The new fill-in-the-blanks form created by the Department of Revenue lets shoppers put in how much they spent and then compute what they owe the state by multiplying that by 5.6 percent.

One night in 2008, the Arizona Senate became the backdrop of a showdown over a referral to prohibit same-sex marriage — the same law that was struck down by a federal district court this month.

This year's most outstanding quips, gibes and utterances.

At first glance, a newcomer to Twitter may think many politicians have lost their minds. Their tweets can be outlandish, contain poor grammar and are often filled with ridiculous positions on policy issues.

But it’s all by design. And it’s often not actually the real politician doing the tweeting.

Fifteen legislators have announced this year that they will retire or seek another office rather than run for re-election to the Legislature.

As an Arizonan, when you hear about trade agreements, you might not automatically think about jobs in the great Copper State. However, as the most populous landlocked state in the U.S., we should. Trade is a huge driver of our economy, not only as a nation, but also of our state economies.

The Arizona House of Representatives on Wednesday gave initial approval to a bill that some proponents say is aimed at stopping a United Nations conspiracy to take away the rights of American citizens. Critics say the bill is not only based on crackpot “one-world-order” theories, but that it would make valuable state programs illegal and take away the state’s authority to manage natural resources.

A state House committee Tuesday narrowly endorsed scrapping a state law the prevents legislators from serving as paid lobbyists at the Capitol for a year after leaving office.

Its author, Rep. Jack W. Harper, R-Surprise, said the moratorium is intended to keep lawmakers from influencing legislation but fails to recognize that staff members are even better positioned to become lobbyists. He said it’s unfair to deny former lawmakers the same opportunities allowed for staff members.

Businesses planning on purchasing new machinery in 2013 or later may get some tax relief under a referendum at the state Legislature. HCR 2009, sponsored by Rep. Jack Harper, R-Surprise, and developed by the Arizona chapter of the National Federation of Independent Businesses would exempt the first $2.4 million of new equipment or machinery purchased after 2013 from the business personal property tax. Currently, the exemption is $68,079.

Former legislator Ken Cheuvront is running for the Senate.

The outspoken Democrat today announced his candidacy for what essentially is his old seat.