Sign In
Free Newsletter
House minority leader calls for special session on gun control
With two mass shootings fresh on people's minds the top state House Democrat wants a special session to debate -- and presumably enact -- a series of gun control measures.
Democrats discouraged despite getting more bills passed
Senate President Karen Fann can boast a 333 percent increase in the number of bills sponsored by Democrats that passed out of her chamber in 2019 compared to last year.
Committee chairs seek balance between gatekeeper and ‘God’
The first major hurdle every piece of legislation faces in the House or Senate is a committee leader with the ability to unilaterally kill bills, and some chairs are more willing to do it than others.
Session Wrap with Rusty Bowers
Even after a taxing 134-day session, House Speaker Rusty Bowers remains patently himself when he sits down with the Arizona Capitol Times – reflective, resolute and ready with a story, which this time was about the day his brother shot himself in the foot.
Talk of bipartisan budget turns to bitter words at session’s end
A session that began with lofty promises — at least in the Senate — of bipartisan collaboration, the likes of which had rarely been seen before, ended with Democrats united against the budget and decrying a lack of working across the aisle.
Lawmakers to explore how to get per diem increase after veto
Stunned by the governor's veto, some lawmakers already are exploring how – and when – they can finally get an increase in their living allowances.
Teachers hope summer vacation comes before budget passed
The potential for red-clad teachers again descending on the Capitol could motivate legislators to wrap up budget negotiations before school is out for summer.
The Breakdown: Where there’s smoke…
State lawmakers tried to expand protections for firefighters two years ago, but the law does not seem to be working as expected.
House Dem budget proposal aligns mostly with Ducey’s
Democratic representatives took their budget pitch public on Wednesday morning in an effort to appeal to Republican Gov. Doug Ducey, while state senators in the minority party are keeping their plans close to the vest.
House to create code of conduct in wake of Stringer resignation
Facing Democrat demands, House Speaker Rusty Bowers on Wednesday finally directed the Ethics Committee to come up with a code of conduct for lawmakers – including whether they can be ousted for their public comments – more than a year after it was first promised.
Democrats kill bill to fund school supplies
Democrats and the Arizona Education Association said the proposal, which would have given each teacher in the state $200 to spend on school supplies, was not enough money and not a permanent solution to the state’s funding crisis.
Committee kills bill to fund groundwater for Pinal County farms
Several lawmakers from both parties questioned why state taxpayers should be on the hook, especially after they said the drought contingency plan approved late last month already has some cash for the farmers.
