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Arizona House approves religious tax breaks
A change of heart for three key Arizona Republicans led to the passage of a bill that grants tax breaks to property owners who lease space to churches.
Legislative candidates who supported medicaid expansion awash in money
Republican legislators who are facing a backlash from the conservative right for approving the expansion of Medicaid tapped into a vast network of supporters to easily outraise colleagues and opponents last year.
Wounds from Medicaid battle to haunt 2014 session
A simmering ideological divide among Republicans surged to the surface this year, when Gov. Jan Brewer pushed unexpectedly for the expansion of Medicaid against the wishes of her party.
Brewer headlining fundraiser for pro-expansion Republicans
Gov. Jan Brewer is following through on her promise to help out the Republican lawmakers who stood with her in the fight for Medicaid expansion.
Higher education officials press for more business engagement
University officials today pressed the business community and the state for more engagement in creating a robust college education system, even as they acknowledged that schools are adapting to technology-driven changes in higher education.
Conservative LD leaders reprimand GOP lawmakers for pro-Medicaid votes; competitive LD leaders say it’s counterproductive
Long before lawmakers took a vote on Medicaid expansion, Republican precinct committeemen across the state issued a warning to GOP legislators: If you vote for expansion, we will do everything we can to take you out in the next primary election.
Freshmen stand out on issues ranging from Medicaid to sales tax reform
Doug Cole, a longtime lobbyist and veteran of the Capitol, said freshmen used to simply fall in line with leadership and sit on the back bench to learn during a session or two.
The perils of voting yes to Medicaid expansion
Long before casting their votes for Medicaid expansion and a bipartisan budget proposal, Republican lawmakers who chose to support Gov. Jan Brewer had been issued a warning: Vote yes at your own risk.
Livingston scores a perfect legislative batting average
The award for best legislative batting average for the session — the calculation of bills introduced versus bills signed into law — goes to Rep. David Livingston, a freshman Republican lawmaker from Peoria who has been vocally critical of the governor.
Rally kicks off Medicaid referendum drive
The push to refer Gov. Jan Brewer’s Medicaid expansion plan to the ballot began in earnest as opponents of the bill rallied at the Capitol before fanning out across the Valley to collect signatures.
Brewer gets her way
House and Senate approve Medicaid expansion, ending months of debate
After a bitter and prolonged debate that ripped apart Republican majorities in the House and Senate, Arizona lawmakers approved Gov. Jan Brewer’s Medicaid expansion proposal and sent it to her for her signature.
Predicting Brewer vetoes is difficult; reasons vary
Figuring out how to avoid Gov. Jan Brewer’s veto pen is a guessing game that leaves even some of the most seasoned veterans at the Capitol perplexed.
Many lawmakers and lobbyists say there are no hard and fast guidelines for avoiding a veto from a governor who vetoed 91 bills in her first four legislative sessions.
