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With floodgates opened, Senate begins hearing regular bills
The Senate began hearing scores of bills June 8 following Senate President Burns' decision to shift strategy and open the floodgates for regular measures.
Burns, Adams meet with Brewer; second batch of budget bills possible
Gov. Jan Brewer met with Republican legislative leaders on June 8 to discuss a package of budget bills approved last week, but lawmakers are unlikely to send the bills to her in the near future due to fears that she would veto them.
Next stop for budget: Negotiating Brewer’s five-point plan
Senate President Bob Burns has lit a path toward compromise with Gov. Jan Brewer on a final budget for fiscal 2010. On June 4, Burns said he wants to discuss ways in which Brewer can advance her five-point economic plan, which includes a $1 billion tax increase.
Capitol Quotes 6/5
“So to say I was shocked and dismayed would be an understatement, but I would liken it to being released from prison only to walk across the street and get... […]
Getting 16 Senate votes for the budget wasn’t easy
There were a lot of behind-the-scenes maneuvers and drama leading to the Senate’s budget vote on June 4. Senate President Bob Burns and House Speaker Kirk Adams met with Sen. John Nelson, a Republican from Glendale, in Burns’ office to try to get his buy-in.
Burns refers 250 bills to committees, more coming
Senate President Bob Burns changed strategy on June 4 by referring 250 bills to committees in one swoop and saying he plans to refer more in the coming days.
Senate to push ahead with budget, setting up battle with Brewer
The Senate plans to bring its budget packet to the floor today without changes to accommodate Gov. Jan Brewer's recently-released budget proposal. Senate President Bob Burns' decision to move forward may set up a showdown between the competing plans of the executive branch and the GOP-led Legislature.
Burns tells colleagues to pass fiscal 2010 budget — now
The Senate’s top Republican is pushing to pass a budget proposal for fiscal 2010 in the next few days — even without the buy-in of the House or the Governor’s Office. Senate President Bob Burns told members of his caucus that now is the time to vote on the budget.
Top GOP lawmakers forming campaign committees separate from state party
Top Republican leaders in the House and Senate have created independent campaign committees aimed at electing Republican lawmakers and raising money outside the state Republican Party structure.
Senate president shifts strategy; budget bills on tap
Privatizing prisons and transferring a portion of vehicle taxes to the general fund are two of the options a Senate panel will consider today as part of several measures intended to close a $3-billion budget gap.
With $650-million budget hole fixed, lawmakers tackle the Big One
Now that the fiscal 2009 budget gap has been readjusted — hopefully for the last time — leaders will hunker down and try once more to hammer out a deal on the fiscal 2010 budget. “We got a lot to do on (fiscal 2010) yet,” Senate President Bob Burns said May 13, the day the Legislature fixed a $650-million hole in the fiscal 2009 budget.
Budget gets House panel OK, but it’s just a start
A legislative panel may have spent the better part of seven hours debating, amending and approving a package of budget bills, but that doesn't mean action on a plan to solve a roughly $3 billion deficit is imminent. Rather, many lawmakers say the significance of the committee's work is that it sets the stage for progress to be made.
