Democratic lawmakers pushing for abortion rights
Democratic lawmakers have introduced a resolution intended to expose “hypocrisy” of small-government advocates who support laws limiting access to abortion.
Burges sworn in as newest senator
Won over by her legislative experience, Maricopa County’s supervisors today picked Rep. Judy Burges to replace former Sen. Scott Bundgaard.
Burges, who has been a lawmaker since 2005, became the Senate’s newest member later in the afternoon, when she took her oath of office and was promptly escorted to her new seat.
Republicans want IRC to explain ‘overspending’
The Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission’s legal battle with Republican lawmakers wasn’t cheap, and the embattled panel will soon have to ask those same lawmakers for extra money to foot the bill.
No relief for hospitals in Brewer’s budget
With an uptick in state revenues, Gov. Jan Brewer is proposing to alleviate some of the pain the state’s Medicaid providers have been experiencing.
The governor wants to give a 3 percent rate increase to state health care providers, including physicians, behavioral health professionals and nursing facilities.
But one group that is among the worst hit by years of incessant b[...]
Brewer open to reducing capital gains taxes – with caveats
With the budget stabilizing and the economy needing another boost, some lawmakers have set their eyes on drastic tax reductions, including proposals to lower or eliminate the capital gains tax.
Influential tax policy group seeks limit in growth of property values
An influential tax policy group will seek to put a measure on the ballot to limit growth in property values.
The Arizona Tax Research Association wants taxable property values to grow by no more than 5 percent each year.
‘Puppet’ Cortes, shadowy campaign helpers unlikely to face punishment
Recall candidate Olivia Cortes’ campaign may have been contrived, phony, aided by illegal means and designed to fool the public, but that doesn’t mean that she or the perpetrators of the backfired plot to help former Senate President Russell Pearce will face any punishment.
State unveiling system for online petition gathering
Arizona is preparing to launch a new signature-gathering system that will fundamentally change the way political candidates go about qualifying for the 2012 ballot.
Beginning Feb. 1, voters will be able go online to sign nominating petitions for candidates who want to run for statewide office and the Legislature.
Commerce Authority lawyers exploring whether Cardon should pay back $50K
Attorneys for the Arizona Commerce Authority are poring over outgoing CEO Don Cardon’s contract to see whether the agency can recoup a $50,000 signing bonus he received, and will likely put safeguards into his successor’s contract to make sure it won’t be a question next time.
ASU president to lawmakers: Don’t micro-manage universities
Arizona State University President Michael Crow warned a legislative committee today that the Legislature’s micromanagement of the state’s universities is affecting their bottom line, stifling innovation and is unsustainable.
Dems call for bipartisan cooperation, funding restoration, business tax reform
Democratic lawmakers today outlined their goals for the 2012 legislative session, stressing a need for bipartisan cooperation, while also ripping Republican-led legislation of recent years.
Ron Paul to headline state GOP meeting
At least one presidential candidate will be on hand for the Arizona Republican Party’s straw poll.
Libertarian-leaning, GOP orthodoxy-bashing U.S. Rep. Ron Paul will be a guest speaker at the state party’s meeting on Jan. 28, where he’ll look for a straw poll win in anticipation of Arizona’s presidential preference primary in late February.