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

A Senate panel has approved legislation to adopt a British tradition of having the head of government take questions from lawmakers on a regular basis.

A bill that would link passage of third grade to a student’s performance on the AIMS test has been approved by the House Education Committee.

Sen. Jonathan Paton said today will be his last in the Arizona Senate. "It has been a privilege serving with you," Paton said.

The math isn't adding up for Arizona's payday loan industry. The industry that provides small short-term loans is fighting in the Legislature to keep itself alive beyond a June 30 termination date that was included in the authorization law enacted 10 years ago.

They come from various age groups, religions and ethnic backgrounds. Some are wealthy, while others are struggling college students. But they are united by one belief: The state is moving in the wrong direction - and they've decided to do something about it by running for office.

Members of legislative budget committees on Feb. 18 saw how a secretive budget proposal that has been circulated around the Capitol in recent weeks stacks up to the budget plan offered by Gov. Jan Brewer, but much of the discussion focused on who drafted the authorless spending plan.

The Senate has approved a bill that would ban the sale of animals along roadways and in public parks across the state.

The Arizona Sports and Tourism Authority may face a special audit to uncover how much Major League Baseball teams have spent on new spring training stadiums in recent years and whether the authority will be able to pay off its debt.

Ed Bunch is one of the few completely unencumbered Arizona senators. He hasn't been at the Capitol long enough to feel the full weight of special interest groups bearing down on him. He made it clear that he would step down from the District 7 seat after filling in the rest of Jim Waring's term.

A precedent established by the U.S. Supreme Court in the 1980s does not bode well for Clean Elections supporters who are hoping to keep matching funds in place until after this year's elections.