Former Secretary of State Ken Bennett is challenging Gov. Doug Ducey in the Republican primary for governor, setting off a surprising intraparty fight over control of the state government.

The state’s water department got additional funds to help stave off cuts to Arizona’s water supply from the Colorado River and hire more people in next year’s budget.

The Arizona House approved the most contentious part of a $9.8 billion state budget package this evening, clearing the way for approval of the package in that chamber.

Last year, lawmakers approved a state budget in record-breaking time and adjourned the shortest legislative session since 1968. But this year, the process is going much slower.

The budget proposed by GOP leadership in the House and Senate dips into a massive budget surplus to make hundreds of millions of dollars in one-time expenses and millions in tax cuts, but makes few commitments to ongoing spending.

House Speaker Pro Tem Bob Robson and Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Don Shooter confirmed that a tentative deal was reached on Saturday and a budget should be introduced and approved this week.

The bleeding is over and spending is inching back up under Gov. Doug Ducey’s proposed budget plan, but those who took steep budget cuts last year shouldn’t expect to get much of it back.

Advocates for more funding for social programs today panned Republicans for their priorities in the recently-enacted state budget.

Republican leaders quickly consolidated support behind an $8.6 billion budget plan and gave it final approval today, less than a week after finally reaching a deal with Gov. Jan Brewer.

The spending plan is a product of a session-long negotiation between Brewer and legislative leaders, and the give-and-take between the two sides is palpable throughout the budget document.

Lawmakers and the governor plan to set aside $450 million to offset anticipated deficits in the state budget in two years.

That’s money that won’t be available for critical needs now, but depositing it in the state’s “rainy day” fund reaffirms a fiscally conservative outlook that has dominated the Capitol following the fiscal crisis that led to several years of incessant budget slashing.