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Boyer gives caucus price for vote on budget
A Republican senator is prepared to withhold his crucial vote on the state’s budget unless it contains at least $160 million in ongoing funding for higher education and another $20 million for firefighters with cancer.
Bill passes closing loophole in firefighter law
A bill that closes the loophole preventing firefighters from receiving workers’ compensation for getting cancer from putting out fires is now on its way to Gov. Doug Ducey’s desk.
Bill to cover more cancers for firefighters gets OK from Senate panel
Carter’s bill seeks to build on work the Legislature did in 2017, with a law that listed several types of cancers, heart diseases and respiratory illnesses as illnesses that could be presumed to have been caused by fighting fires.
Lawmakers push for more protections for firefighters with cancer
Clumps of dark brown hair littered the Arizona Senate lawn on January 16 as Sen. Heather Carter ran an electric shaver over Sen. Paul Boyer’s head, surrounded by the cancer-stricken firefighters.
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.
Firefighters say cities are breaking workers’ comp law
In 2017, the Legislature passed a bill to expand the list of cancers that are legally presumed to be a result of firefighters’ workplace conditions. HB2161 sailed out of both chambers with nearly unanimous support from lawmakers who sought to protect firefighters across Arizona from the financial burden of diseases such as leukemia, melanoma and testicular cancer, among others.
Firefighters press for vote on bills expanding their workers’ compensation coverage
Two bills to increase workers’ compensation coverage for firefighters who contract cancer in the line of duty have the votes they need to pass a final read in the Senate, yet they have so far been blocked from the floor, supporters said.
House OKs firefighter workers’ comp bills covering cancers, heart diseases
A pair of bills to increase workers’ compensation coverage for firefighters who contract diseases in the line of duty easily passed the Arizona House of Representatives on February 21 after a few last-minute amendments.
Firefighters face a different kind of battle
Firefighter Dave Rehnke wants the Legislature to enact two bills that would expand the list of presumptive cancers eligible for worker’s compensation for firefighters.
All eyes on the House after Senate approves pension reform
A jubilant Senate claimed victory on a historic public safety pension overhaul on Thursday, passing a long-awaited and hard-bargained package of reform bill out of the chamber with unanimous support.
Senate seeks speedy pension reform, but House wary
Flanked by Senate President Andy Biggs, local officials and a coalition of various public safety groups, Republican Sen. Debbie Lesko on Tuesday publicly unveiled the much-anticipated legislation to overhaul the Public Safety Personnel Pension System.
Legislature needs to address crisis in fire districts
Arizona’s fire districts today find themselves facing a serious public safety crisis, one that impacts more than 1.5 million Arizona residents who rely on fire districts for 911 services. Already, districts statewide have slashed scores of fire fighters and paramedics. Others have been forced to close fire stations. These cutbacks have caused emergency response times to rise, leaving the public [...]
