Bill bars charging juveniles for probation costs
Under Senate Bill 1197, sponsored by Sen. David Gowan, R-Sierra Vista, and backed by Stand for Children Arizona, the courts would no longer be able to require juveniles or their parents or guardians to pay costs of probation, legal services, administrative fees, foster care, counseling, treatment, education programs, and any health care, food, clothing, shelter, or supervision while a child is inc[...]
Mesnard aims to reaffirm state’s debt limit, end ‘creative financing’
The way Sen. J.D. Mesnard sees it, when the people who crafted the Arizona Constitution put in a $350,000 debt limit they weren't kidding.
ASU, NAU, UofA lead in resolving challenges
Challenges are nothing new to Arizona. No matter the challenge — drought, disease, economic prosperity and many other s— transforming problems into opportunities has been our state’s hallmark. At every step, Arizona’s public universities have helped lead the way.
Judge rejects challenge to predatory debt initiative
A judge has rejected a challenge to a voter initiative aimed at limiting so-called predatory debt collection, finding that opponents of the measure did not prove a summary provided to voters who signed qualifying petitions was misleading.
Petition to seek limits on medical debt challenged
Health advocacy group Healthcare Rising Arizona is pushing a citizens’ initiative to limit interest on medical debt, but they’re being challenged by Republicans who claim the petition collection violated state law.
Failure to end home equity theft will deepen virus crisis
With the economy teetering towards a deep recession in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, many states are taking proactive measures to help their citizens by easing property tax burdens and offering monetary relief.
Silence of the hawks: Response muted to Ducey’s billion-dollar borrowing plan
Gov. Doug Ducey is proposing to add a billion dollars to Arizona’s outstanding borrowing load of $7.3 billion, a dramatic leap into indebtedness, and yet the opposition to it has been mostly muted, even from groups that traditionally balk at borrowing.
The nail that sticks out gets hammered
As previously noted, fiscally conservative groups have been largely mute when the governor proposed to add a billion dollars to Arizona’s outstanding debt load of $7.3 billion.
From elephants to catfish: McCain report highlights wasteful spending
Unnecessary, wasteful government spending is today putting America on a dangerous path, as we burden future generations with a mounting national debt – now totaling more than $18 trillion. The future of the American dream is at risk, due to Washington’s bipartisan spending addiction.
State pays last $44 million on loan covering recession-era unemployment benefits
The state has finally paid off the last of the money it had to borrow to pay unemployment benefits to workers during the recession.
Pending tax cuts scrutinized as debt rises
Three factors have consistently been cited as big contributors to the estimated $1 billion deficit the state will face in fiscal year 2016 and some lawmakers are urging action on the one they actually control — tax cuts from a three year-old economic stimulus bill.