Arizona's child-welfare system continues to be strained by increases in reports of abuse and neglect and in placements of children in foster care even as the state makes progress in areas such as reuniting children with families.

A bill that would make it more difficult for recently unemployed people in Arizona to collect unemployment benefits is likely to land on Republican Gov. Jan Brewer's desk.

With the committee deadline to hear bills in their chamber of origin passed, the major work of weeding out bills is done. But like weeds, bills are never really dead, and can sprout back up at any time before the session ends.

Before lawmakers decide what kind of discretionary spending they want added in the fiscal 2014 budget, Rep. John Kavanagh said they have to make a choice about whose revenue projections they’re going to believe.

The state department that administers unemployment benefits is closing a call center and will require all new filings from people who lose their jobs be done online starting Feb. 1.

Arizona's child welfare agency plans to restore most services to children and parents that it says were cut due to a misunderstanding.

Arizona added 17,000 people to its food stamp rolls in October, as near-record-high levels of assistance continued to stubbornly hang on after 18 months.

Now that the economy is recovering, universities and state agencies are seeking budget increases and have asked Gov. Jan Brewer to fight for at least $500 million in new spending.

The House Judiciary Committee took the first steps Thursday in creating a new unit of investigators dedicated to high-priority child abuse and neglect cases, a cornerstone measure recommended by the Child Safety Task Force.

Arizona's unemployment rate dipped to 9.3 percent in April, and the state says the decrease will likely trigger an expected automatic shortening of how long the state provides jobless benefits.