As Gov. Doug Ducey prepares to unveil his first executive budget proposal, he and Republican legislative leaders stood together to show a united front as they tackle Arizona’s fiscal crisis.

The state’s top Senate Republican on Friday accused Democrats of hampering the state’s recovery by complaining about the state’s public education system.

Republican Doug Ducey becomes Arizona's 23rd governor today, ascending to the ninth floor of the state Capitol's executive tower amid the challenge of overcoming a budget shortfall while enacting an agenda that won him voter approval.

Gov. Jan Brewer fought President Barack Obama on immigration and border security for most of her tenure, earning national prominence by enacting tough laws that were mainly struck down by the courts and famously wagging her finger in the president's face during a meeting on an airport tarmac.

Ohio Gov. John Kasich met with Arizona lawmakers Wednesday morning, urging them to pass a resolution calling for a balanced federal budget.

With hardly time to pause, policymakers lunged from one budget solution to another at the height of the recent fiscal crisis, spawning a chaotic period of accounting gimmicks, borrowing and budget slashing.

The Republic’s Joanna Allhands suggested in her column today that Biggs is willing to talk tax increases. Allhands said Biggs told the paper’s editorial board yesterday that policymakers must have a deep and transparent discussion about what government does and how its operations are funded.

House and Senate leadership announced committee assignments Wednesday afternoon, setting the stage for the 2015 Legislative Session.

Lawmakers get a fresh start in budget negotiations come January, when the next legislative session kicks off with new blood in two of three key leadership posts at the Capitol.

Arizona House Republicans who won their elections met this afternoon to select a new leadership team, and chose Republican Rep. David Gowan of Sierra Vista for speaker of the House.