Arizona Capitol Times Your Inside Source for Arizona Government, Politics and Business

Young children and other specific populations will be identified as top priorities when Arizona starts distributing swine flu vaccine next month. But the state's health director said Sept. 15 it will be up to physicians and other front-line providers to make choices on who gets the shots and sprays first.

A new booklet summing up Arizona's off-highway vehicle laws and offering tips for responsible riding is an important step in preserving the sport here, a state lawmaker says.

A federal appeals court ruled Sept. 14 that a proposed land exchange between the federal Bureau of Land Management and copper miner Asarco LLC violates environmental laws. The ruling in the lawsuit filed by three environmental groups in 2001 overturns a lower court decision backing the exchange long sought by Asarco.

Three out of four Arizona toddlers are getting a recommended series of vaccinations, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Lawsuits were filed on Sept. 14 at state and federal levels against Arizona to block the enforcement of a new state law that would require women seeking abortions to make two separate trips to a physician's office before obtaining the procedure.

The U.S. Department of Energy announced Sept. 14 that more than $9 million for energy efficiency and conservation projects is headed to Arizona. The money comes from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and is part of a plan that will send more than $354 million to 22 states for "green" energy projects.

For the time being, the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors can continue to hire attorneys outside the County Attorney's Office to handle the board's legal issues.

Some state employees might have to look for new jobs before Feb. 1, when a budget amendment requiring a 5 percent reduction in state employees must be carried out.

Caught in what could be described as a perfect storm, the Arizona arts community is struggling to stay afloat. Hit by reductions in public funding, cutbacks by corporate donors and a skittish audience that is staying home, arts advocates nevertheless are following that long-standing tradition - the show must go on.

Lawmakers may shift the responsibility for education funding to local property owners as a way of coping with staggering budget deficits in the near future, even though it would translate to higher property taxes.