tem Bob Robson and Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Don Shooter confirmed that a tentative deal was reached on Saturday and a budget should be introduced and approved this week.
Congressional campaign lobbying: Should lawmakers take the money?
In the past, most lawmakers who ran for Congress have avoided the dilemma of whether they could or should accept money from lobbyists by simply resigning from the Legislature.
