The tone for this year’s legislative session was set when Senate President Andy Biggs and House Speaker David Gowan stood with Gov. Doug Ducey as he introduced his budget in January, observed political consultant Stan Barnes.

While House Democrats blasted Republicans for voting to change the rules to allow closed caucus meetings, Republicans fought back by calling Democrats hypocritical for opposing the change because Democrats have held secret meetings for years.

The state’s top Senate Republican on Friday accused Democrats of hampering the state’s recovery by complaining about the state’s public education system.

House Democrats in their leadership meeting on Thursday chose Rep. Eric Meyer of Paradise Valley as their new leader, replacing the outgoing minority leader, Rep. Chad Campbell of Phoenix. Meyer is in his fourth term at the Legislature, and hails from the Republican-leaning Legislative District 28.

Democratic Rep. Eric Meyer will return to the Capitol after maintaining his solid lead over Republican challenger Shawnna Bolick in Phoenix’s Legislative District 28, where he has won three straight elections despite a 12 percentage point Republican voter registration advantage.

Democratic Rep. Eric Meyer is the Republican Party’s great white whale in the Arizona House of Representatives. For six years, he has eluded a string of Republican candidates and fended off their attacks, beating the odds in three straight elections to win a House seat in the Republican-leaning but defiantly moderate Legislative District 28.

Although the 2014 election season is just heating up, a quieter campaign has been continuing for months — the election of legislative leadership.

Gov. Jan Brewer will have to decide if a three-wheel motorcycle should require a motorcycle license to operate, and whether party-goers can continue to drink and peddle on “party bikes.”

The state House on Thursday gave final approval to legislation designed to pave the way for a five-year lifetime limit on Medicaid benefits.

Senate President Andy Biggs is prepared to move forward with the budget compromise pitched on April 3 by the House and Gov. Jan Brewer if the Senate has enough votes for the $9.2 billion fiscal 2015 spending plan to clear the chamber.