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DOC seeks 2,500 more prison beds
The Arizona Department of Corrections is asking for another 2,500 private prison beds to address a steadily increasing prison population.
Incoming senator battles to open up the budget process
Try to change Arizona’s budget-making process, and you’re bound to bruise a few egos. Sen.-elect Jeff Dial found that out the hard way this week, as word of his proposal to bring back appropriations subcommittees – once a staple of the budget process for Arizona lawmakers – spread throughout the Capitol.
Small groups don’t cut it
In an interview yesterday afternoon, Dial laid out his ideas for bringing back approps subcommittees. The likeliest path is legislation, with intent language describing how the subcommittees would operate as a part of the budget process, that would require leadership in each chamber to re-establish the subcommittees via the Senate president’s and speaker’s rule-making process.
Rah-rah for subcommittees
Brophy McGee gave a resounding endorsement of Dial’s plan to restore the subcommittee process in crafting a budget, saying her colleague is “right on the money” with the idea. “The budget process has become much more the purview of leadership, and members are left out in a sense and given a package to vote on.
Tobin fighting to hold caucus together, keep the budget in GOP handsh
A fight is brewing in the House that Speaker Andy Tobin didn’t ask for, and he’s trying to keep his caucus members from tearing each other apart over Medicaid expansion – and stop the budget from getting hijacked.
