The highs and lows of the 2019 legislative session can be measured by how well legislators worked together with the smallest of margins.

But even with the 17-13 split in the Senate, the 31-29 split in the House, the Democrat who accomplished the most during the First Regular Session of the 54th Legislature is the one who was criticized for her lack of political experience during the campaign – and she wasn’t even a lawmaker.

Amid lingering frustrations over the 2018 election – with Republican accusations that a Democrat in charge of ballots in Arizona’s most populous county had mucked up the process– a flurry of election-related bills were introduced this year.

The legislative session wasn’t even done before lawmakers started announcing bills they planned to introduce next session.

The 2019 legislative session is finally behind us. Or is it?

Even after settling on a multi-billion spending plan for the next year, there was plenty left unsettled when lawmakers went home for the summer.

Sen. J.D. Mesnard, R-Chandler, knows how to get legislation passed. This year, he learned how to get it vetoed.

House Minority Leader Charlene Fernandez came into the 2019 legislative session hopeful that the 31-29 split in the chamber would lead to more opportunities for her Democratic colleagues.

Saying time is running out, the former chairman of the Arizona Libertarian Party wants the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals to order an election – and soon -- to decide who fills out the term of John McCain.

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.