The Solyndra collapse and its subsequent Washington investigation have re-ignited the national debate over whether the solar industry should be subsidized by the government, and some state legislators are calling for a re-examination of Arizona’s own solar incentives.

Three current or former Arizona lawmakers, a former presidential adviser and a business executive are among the candidates in Tuesday's primary election for state treasurer.

State treasurer isn’t the political plum that other executive offices have been for ambitious politicians, but some of this year’s candidates are raising and spending money like the office is the first step toward the Ninth Floor, Congress and beyond.

No legislation is ever dead - not while lawmakers are in session. The dictum proved true on March 4, when a Republican senator from Tucson managed to revive a bill that would ban texting while driving.

Another attempt to ban texting while driving faltered during a Senate debate on March 2. Senators were split on the issue - literally.

For the second year in a row, the Arizona Senate on March 2 shot down an attempt to ban texting while driving amid concerns about imposing too much government regulation.

From gutting Clean Elections to creating a lieutenant governor, Arizona senators made a big push March 1 to complete work on bills that had yet to be transmitted to the House.

Here’s the simple mathematics of representative government: Arizona taxpayers pay for lawmakers to show up and vote on every bill in the Legislature. Now here’s the flaw in that equation: Lawmakers get paid whether they show up or not. Unfortunately, many Arizona residents were underrepresented at the Capitol during last year’s regular legislative session.

The Citizens Clean Elections Commission has renewed a $6,500-per-month contract with lobbyist Mike Williams, setting up another battle over the fate of the public campaign-funding system. Todd Lang, director of the Clean Elections Commission, said hiring a lobbyist was necessary to protect a system he credits with increasing political participation of the public and encouraging people to run for office.

A joint legislative panel approved a recommendation on Nov. 9 to extend the Department of Health Services, which was the subject of a sunset review, for another decade. That was the easy part.