Ruling on Quelland case expected Nov. 10
An administrative law judge is expected to issue a ruling by Nov. 10 on a May decision by the Citizens Clean Elections Commission to order the ouster of District 10 Rep. Doug Quelland.
New laws take effect on everything from microbreweries to animal fighting
More than 160 new laws took effect on Sept. 30, the general effective date for legislation passed during the 2009 regular session. Many of the laws are technical changes to existing law. Others have more far-reaching impacts on the daily lives of Arizona residents.
Special session No. 4 will target schools, DES funding
Republican legislative leaders have reached a deal with Gov. Jan Brewer to erase a portion of the estimated $2 billion budget deficit in a special session later this month, including about $300 million in spending cuts. The plan, if carried out, would eliminate a fraction of the overall deficit, and a $1.4 billion shortfall would remain.
The Pulse: Put some jelly on that toast
We've all heard it: Jan Brewer is toast. She can't get along with Republican lawmakers. She hasn't solved the budget deficit. She's despised by her own party - and by Democrats, too, her critics charge.
Registrar of Contractors among agencies looking for budget fix
When the Legislature meets in a special session later this month, one of the agencies whose budget problems they will attempt to fix is the Registrar of Contractors. Tyler Palmer, legislative liaison for the Registrar of Contractors, said the agency lost about $390,000 in funding for operating costs when Gov. Jan Brewer vetoed a budget bill in September.
Brewer’s in, but she may lack critical support from GOP
For months, the big question at the Capitol was whether Gov. Jan Brewer would run in 2010. Now that she has announced she will, the big question is how much support she’ll find among a fractured Republican establishment.
SRP loses again in Prescott water ranch case
A Maricopa County judge has rejected an argument by one of the state's largest utilities that could have fundamentally changed water law in the state, saying the law's intentions are clear even though the law itself might be imperfect.
Nearly two years later, Centennial Scholars proposal going nowhere
In her 2008 State of the State Address, Gov. Janet Napolitano proposed providing, despite the state's growing economic challenges, free college tuition to Arizona high school students who get good grades, perform community service and stay out of trouble.
Groups hopeful about appeal of employer sanctions
Groups trying to overturn an Arizona law that prohibits employers from knowingly hiring illegal immigrants are encouraged that the U.S. Supreme Court has expressed an interest in their appeal. The court normally agrees to take on only a small number of appeals, and it hasn't yet decided whether it will hear the business and civil rights groups' appeal of the law. But the justices on Nov. 2 aske[...]
Department of Revenue puts layoff plan on hold
Gambling that Arizona lawmakers will approve its funding in time, the state tax collection agency is shelving plans to lay off more than half its staff early this month. After Gov. Jan Brewer's vetoed some of the Department of Revenue's funding in September to kill an unrelated provision of the same bill, Director Gale Garriott said the department would probably have to lay off 450 of its 710 w[...]
Budget fix pitched to GOP lawmakers
The budget fix being shopped to Republican lawmakers would erase a little more than a quarter of the estimated $2 billion deficit and include about $300 million in permanent spending cuts. House Majority Whip Andy Tobin said the deal Republican leaders have reached with Republican Gov. Jan Brewer would include $140 million in cuts to K-12 education and $140 million in cuts to ADES.
Telemedicine institute trains doctors, helps patients in remote areas
To Dr. Ronald S. Weinstein, a doctor's eyes and ears are as important as instruments or tests. A patient's tone and body language can say as much as his or her words, he said, and eye contact and seeing that a doctor is paying attention establishes trust for the patient. But that doesn't necessarily mean that doctor and patient have to be in the same place, said Weinstein, director of the Un[...]