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Legislature planning to adjourn sine die on Thursday
Republican leaders are planning to end the legislative session by April 29, but it's not clear whether that will leave enough time to pass some GOP priority measures, including H2250, the "jobs bill" sponsored by House Speaker Kirk Adams.
Lofty goal of transparency falls short
Kirk Adams may have set the bar impossibly high. As part of his bid to become speaker in late 2008, he distributed a well-polished 16-page book that laid out exactly what he would do if elected by his Republican colleagues to lead the House of Representatives.
Legislators want a little bit more on their plates
The Arizona Legislature has had its share of the trivial to pursue. Take the 1985 effort to pre-test legislative candidates on reading and IQ, which would have then posted the results on the ballot. Or how about the bill that would have required candidates for the Legislature to take a drug test? But if Arizona legislators love anything, it's license plates.
Stuck in budget limbo, lawmakers are pre-filing fewer bills
Lawmakers have pre-filed fewer bills for the upcoming session than at the same time two years ago, a potential sign that fewer bills will be filed overall. That's not necessarily a surprise given the staggering state budget deficit lawmakers will face when they head back to the Capitol in January.
Arizona’s leading ladies
Michael Kurtenbach recalls Janet Napolitano's election over Matt Salmon for governor in 2002. He remembers seeing her inauguration speech on TV when he was 13 and seeing her leave for Washington D.C. earlier this year. However, one thing the 18-year-old political science major at Arizona State University doesn't remember, is a man serving as Arizona's governor.
Poll shows voters favor Brewer’s budget over lawmakers’
A poll released to the public June 23 shows most likely voters support Gov. Jan Brewer and her budget plans, including a proposal to temporarily raise the sales tax by... […]
AZ high court weighs ‘legislative prerogative,’ state shutdown
A crucial element of the tense budget showdown between Governor Jan Brewer and the Legislature’s Republican leadership was argued in front of the Arizona Supreme Court this morning, but right... […]
Senate acts on scores of bills, shoots down texting ban
Bills to ban texting while driving, smoking in a car with a minor fail The Arizona Senate has rejected legislation that aimed to ban texting while driving on all state roadways. Senators also have voted down a measure that would have prohibited smoking in a car if a minor is in the vehicle.
Brewer: Budget bills issue not a political question
Seeking to rebut claims that the Legislature’s refusal to send her its budget bills is strictly a political question, Gov. Jan Brewer argued in her reply to the Arizona Supreme... […]
Lawmakers accuse governor of encroachment
The Legislature on June 19 filed its response to Gov. Jan Brewer’s lawsuit in the Arizona Supreme Court, countering the governor’s claim that lawmakers are usurping her authority and accusing her of doing the same.
Privatization proposal for maximum security prisons raises concerns
Arizona is no stranger to prison privatization, but the stakes are higher now that lawmakers have proposed turning over maximum security facilities, including the state’s death row, to private prison companies.
Scaled-back party to mark Arizona’s 100 years
With a lack of cash, the party marking Arizona's birth in two-and-a-half years is expected to be a scaled back, privately financed celebration. The slumping economy and Arizona's tight budget has led to a somewhat muted centennial celebration.
