A Republican state senator from Mesa's personal experience with mental illness and homelessness derailed a bid by another GOP lawmaker, this one a former cop, to make sleeping on a sidewalk a state crime. Sen. David Farnsworth's extended comments about his struggles led the chairman of a Senate committee to pull Republican Fountain Hills Sen. John Kavanagh's proposal from consideration during a hearing this past week.
Read More »Farnsworth’s story of homelessness prompts Senate committee chair to pull Kavanagh’s proposal
Bill would aim to offer marijuana buyers what they want 
State lawmakers are moving to ensure that marijuana buyers are getting what they asked for -- and not the things they don't want.
Read More »Senate committee clamps down on early voting
Millions of Arizonans would lose the right to vote early and by mail under the terms of legislation approved Monday by a Senate panel. SB1404 would scrap longstanding law that allow any registered voter to request a ballot by mail, ...
Read More »Memorable moments from a very loooong sine die night 
Sine die was filled with several memorable moments.
Read More »House prepares to rip Senate budget apart, rebuild it from scratch 
Building a budget that can gain support from the majority of lawmakers in both legislative chambers and get it signed by the governor takes a delicate balance.
Read More »Food and beverages: Lawmakers benefit from lobbyists’ largesse
Buying lawmakers a meal or a drink is one of the most common ways lobbyists form relationships with lawmakers, and some lawmakers take more advantage of the free meals than others.
Read More »Gowan: Make U.S. prove its mandates are constitutional
The federal government, state Rep. David Gowan says, is not showing Arizona the proper respect. So Gowan, a Republican from Sierra Vista, is pushing a bill demanding that when the federal government requires Arizona to create a program, the mandate comes with “arguments” that it “will pass a constitutional challenge if contested in a court of law.”
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