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Senate approves bill to arm teachers and administrators
The Arizona Senate approved a bill Monday that could arm teachers and administrators in rural schools.
The bill passed the Senate on a 17-11 party line vote, and now moves to the House. If approved by both chambers, the measure would allow certain school employees to carry concealed firearms in schools with fewer than 600 students that are more than 30 minutes and 20 miles from the nearest[...]
Latino groups condemn 2 early-voting bills; plan legal action to stop them
Faith Mendoza is a 17-year-old honor student from Chandler who spent hundreds of hours through the 2012 election walking the streets, registering voters and then picking up early ballots from people who otherwise might not have voted.
By most accounts, she is a model citizen. But if SB1003 passes through the Legislature in its present form and is signed by the governor, continuing her volun[...]
Senate moves to arm Arizona school employees
A bill to allow school employees to carry guns in schools received the preliminary approval of the state Senate today, while another Republican gun measure appears to lack the votes to clear the chamber.
Brewer expresses confidence in Medicaid plan, but lawmakers push back
Gov. Jan Brewer unveiled the details of her Medicaid expansion plan this afternoon, beginning in earnest the effort to push the controversial proposal through the Legislature.
Union foes prepare to take fight to ballot
Unable to get any traction at the state Capitol, union foes are preparing to bring the fight to the 2014 ballot and let Arizonans decide whether automatic paycheck deductions should be banned.
A group called Protect Employee Paychecks recently filed an initiative with the Secretary of State. Unlike the proposals that are stuck in the Legislature, the initiative would affect both public and [...]
Brewer warns activists: Back AHCCCS expansion or lose races
Facing a grassroots Republican backlash over her proposal to expand AHCCCS to fully comply with Obamacare and collect billions of dollars from the federal government, Gov. Jan Brewer is taking her case directly to party activists and issuing a stern warning: Back my plan or prepare for Democrats to win Arizona races in 2014.
Brewer pitches compromise in sales tax simplification plan
The outlines of a potential compromise between municipalities and supporters of a bill that seeks to simplify the state’s sales tax system emerged this month, a few days after the governor’s office pitched the idea to mayors.
Bill allowing struggling schools to implement 200-day school year passes House
Arguing that struggling schools and students need more class time and less summer vacation, state representatives approved a bill to allow such schools to increase their calendar year to 200 days, and pull in some extra state money in the process.
Senate panel approves bill to make petition drives more efficient
An Arizona Senate panel cleared legislation that would require political organizations to better organize signatures they collect and reward those that conduct background checks of their own paid circulators.
Senate passes bills to change recall, initiative laws
Two more election-reform bills cleared the Arizona Senate Monday afternoon as Democrats ramp up their efforts to convince the U.S. Department of Justice that a series of election bills would harm minority voters participation.
Brewer faces tough decisions on how to expand Medicaid
More than six weeks after Gov. Jan Brewer surprised fellow Republicans by announcing her plan to push for Medicaid expansion, the proposal has yet to be formally introduced in the Legislature.
Governor’s Office: If no Medicaid expansion, what’s your plan?
Gov. Jan Brewer’s Medicaid expansion plan has no shortage of critics, but for those opponents, the Ninth Floor wants to know the answer to one question — what’s the alternative?
