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Recent Articles from Jim Small
Deschene throws hat in ring for secretary of state
Rep. Chris Deschene, a freshman Democrat from Window Rock, announced that he won’t seek re-election to the House of Representatives, and will instead run for Arizona’s second-highest office. The main... […]
Election-year conundrum: Cooperate or not?
A whispered riddle is sweeping the halls of the Capitol: In an election year, Democrats and Republicans like to emphasize their differences, but this year, they'll probably have to cooperate to solve Arizona's massive budget problems.
Lofty goal of transparency falls short
Kirk Adams may have set the bar impossibly high. As part of his bid to become speaker in late 2008, he distributed a well-polished 16-page book that laid out exactly what he would do if elected by his Republican colleagues to lead the House of Representatives.
Brewer’s budget to be aired in committee soon
Republican lawmakers say Gov. Jan Brewer’s budget plan includes many elements that they agree with.
No more ‘feeling our way in the dark’
Despite the challenge of erasing budget deficits estimated at $5 billion for the next two fiscal years, House Speaker Kirk Adams said lawmakers now are more fully equipped to handle the problems.
Democrats won’t float budget bills without GOP assurances
Democratic state lawmakers are hoping 2010 is a better year than 2009.
Gun fight brewing at Legislature
Arizona's gun laws are already among the most permissive in the nation, but that's not good enough for gun-rights advocates who are taking aim at restrictions on who may carry guns, where they may carry them and when they may use them to shoot people.
Top four lawmakers present budget arguments at Chamber lunch
Everyone at the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry's annual legislative luncheon agreed: Arizona's budget needs to be the top priority, and the state needs to change its course.
‘Horizon’ christens Phoenix studio by recalling the past
Retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor was a fitting guest to christen the first "Horizon" broadcast in its new downtown Phoenix studio, given that it was her Senate confirmation hearings nearly 30 years ago that served as an informal test-run for the show.
GOP proposal calls for tax cuts amid budget crisis
Republican lawmakers unveiled a plan to change Arizona's economic course, calling for major shifts in tax policy - including tax cuts - and creation of tools to lure high-wage businesses to the state.
UpClose with Elliott Pollack
Economists aren't known for being the life of the party, but Elliott Pollack defies the stereotype. The chief economist for Valley National Bank in the 1970s and '80s, and a longtime member of the Legislature's Finance Advisory Committee, Pollack is known for slideshow presentations that feature outlandish photos to drive home the point he is trying to make.
Tibshraeny bill would raise caps on rainy day fund
One lesson the state can take away from the ongoing financial crisis is that the state needs to be better prepared to handle plummeting tax revenue in the future - and that may require a return to the past.
