State operations chief abruptly resigns
Craig Brown, head of the Arizona Department of Administration, sent in his resignation letter to Gov. Doug Ducey today.
Arizona unemployment rises to 4.5 percent in December
The Department of Administrationai??i??s economic research staff reported that the stateai??i??s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate rose to 4.5 percent in December from 4.3 percent in November.
Agencies make case for new spending, but most requests likely doomed
Gov. Doug Ducey is looking for good policies and savings. But requests for money from the general fund, the state’s all-purpose kitty, are tougher to justify than those that come from other sources, like grants and fees.
$11M sought to fix, replace old, inoperable fire alarms in state buildings, prisons
More than $11 million in the governor’s budget proposal would address fire alarm systems in the state’s buildings and prisons that are getting old, outdated and in various stages of failure.
40 workers fired by ex-DES chief may get jobs back
Forty workers let go by the now-fired head of the Department of Economic Security got an early Christmas gift Friday: They’re going to get their jobs back.
Ducey shutters governor’s energy office
Gov. Doug Ducey has disbanded the Governor’s Office of Energy Policy and transferred its remaining employees.
House construction estimate up to $2 million, but Gowan scales back
The proposed renovations to the Arizona House of Representatives building were estimated at more than $2 million – double what sources had originally said the project would cost, documents released by the Arizona Department of administration show.
Former ADOA director seeks nearly $1.5 million over firing
Former Arizona Department of Administration Director Brian McNeil is threatening a lawsuit over his 2014 firing, alleging that top aides to then-Gov. Jan Brewer illegally released confidential information to falsely portray him in a negative light in order to justify his termination.
Arizona House OKs bill to create lieutenant governor office
The state House passed one of two bills Tuesday to create an office of lieutenant governor by 2023 pending Arizona voters' approval.
Arizona employment rate inches down; construction still struggles
Arizona added 23,300 private sector jobs last month. But many of them may just be temporary. New figures show 10,700 of those jobs were in retail sales. Aruna Murthy, director of economic analysis for the state Department of Administration, said most of these likely are seasonal hires.
Arizona state employees get raises without needed OKs
Arizona state officials gave pay raises to 169 government workers without getting the required approval from the Department of Administration.
Brewer chief of staff Smith going to Ballard Spahr
As Gov. Jan Brewer prepares to leave office, her top aide is making plans for his life after the Brewer administration. Scott Smith, a longtime member of Brewer’s administration who has served as her chief of staff since late 2012, will join law and lobbying firm Ballard Spahr in January.