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Capitol Insiders

Jun 20, 2011

Sen. Gray to MCC: Don’t reverse course on increased tuition for illegal immigrants

A state senator is accusing the Maricopa Community Colleges board of planning to break the law by reconsidering its tuition rates, a move the legislator said would result in undocumented students paying in-state tuition rates.

Jun 20, 2011

Rural GOP legislators torn between ideology and helping jobless constituents

Not all Republicans are celebrating the special session as a victory over federal spending.

For representatives from rural areas, where unemployment is more than 20 percent in some pockets, it can be frustrating to hear their colleagues from urban centers like Phoenix denounce efforts to help the unemployed as unnecessary spending.

Jun 20, 2011

Feds rely on locals to fight wildfires in national forests

When national forests go up in flames, as they are doing across Arizona right now, the U.S. government turns to local firefighters to help contain the blazes.

Jun 20, 2011

Debt reduction is next fiscal hurdle

After policymakers borrowed heavily to keep government afloat amid a festering fiscal crisis that blew holes in the state’s budget for four years, a former Senate president tried to put into place a mechanism to rein in politicians’ appetite for debt-financing.

Jun 20, 2011

Ghosts of Clean Elections: Remaining law could be obstacle to increasing campaign contribution limits

If voters choose to permanently scrap public financing for campaigns in November 2012, proponents of higher campaign contribution limits may find themselves trying to answer a tricky question: How do you further the intent of a law that no longer exists?

They’re hoping they don’t have to find out.

Jun 17, 2011

Arizona lawmaker evacuates home, another hopes he won’t have to

Sen. Gail Griffin, a Republican from Hereford, was forced to evacuate her home this week as the Monument Fire rages through the canyons of Southern Arizona.

Jun 17, 2011

Huppenthal rejects findings of Tucson ethnics studies audit he commissioned

An audit of a controversial ethnic studies curriculum in the state’s largest school district showed the Mexican American Studies program complies with state law, but the state’s schools chief nonetheless declared the program illegal, a move that threatens to cost Tucson Unified School District 10 percent of its state funding.

Jun 17, 2011

Tobin/Brewer tiff expected to heal

In his first real test in his new role, House Speaker Andy Tobin found himself battling Gov. Jan Brewer.

Six weeks after being chosen by his caucus, Tobin and Brewer squared off over an extension of unemployment insurance: Brewer wanted to extend the benefits by 20 weeks and make some limited reforms, while Tobin publicly challenged her to expand the special session to include corporate[...]

Jun 17, 2011

Special session failure highlights struggle within GOP

Like taxes, budget and immigration, the special session that failed to extend unemployment aid to those who have been out of work the longest became another arena in the war to define the soul of the Republican Party.

The program’s most vocal critics and most ardent supporters are, not surprisingly, members of the GOP.

Jun 17, 2011

Relationship strained? Special session fiasco may be sign of things to come

After back-to-back legislative sessions in which Gov. Jan Brewer and GOP lawmakers appeared to put their differences behind them, work as a team and strive for a common agenda, the failed special session on unemployment benefits threatens to poison a relationship that has already seen its share of discord.

Jun 16, 2011

Arizona unemployment rate drops again

For the second consecutive month, Arizona’s unemployment rate has dropped, according to figures released today by the Office of Employment and Population Statistics

Jun 16, 2011

Arizona State president Michael Crow’s contract extended to 2017

Dr. Michael Crow will continue to serve as president of Arizona State University for another six years, the Arizona Board of Regents announced today.

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