GOP touts $2.5B in tax cuts, but critics say Arizona can’t afford them
Policymakers often point to the state’s conservative spending plan that eschewed accounting gimmicks and set aside money for rainy days as the biggest victory of the Republican supermajority.
Court’s exit spurs race for majority leader
House Majority Leader Steve Court’s announcement that he won’t be seeking re-election quickly fueled the Republican rumor mill over who might take his leadership spot.
Speculation over who would be jockeying for the position began even before the news this week of Court’s exit, as the Mesa Republican was facing a tough primary battle.
Legislative 11: Hot match-ups in 2012
Lawmakers from across the state are gearing up to take on incumbents and members of their own party in the August primaries.
What’s more, some incumbents are expected to square-off in the November general election, as well.
Chad Campbell: Democrats label session as ‘a lot of missed opportunities’
House Minority Leader Chad Campbell was a little more hopeful this session. The state had some money to spend, and the Legislature wasn’t going to have to do as much budget-slashing as they had in previous years. Maybe now, he thought, they could start restoring some funding that had been cut.
Campbell to Bennett: resign Romney post
The minority leader of the Arizona House has called on Secretary of State Ken Bennett to resign as the Arizona co-chairman of Mitt Romney's campaign after Bennett questioned the validity of President Barack Obama's birth certificate.
Brewer signs new business tax cuts into law
Gov. Jan Brewer's signing of a bill passed by the Legislature means businesses and investors in Arizona will be getting new tax breaks.
Republicans’ ‘bait-and-switch’ budget lacks vision
Arizona Legislative Republicans did the state a disservice by pushing through a bait-and-switch budget that lacks vision, leaves kids of working families without health care coverage and fails to create jobs.
Democrats choose partisan zeal over participating in the great Arizona recovery
Republicans passed a budget this week and, as usual, we did so without the help of Democrats. Despite the fact that we made no cuts in essential services while providing $150 million for statewide K-12 education funding, $21 million for universities and $100 million for health & welfare programs, there never seems to be enough spending to satisfy all their demands.
GOP lawmakers approve $8.6B spending plan (updated)
Republican leaders quickly consolidated support behind an $8.6 billion budget plan and gave it final approval today, less than a week after finally reaching a deal with Gov. Jan Brewer.
The spending plan is a product of a session-long negotiation between Brewer and legislative leaders, and the give-and-take between the two sides is palpable throughout the budget document.
Bill aimed at stopping United Nations takeover of U.S. advances
The Arizona House of Representatives on Wednesday gave initial approval to a bill that some proponents say is aimed at stopping a United Nations conspiracy to take away the rights of American citizens. Critics say the bill is not only based on crackpot “one-world-order” theories, but that it would make valuable state programs illegal and take away the state’s authority to manage natural r[...]
Patterson demands ethics hearing to cross-examine accusers
Rep. Daniel Patterson today demanded that the House Ethics Committee give him an opportunity to testify before its members, cross-examine his accusers and address each incident of impropriety anonymously claimed against him.
Patterson said the ethics charges against him result from a group of lobbyists and lawmakers who sought a reason to have him kicked out of office, and one civil rig[...]
Patterson says ethics investigation politically motivated; panel to meet on next step
Rep. Daniel Patterson, the Tucson lawmaker facing ethics charges and possible expulsion from the House of Representatives, today maintained his innocence and said a scathing ethics report against him was politically motivated.