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Day 1: Tracking the fifth special session
The Legislature has begun the fifth special session of the year. Check back for up-to-the-minute updates on the action in the House and Senate.
AG opinion says SRP must comply with public records law
Salt River Project has filed documents in Maricopa County Superior Court arguing that it is exempt from the state's public record laws because it is not technically a public body. SRP is one of the largest utility companies in the state and is considered a quasi-governmental agency because it operates as both a private, for-profit company and a political subdivision of the state.
Brewer urges lawmakers to action amid special session doubts
As lawmakers expressed doubt as to what, if anything, would be accomplished in an upcoming special session, Gov. Jan Brewer urged the Legislature to do its duty and balance the deficit-wracked budget.
Sale of state prisons running into wall of opposition
When lawmakers chose April Fool’s Day as the deadline to submit a plan to privatize the state’s prison system, they unwittingly telegraphed just how dubious the plan was. First, the whole idea of putting state prisons under private control was a difficult sell to the public. Then there was a question about how many of the state’s 10 prisons to auction off.
Legislators want a little bit more on their plates
The Arizona Legislature has had its share of the trivial to pursue. Take the 1985 effort to pre-test legislative candidates on reading and IQ, which would have then posted the results on the ballot. Or how about the bill that would have required candidates for the Legislature to take a drug test? But if Arizona legislators love anything, it's license plates.
2 Dems eyeing run at GOP incumbent for secretary of state
Arizona Secretary of State Ken Bennett now wants to stay right where he is, rather than try to move two floors up in the Executive Tower. Bennett, appointed to his position in January, was considering a run for governor, but now that Gov. Jan Brewer is seeking a full term, Bennett said he is no longer eyeing the Ninth Floor and is looking to keep his job on the seventh.
Burns reassigns Tibshraeny, Melvin, Allen and Waring
The dissolution of a committee chaired by Sen. Ron Gould, a Lake Havasu Republican, was one of several changes that Senate President Bob Burns made on Dec. 10.
Popular eatery for political power brokers celebrates 80 years
In 1993, a handful of notable politicians gathered in the backroom of a small diner in downtown Phoenix to hammer out a deal that would allow Native American tribes to operate casinos on their land in Arizona. The politicians at the table included state Attorney General Grant Woods, Gov. Fife Symington and U.S. Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt.
Stuck in budget limbo, lawmakers are pre-filing fewer bills
Lawmakers have pre-filed fewer bills for the upcoming session than at the same time two years ago, a potential sign that fewer bills will be filed overall. That's not necessarily a surprise given the staggering state budget deficit lawmakers will face when they head back to the Capitol in January.
The Pulse: Brewer takes tree talk to religious crowd
Gov. Jan Brewer bragged on her Facebook page last week of introducing mega-minister Joel Osteen (or "Olsteen" as she wrote numerous times) Friday in front of a crowd of 15,000 at Jobing.com Arena in her hometown of Glendale.
Harper looks to protect teachers against punitive-damage awards
State lawmakers are setting their sights on tort reform measures aimed at protecting educators and capping civil litigation awards arising from cases of death and injury. The two referendums, SCR 1001 and SCR 1003, have been introduced by Surprise Republican Sen. Jack Harper, who said he is seeking to guard educators, businesses and public entities from overzealous litigation.
Treasurer’s race hinges on incumbent
Much of the uncertainty surrounding the race to become the next state treasurer hinges on whether Dean Martin will challenge Gov. Jan Brewer for her office or continue serving as the fourth-ranking state executive. Even if Martin has decided to run against Brewer, he can't announce it anyway. If he does before January, he would have to resign as treasurer.
