A struggle that began weeks after the November elections moved into the courtroom on Aug. 6 when Rep. Doug Quelland petitioned an administrative law judge to undo a state agency’s order that could force him from office. Quelland has appealed to the Office of Administrative Hearings in hopes of keeping his seat as a District 10 representative.
Read More »Far from over: Next steps in Quelland saga
House leader calls budget ‘best deal possible’
More than a week after the governor and legislative leaders announced a new budget deal, the state was still without a complete budget and time was running out to call a special election in early November. Things have ground to ...
Read More »Two reasons Sen. Harper flipped on budget 
Two recent developments persuaded a conservative Republican senator to switch his stance from opposition to support for a budget package that has stalled in his chamber for weeks. One was an e-mail from the Americans for Tax Reforms, a national anti-tax group that administers the No New Taxes Pledge.
Read More »GOP sends 3 measures to 2010 ballot
Three proposals to amend the Arizona Constitution will be heading to the 2010 ballot for voter consideration after gaining final approval from Republican lawmakers during a session dominated by the state's financial crisis.
Read More »Judge to hear Quelland’s case this week
The Citizens Clean Elections Commission’s decision to remove Rep. Doug Quelland from office will be contested this week before an administrative law judge. On Aug. 3, attorneys representing the commission and Quelland filed a list of witnesses and exhibits they ...
Read More »Senate GOP picks Pierce to fill in as whip 
Senate Republicans have postponed a vote to permanently replace Senate Majority Whip Pamela Gorman, who resigned her leadership position earlier in the day. But they did choose a temporary replacement: freshman Sen. Steve Pierce.
Read More »Gorman’s resignation e-mail to Burns 
From: Pamela Gorman [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Tuesday, August 04, 2009 10:18 AM To: Robert Burns Cc: .SREPMEMS Subject: Dear President Burns, I’m writing today to tender my resignation as Senate Majority Whip. I believe our ideological and philosophical differences on important ...
Read More »Gorman resigns as whip 
Sen. Pamela Gorman has resigned her position as majority whip. "I believe our ideological and philosophical differences on important issues like taxes and spending make it necessary for me to resign my position," Gorman wrote in a letter to Senate President Bob Burns that was first obtained by the Yellow Sheet Report.
Read More »Brewer’s bill signings overshadowed by tax plan? 
Considering the internecine warfare that has been the hallmark of Jan Brewer’s tenure as governor, some Republicans may have been tempted to forget why they were so happy when Janet Napolitano left. But one look at the scores of conservative bills Brewer signed may be enough to jog their memories.
Read More »10 new laws that got lost in the shuffle
The 2009 legislative session started out slowly in terms of bill advancement, but it ended in a flurry that left even some lawmakers wondering what all they had voted on. When the Legislature adjourned sine die on July 1, lawmakers had sponsored 1,133 bills during the 2009 regular session. A total of 213 made the cut and were passed by the Legislature. And 191 bills were signed into law.
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