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Senate panel advances spending bills, including $6.86 million for child welfare
The bulk of the funding, $6.86 million, would be used to hire caseworkers and other child welfare aids in an effort to resolve the backlog of 6,554 cases that went uninvestigated by Child Protective Service, a gross oversight that caused Gov. Jan Brewer to abolish the agency at the outset of the 2014 Legislative Session in favor of a new department that reports directly to the Ninth Floor.
McComish won’t seek re-election, will support Dial for Senate seat
The Arizona Senate GOP’s second in command won’t seek re-election this fall. Senate Majority Leader John McComish announced Monday afternoon he’ll leave the state Legislature when his term expires in January 2015.
Supporters renew push for arming Arizona teachers
A bill before Arizona lawmakers this session renews a push to allow teachers to arm themselves in the classroom.
Senate panels OKs sports ticket ban for lawmakers
An Arizona Senate panel has approved a proposal banning lawmakers from accepting free tickets to sporting events, concerts or other entertainment events.
Lawmakers navigate maze of legal questions with proposed election law repeal
Faced with the threat of voters turning out in droves to rebuke them, Republican lawmakers who drafted and approved the election reform law HB2305 are preparing to repeal the controversial measure before the voters have a chance to repeal it themselves in the November election.
Fine-tuning last year’s oversights and unintended consequences
When it comes to cleaning up legislation, there’s always an opportunity next year, which is the case with these bills that were heavily vetted and debated in 2013, but still require some fine-tuning in the 2014 legislative session.
Backyard chickens welcome, roosters booted in Mesa lawmaker’s bill
A bill making it legal to have a chicken in every backyard promises to bring a lot of clucking to the Legislature if the measure gets a hearing.
House committee to consider repeal of election reform law
A House panel is scheduled on Thursday to consider a pre-emptive repeal of last year’s election law changes, HB2305, before it goes up for a referendum vote this November.
Arizona school officials ask Legislature to restore $330 million in state aid
Saying the money was withheld illegally, Arizona schools asked a judge on Tuesday to force the Legislature to restore at least $330 million state aid, what it should have been had the governor and lawmakers not ignored the law in the first place.
Anti-abortion bill would permit unannounced inspections of clinics
A Peoria lawmaker has introduced an anti-abortion bill that would allow health inspectors to examine clinics unannounced. The bill also would make it a crime to circumvent the state’s parental consent law.
Legislature questions Brewer’s budget director
The Arizona Legislature's appropriations committees got their first chance Tuesday to question Gov. Jan Brewer's budget director about details of her proposed $9.36 billion budget, with members raising concerns about a plan to take money from schools to pay for bringing high-speed broadband service.
Dalessandro appointed to state Senate
Green Valley Democrat Andrea Dalessandro was appointed to the Arizona State Senate on Tuesday morning, filling a vacancy left by former lawmaker Linda Lopez.
