The final day of this year’s legislative session fit right in with the 169 that preceded it: Everything seemed to move at a snail’s pace and nothing – including drawing the session to a close – was done with any ...
Read More »Nothing easy this year, as lawmakers sine die
State awaits Brewer’s decision on budget 
Gov. Jan Brewer's office said it would make an announcement on whether the governor would sign or veto the budget bills transmitted to her this morning. If Brewer vetoes the bills it will lead to at least a partial shutdown of state government. The Arizona Department of Administration posted a notice on its Web site at 9:42 a.m. that the governor is reviewing the budget bills, and that all state employees should report to work as scheduled.
Read More »Senate transmits budget to Brewer – hours late 
The Senate transmitted to the governor the 10 budget bills the Legislature had passed in early June, but missed the fiscal deadline by six hours. The Senate sent the bills to the governor’s desk shortly before 6 a.m. July 1, ...
Read More »House passes budget without sales-tax referral 
Republican lawmakers have approved parts of a budget plan negotiated with the governor, but they did not consider a tax-increase component that may be the lynchpin of the deal.
Read More »Flat-tax proposal appears dead for now 
The proposal for a flat individual income-tax rate is not going anywhere, one of its supporters in the Senate said.
Read More »Rules panel approves sales-tax referral 
The Senate Rules Committee finally approved a measure to allow voters to decide whether to increase the state sales tax by 1 cent.
Read More »Governor asks Democrats for budget support 
Gov. Jan Brewer met with House Republican leadership and a revolving door of Democrats in a two-hour meeting this afternoon as she tried to find the votes needed to send a temporary sales-tax increase to the ballot in November.
Read More »Changes discussed in House as budget deadline looms
With a shutdown of all non-essential state services only hours away, Republican leaders are still wondering where they will find support among the rank-and-file for a compromise budget agreement reached last week with the governor. “We’re still a few votes ...
Read More »Sales tax referral fails in Senate Rules 
The Senate Rules Committee has voted down a measure that would allow voters to decide whether to increase the state sales tax by 1 cent, while passing all 11 other budget bills.
Read More »Burns reassigns all budget bills to Education Committee 
The failure of the main budget bill in the Senate Appropriations Committee on June 29 signaled larger problems ahead for the state budget agreement reached last week by legislative leaders and the governor.
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