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Brewer, coalition called off plan to oust GOP leaders
Gov. Jan Brewer confirmed that she and the legislative members of her pro-Medicaid expansion coalition crafted a plan to oust Senate President Andy Biggs and House Speaker Andy Tobin from their leadership positions when lawmakers went into special session.
13 apply for redistricting panel vacancy
Thirteen people have applied to fill a vacant Democratic seat on the state’s five-person redistricting commission to replace a commissioner who suddenly resigned in May.
Brewer celebrates end of Prop. 100 tax hike
Arizona consumers will benefit from a substantial tax cut on June 1 as Proposition 100, the temporary sales tax increase approved by voters in 2010, expires.
Medicaid debate should remain focused on the merits of expansion
Senate approval of the governor’s Medicaid expansion bill clearly reflects the will of the people. Senate Majority Leader John McComish led the charge, breaking rank from Republican colleagues who opposed the bill.
Action lacking despite opportunities to improve Arizona’s lobbyist reporting system
From lobbyists to lawmakers to advocacy groups, reactions to flaws in Arizona lobbying reports reflect an image of a system that needs to be improved.
Some proposals for how to improve the system have emerged, but any agreement on the solutions, not to mention the political will to enact them, still eludes lawmakers two years after the Fiesta Bowl lobbying scandal roped in dozens of pol[...]
Money without merit
Bonuses given to state workers who didn’t surrender protections
Raises for rank-and-file state employees came with a choice last year: Become an at-will employee in exchange for a 5-percent pay bump, or keep those protections and receive the same salaries they’d had since 2007.The amount of money the deal directed toward political appointees and top staff, who are among t[...]
Senate president vows to block Medicaid expansion plan
Senate President Andy Biggs said Tuesday he would do “everything I can” to prevent Gov. Jan Brewer’s proposal to expand Medicaid from reaching the Senate floor for a vote.
Food and beverages: Lawmakers benefit from lobbyists’ largesse
Buying lawmakers a meal or a drink is one of the most common ways lobbyists form relationships with lawmakers, and some lawmakers take more advantage of the free meals than others.
From Austin to New Orleans, lawmakers travel at the expense of lobbyists
Travel and lodging account for 12 percent of the money spent in lobbyist expenditure reports that include a beneficiary name from 2011 to 2012.
Power brokers: The most lobbied lawmakers and the busiest lobbyists
a small number of lobbyists spend much more money on lawmakers than the rest. And a select set of lawmakers attract more lobbying attention than others. Lobbying records required by state law hint at who these power brokers are, and give a peek into a small network of lobbyists, their clients and lawmakers who wield extra influence.
Heroes and traitors: Medicaid debate forces lawmakers to take sides on budget
When discussing the progress made in budget negotiations so far this year, Senate President Andy Biggs reminded the Arizona Capitol Times that patience is a virtue.
Lobbying record analysis methodology
The Arizona Capitol Times analysis of more than 9,000 lobbyist expenditure records that were filed in 2011 and 2012 included making decisions about what to count, what not to count and how to categorize expenditures. The goal was to evaluate different types of spending and to analyze records showing beneficiaries of the money.
