A trial court judge ruled today that the state must begin resetting inflation adjustments for public schools right away, which will come at a cost of about $317 million for fiscal-year 2015.

State budget analysts say Arizona's current fiscal year is getting off to a weak start.

Universities’ request for research money could split GOP lawmakers

The state universities’ $1 billion request to upgrade research labs promises to bring fireworks to the Legislature and possibly a split among GOP lawmakers while wounds from last session’s Medicaid expansion are still fresh.

SAN DIEGO (AP) ai??i?? Border Patrol agents will be allowed to continue using deadly force against rock-throwers, the chief of the agency said, despite the recommendation of a government-commissioned review to end the practice.

A legislative committee charged with studying the amount of government-owned and privately held land in Arizona is close to having enough data to issue a report, but has no money to fund the effort.

Across the state, education leaders in Arizona are trying to plan for the new school year with little information on how much state or federal funding they will receive. Education funding represents Arizona's largest expense, but it's unclear whether public schools will get more or less dollars when the new fiscal year begins in July.

The past year gave Arizona legislators the best Christmas gift they could hope for — a much improved economy and stronger revenue collections.

Total state revenues grew by a modest 2.6 percent in October when compared to the year before, but just as economists have cautioned, the road to full recovery is a long, steep climb.

After successive months of growth, state revenues fell in May, when collections fell $9.2 million below the budget forecast. But the culprit doesn’t appear to be a slowing in the economy.

Gov. Jan Brewer on Monday signed into law a new state budget that reflects the state's improving finances.

The budget's spending totals just under $8.6 billion for the 2012-2013 fiscal year starting July 1.