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

Stimulating Arizona’s economy through the creation of construction jobs in the housing industry is one of the chief priorities of the Home Builders Association of Central Arizona, but an industry insider says fixed costs and layoffs are making recovery quite difficult.

From the state level all the way down to the municipal level, regulations dealing specifically with mold simply don’t exist.

There are no regulations for mold in Arizona, and Gila County, like most counties across the state, lacks policies to guard homeowners against mold contamination. Most cities in Arizona also have no ordinances regarding mold.

When the economy took a nosedive, budgets for mental health care were slashed and the number of individuals feeling stressed rose, fostering the need to fill a gap in services between crisis care and out-patient services.

The Legislature's decision to go after First Things First and its $325 million was inevitable, given the magnitude of the state's financial woes. But the agency also made political missteps that made it a target. Now the agency that is dedicated to providing health care services to children is fighting for its existence. In November, voters will be asked whether to continue the programs or dissolve it and redirect its money to the state's coffers.

A state law nearly doubling the amount of loan originators and brokers who must be licensed and monitored by the state has increased the workload of a staff already struggling to keep up with approving new mortgage-originator licenses, regulating existing businesses and protecting consumers.

The Arizona Mining and Mineral Museum is slated for a complete transformation. Charlie Connell, chairman of a nonprofit group that is dedicated to preserving the museum, says he’s concerned that the role of mining and minerals will be diminished for the next generation of Arizonans.

The candidates hoping to become Arizona’s next mine inspector agree that mining safety for workers and the public needs to be increased. How to accomplish that goal, just like everything else between the candidates, is a matter of debate.

The lion's share of the inside information gained from Bas Aja's 22 sessions lobbying at the Arizona Legislature is contained inside a large file cabinet at the Arizona Cattlemen's Association office. About five years ago, the longtime cattle industry lobbyist knew the time was coming to share the keys to this treasure trove with a younger, future industry leader.

Gov. Jan Brewer signed a bill into law earlier this year to ban an Hispanic studies program in one school district while simultaneously crafting an exemption for culture-based classes for other minority populations.