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Governor asks Democrats for budget support
Gov. Jan Brewer met with House Republican leadership and a revolving door of Democrats in a two-hour meeting this afternoon as she tried to find the votes needed to send a temporary sales-tax increase to the ballot in November.
Sales tax referral fails in Senate Rules
The Senate Rules Committee has voted down a measure that would allow voters to decide whether to increase the state sales tax by 1 cent, while passing all 11 other budget bills.
Budget deal approved in committee, final push set for today, last day of fiscal year
The budget deal reached by legislative leaders and Gov. Jan Brewer took one step closer to getting a full vote by the Senate.
Convicted murderer will get new trial
A West Valley man sentenced to 10 years in prison for murder after a violent confrontation on a northern Arizona hiking trail in 2004 will receive a new trial, according to an Arizona Court of Appeals opinion released June 30.
Burns reassigns all budget bills to Education Committee
The failure of the main budget bill in the Senate Appropriations Committee on June 29 signaled larger problems ahead for the state budget agreement reached last week by legislative leaders and the governor.
Ninth Floor downplays lack of votes for budget
Despite a series of setbacks and holdups that delayed passage of a budget deal on Saturday, June 27, Gov. Jan Brewer’s office downplayed concerns that the hard-fought compromise she reached with legislative leaders was in jeopardy because it did not have enough votes to pass.
House calls off budget vote, tries to regroup
The House on June 27 decided against voting on a budget agreement with the governor because Republican leaders were unable to round up enough votes to pass the package.
Tax hike a tough sell; Dems may enter picture
The budget deal that legislative and Gov. Jan Brewer reached earlier remains a tough sell, as the Senate adjourned on June 27 without advancing the agreement.
Resign-to-run law must be working – nobody seems to break it
Few complaints seem as regular - and fruitless - than those hurled at Arizona elected officeholders alleged to have violated the state's resign-to-run law aimed at keeping officials occupied with the job they have and not the job they want.
Budget detailed, vote expected
The budget deal Republican lawmakers struck with the governor on June 26 includes $630 million in cuts, a dramatic change to a flat income tax system and a provision that will let voters decide this fall if a temporary sales tax increase should be used to bridge future deficits.
Supreme Court case threatens further damage to strained relationship
The tension between Gov. Jan Brewer and the Legislature has been obvious for months while the two branches of government slugged it out over budget cuts and tax hikes. But the governor's decision to sue legislative leaders in the state Supreme Court has some wondering whether their relationship will be able to survive the strain.
Budget cuts for everybody – almost
Although nearly every level of state government is facing a spending cut as the state grapples with a more than $3 billion deficit, those responsible for crafting the budget didn't think the time was right to give themselves a haircut.
