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

The complex formula that provides Arizona cities with a portion of the state’s tax revenues is nominally protected by a provision in the state Constitution requiring a two-thirds vote for the Legislature to tamper with it.

The Governor’s Office and the Legislature’s budget research arm widely differ in their revenue and expenditure assumptions, a point of contention both sides will have to reconcile before a final spending plan is adopted.

Gov. Doug Ducey’s second year will get off to a better start than his first. Rather than coming in with a gaping hole in the budget, Arizona has a little extra money to spend.

The bleeding is over and spending is inching back up under Gov. Doug Ducey’s proposed budget plan, but those who took steep budget cuts last year shouldn’t expect to get much of it back.

The state’s water department will get to hire more workers to help with the myriad water issues facing the state.

After a year, even the best of couples tend to settle into a routine once the honeymoon period comes to an end. Few at the Capitol, however, are expecting Gov. Doug Ducey and the Republican-controlled Legislature to lose the magic they had last year.

The governor took seven pot shots at Arizona’s most populous neighbor in his annual State of the State address. In contrast, Ducey’s speech included just one small mention of California last year.

The mayor of Flagstaff said Monday it would be wrong to penalize his city -- or any other -- if it decides to enact its own "living wage'' requirements.

Gov. Doug Ducey used his State of the State address to tout Arizona as a state that’s “on the rise,” and he vowed to keep the state on that trajectory with lower taxes, reduced regulations and improve education.

Gov. Doug Ducey reached outside the judiciary this morning to tap a lawyer known for his limited government views to serve on the Arizona Supreme Court.