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

The Senate sent a committee to the House to signal it was ready to end the special session sine die on Feb. 10, without taking action on a House-amended version of the remaining special session budget bill, S1002.

The fate of a bill that would delay payments to schools and universities as a deficit-closing gimmick is in question after the House of Representatives amended the measure, linking its enactment to a jobs creation and business tax cut bill that is stalled in the Senate.

A House panel overwhelmingly rejected changing to how student counts are determined for public school funding, saying daily attendance averages wouldn't properly reflect how many students are enrolled in school.

Legislation aimed at giving county sheriffs and other county officers full control over their budgets failed to get the nod of a Senate panel on Feb. 10.

A former U.S. Army Green Beret serving in the Arizona Legislature is itching for a fight with the federal government over national regulations he says infringes on the rights and liberties of states and citizens.

The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors has appointed a Scottsdale man to the Arizona Senate.

Requiring local governments to post records of all financial transactions online would make officials better stewards of the public's money, a state lawmaker contends.

Voters approved a constitutional amendment in 2004 to require a dedicated funding stream for voter-approved programs. Now lawmakers want the same requirement at the municipal level.

The House today narrowly approved a bill that would close about half of the current year's budget deficit through borrowing.

Sen. Richard Miranda, a Democrat from Tolleson, will run for the House this year. Miranda cannot seek re-election to the 30-person chamber because he has reached his term limit.