The Arizona Department of Agriculture plans to move its laboratory from the Capitol Mall to a building in Chandler, despite opposition from lawmakers and the industry.

Arizona Board of Regents Chairman Mark Killian’s new job might put him in a tough spot vis-à-vis his new boss, Gov. Doug Ducey

Of the nearly 800 fully automatic M-16s Arizona law enforcement organizations have received under a Department of Defense program that gives away surplus military hardware, 13 have gone to a state agency better known for serving farmers and ranchers and protecting consumers.

Hundreds of people rallied around the Capitol in February urging Gov. Jan Brewer to veto a controversial religious liberties bill, and the crowd broke out in elation when the governor announced she had broken out her veto stamp for the first time this year to knock down the bill.

The Equine Rescue Registry, run by the Arizona Department of Agriculture, was approved by the Legislature in 2009 after lobbying from the Arizona Horse Council and the equine rescue community to set up a public list of state-sanctioned list of rescue organizations.

As Arizona continues to grapple with declining government revenue, the state's farming and ranching communities are warning that the Arizona Department of Agriculture has stretched its dollars to the limit. And the situation could grow worse, as Gov. Jan Brewer in September ordered state agencies to draft plans that predict the immediate effects on departments if their budgets are cut another 15 percent.

Scanning the laptop bolted to a stand in the cab of his pickup, Darrell Hale ran down the list of complaints. Topping it was a call about horses with oozing eye infections. The call was made to Hale's employer, the Arizona Department of Agriculture. He's one of nine livestock officers in the agency's Animal Health and Welfare Program, all reporting to the state veterinarian.