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United front leads to budget compromise and short session
When Gov. Doug Ducey unveiled his first state budget proposal to the public in January, House Speaker David Gowan, Senate President Andy Biggs and their chambers’ budget committee chairmen stood at the new governor’s flanks, nodding and smiling for the cameras.
Lawmakers renew effort to ban Planned Parenthood funding
Nearly two years after being rebuffed by the U.S. Supreme Court, Republican legislators are making a new bid to “defund” Planned Parenthood.
Senate Republicans urge schools chief, ed board to settle
Republican leaders of the Arizona Senate are urging state schools chief Diane Douglas and the Arizona Board of Education to end their dispute over board investigators' access to teacher records.
Biggs succeeds in getting audit of First Things First
Rebuffed in his efforts to sweep dollars from First Things First as a part of K-12 funding plans, Senate President Andy Biggs will still get an audit of the early... […]
House approves $3.5B education package
The Arizona House of Representatives worked late into the night Thursday to approve a $3.5 billion education finance package aimed at settling a long-running lawsuit over education funding.
Senators told to be ready for special session work Wednesday
Senate President Andy Biggs has told members to be prepared for a special legislative session to start in just a day.
Biggs calls for First Things First audit after agency opposes sweep
Just one day after the First Things First board formally opposed legislative leadership’s plan to sweep some of its funding for K-12 education, Senate President Andy Biggs called for an audit of the early childhood development and health program.
Legislative leaders have a plan to get rid of school inflation funding
Republican legislative leaders want to repeal a voter-approved law requiring that lawmakers annually adjust K-12 education funding to account for inflation, arguing that keeping up with the inflation increases year after year is unsustainable.
Senate GOP: Texts related to govt. business not public records
Arizona Senate Republicans refuse to turn over text messages between President Andy Biggs and other leaders regarding government business because the caucus does not consider the records public.
No agreement on how to make a session special
Several sources say that a special session for education funding is likely to occur by the end of the calendar year, and perhaps as soon as next month. What would be debated in that session is less clear, as sources told our reporter that Ducey and Biggs are the driving forces behind that discussion and are still at odds over what lawmakers would consider.
Douglas proposes $400 million for schools from state surplus, rainy day fund
Superintendent of Public Instruction Diane Douglas offered a plan today to pump $400 million a year into schools for teacher pay.
Superior Court judge upholds Brewer’s Medicaid expansion
A Maricopa County Superior Court judge upheld former Gov. Jan Brewer’s 2013 Medicaid expansion plan, ruling that a hospital assessment that funds the program is not subject to a provision in the Arizona Constitution that requires a two-thirds vote in the Legislature for a tax increase.
