A last-minute effort on June 23 failed to revive legislation to ban texting while driving. Senators had rejected the measure the day before. It was two votes short of passing the full Senate. Sen. Richard Miranda, a Democrat from Tolleson ...

Bills to ban texting while driving, smoking in a car with a minor fail The Arizona Senate has rejected legislation that aimed to ban texting while driving on all state roadways. Senators also have voted down a measure that would have prohibited smoking in a car if a minor is in the vehicle.

On an issue that Democrats have so far failed to advance, a Republican lawmaker is succeeding — proof that party affiliation is often what gets things moving in the Arizona Legislature.

The Senate Appropriations Committee voted June 9 to advance two proposals aimed at allowing residents to review exactly how local governments spend their tax dollars.

With several of its members pushing for legislation that would eliminate so-called “sanctuary city” policies in Arizona, the Senate Appropriations Committee heard hours of testimony on why some of the state’s most prominent law enforcement officials believe such policies are contributing to an epidemic of crime.

The use of federal stimulus dollars to help balance the budget may help keep Arizona's public schools afloat through the end of the fiscal year, but Gov. Jan Brewer believes it underscores the need for the controversial tax hike she is proposing.