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Lawmakers grateful for rainy-day fund, some hold to principles against it
As some grocery store shelves lay as bare as Cactus League stadiums and restaurant dining rooms, lawmakers in the Arizona Legislature are scurrying to wrap up their business, begin their social isolation and hunker down for a storm. Their rainy day is here.
Old tactics, new territory as lawmakers embrace partisan COVID-19 framing
In any other week, Rep. Anthony Kern’s dinner choices wouldn’t have mattered to anyone but the most fervent crusader against lobbyist influence. This week, depending on who you ask, he’s either a hero fighting government overreach or the face of irresponsibility.
Legislative Democrats unveil ‘the people’s’ budget proposal
Democrats in the House and Senate released their $12.5 billion budget proposal Monday morning, insisting that it’s not too late for the minority party to get a seat at the negotiating table even as crossover week approaches.
Love letters from lawmaker to lobbyist raise ethical questions
Rep. David Cook, R-Globe, denies having a romantic relationship with a lobbyist whose employer put her on suspension pending an investigation of professional misconduct.
Q&A with House Minority Leader Charlene Fernandez
House Minority Leader Charlene Fernandez has seen the full scope of Democratic legislative power, from the bad old days when Democrats had only 23 seats to the present day, when they’ve accumulated enough power that a single defection from the other side has huge implications.
Q&A with Speaker of the House Rusty Bowers
Looking forward to what could very well be his last term as speaker of the House, Rusty Bowers, R-Mesa, reflected to the Arizona Capitol Times about his expectations for the upcoming session
Groundwater regulation new conflict in water management
Farmers and Gov. Doug Ducey say they are willing to change their stance against government oversight and regulation to protect the state’s dwindling water supply – and they’re willing to let the largest water users write the rules.
Legislature 2020: How to spend surplus of money
State lawmakers return to the Capitol Monday to deal with something they appear to have plenty: Money and who gets it.
State to reopen closed prison to house booming female population
The Department of Corrections will reopen a shuttered prison in Douglas to deal with the fact that women are being locked up at a higher rate. “We’re simply out of... […]
Borrelli again targets medical marijuana dispensary kitchens
A state GOP senator wants to allow the Arizona Department of Health Services to inspect medical marijuana kitchens without giving notice and blames the marijuana industry for killing the same effort last session.
2nd group launches bid to legalize recreational pot
A new cannabis group that formed to oppose a 2020 marijuana ballot initiative to legalize recreational use launched its own competing effort November 13 with plans to have legislators send it to the voters in lieu of collecting signatures.
Legislators aim to reassert authority with early budget
Republican leaders in the Arizona House and Senate are moving ahead with plans to draft their own budget proposal by the end of the year, reasserting legislative authority they say they lost during recent years.
