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Recent Articles from Luige del Puerto
Payback, policy changes included in budget bills
Lawmakers this year said they strove to keep non-budget policy changes out of the budget package and, while many that were originally considered were removed, they couldn’t completely insulate the final compromise from policies whose ties to the budget are tenuous, at best.
A balanced budget… for now: Threat of lawsuits could undo spending cuts
Fiscally conservative Republicans won the argument when the governor agreed to forego borrowing and other budget gimmicks to help shore up the state’s sagging revenues, and the budget-slashing proposal was also a vindication for legislators who saw themselves as lone voices in the wilderness, warning for many years that politicians’ appetite for spending would one day come back to haunt them. [...]
Heavily amended ‘birther’ bill gets green light during Senate debate
The Senate advanced a proposal requiring presidential candidates to prove they are natural-born Americans before they can appear on the Arizona ballot — but minus its most controversial provisions.
STO supporters won big, won twice this week
The Republican-led Legislature has approved a measure to increase the amount of tax credits that individuals can claim in exchange for contributions to groups that distribute private school scholarships.
Legislature to revote budget bill after engrossing error discovered
The budget isn’t quite done yet.
Lawmakers are expected to vote again today on one of the budget bills that was originally approved last week after it was discovered they passed a version that included an amendment they never actually adopted.
Senate passes anti-abortion bill
Pro-life lawmakers looking to chip away at groups that help women get abortion services passed a bill Tuesday that essentially wipes away the ability to make tax-deductible contributions to organizations like Planned Parenthood Arizona.
Backers defended the legislation by saying Arizona law already prohibits the use of public funds for abortion. The bill, for them, reinforces this [...]
Efforts underway to revive ‘omnibus’ immigration bill
A senior House Republican is working to revive one of the five immigration bills that the Senate killed last month.
STO supporters hail US Supreme Court ruling as victory for school choice movement
Supporters of Arizona’s tax credits for scholarships to religious schools hailed the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the program as a major victory for the school choice movement.
Luige del Puerto discusses the transplant funding in the current budget
Arizona Capitol Times reporter Luige del Puerto talks about how the current budget, passed by the Legislature and awaiting Gov. Brewer's approval, addresses the issue of transplant funding.
Revised data show recession hit AZ harder than previous estimates
Revised unemployment data indicate that the national recession hit Arizona’s job market far harder than previously believed, and the sputtering job growth continues to dampen reports of positive growth in other sectors of the economy.
Legislature passes budget
After two days of marathon work and intense deliberation, the Republican-led Legislature has approved a budget plan that cuts $1.14 billion and gives the governor broad latitude how to address funding for the state’s Medicaid program.
Bill would expand religious rights on college campuses
Two years after Arizona enacted a policy that sought to prevent discrimination against religious viewpoints in K-12 schools, the state is poised to adopt a similar set of rules for state-supported colleges and universities.
