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

Instead, Fann, R-Prescott, emerged from her office shortly before 6 p.m. Saturday to end the day and apologize to a group of red-shirted teachers, many of whom had spent their first day of summer vacation watching a mostly-empty Senate floor.

Just a few hours after saying she was “bound and determined” to pass a budget Friday night, Senate President Karen Fann sent senators home for the night without voting on an $11.8 billion spending plan.

Senate President Karen Fann vowed to pass an $11.8 billion spending plan Friday night, or at least Saturday morning, despite missing support from at least two Republican senators whose votes are needed to approve the budget on party lines.

The Republican-controlled Arizona House approved some of the fiscal-year 2020 budget over night.

After Republican leaders boasted that they would introduce a budget Monday and finish it this week, the Arizona Senate adjourned Thursday evening with no budget vote and a warning from Senate President Karen Fann that lawmakers should be prepared to work Saturday and Memorial Day.

Lawmakers plan to introduce last-minute legislation Thursday to vastly increase the daily allowance they’re provided to cover the cost of living while working at the Capitol in Phoenix.

Pro-choice protestors descended on Arizona’s Capitol Tuesday with a warning for lawmakers: Don’t be like Alabama, Georgia and other states where Republicans have backed bills intended to restrict or downright outlaw abortion.

An $11.8 billion spending plan was introduced in the Arizona Legislature late Tuesday afternoon, setting GOP leaders and Gov. Doug Ducey on a collision course with a handful of Republican senators who said they’ll vote no on the budget deal.

Gov. Doug Ducey would get much of what he asked for as part of an $11.8 billion budget deal struck with Republican legislative leaders, including savings of more than a billion dollars.

Today’s the day lawmakers in both the House and the Senate hope to introduce budget proposals, but don’t hold your breath for sine die just yet.