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Sooner or later, key bills likely to emerge from legislative limbo
Gov. Jan Brewer's moratorium on signing bills ensured that after the budget is finished and before lawmakers adjourn, a flurry of legislation will head her way.
Many of the proposals stuck in the pipeline can be rolled into the budget, but others are non-budgetary changes in statutes that need only a few final actions, and a vote, to be sent to the governor when she is ready to receive bi[...]
Arpaio recall group fails to gather enough signatures
A campaign to force a recall election against the polarizing sheriff of metropolitan Phoenix failed on Thursday after recall organizers said they couldn't collect enough voter signatures to bring the lawman to the ballot again.
Former senators eying Medicaid referendum that could delay any expansion
Former Sens. Frank Antenori and Ron Gould, GOP rivals of Gov. Jan Brewer who were frequently on the receiving end of her veto stamp, are hoping to return the favor.
If the Legislature approves the Medicaid expansion, the former lawmakers want to put it on the 2014 ballot in the hopes of convincing voters to reject Brewer’s proposal.
Tobin abandons plan to send Medicaid expansion to the ballot
House Speaker Andy Tobin is dropping his proposed resolution to send Medicaid expansion to the voters, and will deal with the issue in the Legislature, one way or another.
House prepares to rip Senate budget apart, rebuild it from scratch
Building a budget that can gain support from the majority of lawmakers in both legislative chambers and get it signed by the governor takes a delicate balance.
Tobin fighting to hold caucus together, keep the budget in GOP handsh
A fight is brewing in the House that Speaker Andy Tobin didn’t ask for, and he’s trying to keep his caucus members from tearing each other apart over Medicaid expansion – and stop the budget from getting hijacked.
Will Medicaid matter in 2014? Potential candidates for governor offer their thoughts
The intraparty battle raging in Republican circles over Gov. Jan Brewer’s Medicaid expansion plan has not yet extended into the race to succeed her.
After losing control of Senate, Biggs looks on as new majority emerges
The Arizona Senate’s passage of a budget plan that includes Medicaid expansion on May 16 was a tremendous victory for Gov. Jan Brewer, as well as the lawmakers who stuck their necks out for the governor — most notably Senate Majority Leader John McComish, who sponsored the amendment that added expansion to the budget plan.
Votes are there for Medicaid expansion, but not without Speaker Tobin
House Speaker Andy Tobin has steadfastly said there aren’t enough votes to pass Medicaid expansion through the House, although he seems to be the only one who still thinks that.
Most lawmakers, even ardent Medicaid expansion opponents, acknowledge there are enough votes to pass Medicaid expansion in the House, and that they have been there for several weeks.
But Tobin said [...]
Brewer follows through on threat, vetoes bills
Gov. Jan Brewer wasn’t kidding around when she told the Legislature to stop sending her bills.
Brophy McGee receives threatening voicemail over Medicaid expansion
The debate over Medicaid expansion has become so contentious that Rep. Kate Brophy McGee received an “abusive, threatening and vulgar” voicemail that scared her so much she is having House security investigate the matter.
Breakaway senator mulls whether to seek another term
A member of the coalition of Senate Republicans who broke away from the majority party and voted for Gov. Jan Brewer’s Medicaid expansion proposal is contemplating whether to run for office in 2014.
Sen. Bob Worsley, R-Mesa, said that while he intends to run at this point, the decision is one he must still mull over in the coming year – and any reservations he has to running have noth[...]
