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Freshmen stand out on issues ranging from Medicaid to sales tax reform
Doug Cole, a longtime lobbyist and veteran of the Capitol, said freshmen used to simply fall in line with leadership and sit on the back bench to learn during a session or two.
Laws on judicial appointments, elections, Medicaid likely facing legal challenges
A law enacted to give the governor more choices in appointing judges is expected to join Medicaid expansion and an elections package as 2013 legislation that will wind up in court.
Majority leader takes the heat for sponsoring Medicaid amendment
Quiet about his thoughts on Gov. Jan Brewer’s Medicaid proposal for most of the session, Senate Majority Leader John McComish emerged late as a key player in the push for AHCCCS expansion in the Senate.
The perils of voting yes to Medicaid expansion
Long before casting their votes for Medicaid expansion and a bipartisan budget proposal, Republican lawmakers who chose to support Gov. Jan Brewer had been issued a warning: Vote yes at your own risk.
Legislative session featured rare political courage
Historians will determine the just-completed Arizona legislative session as the most significant in memory. An unlikely coalition, which included a hard-nosed, conservative and partisan governor, teamed together to pass Medicaid expansion.
Top Quotes of the 2013 Session
The most outstanding quips, gibes and utterances from the 2013 Legislative Session.
Moratorium leads to near-record number of Brewer vetoes
The bill moratorium that rankled lawmakers as Gov. Jan Brewer started applying pressure to pass her Medicaid expansion plan helped push her to a near-record number of vetoes in 2013.
Brewer vetoed 26 bills this year, the second highest total of her career, behind the 29 she rejected in 2011.
Up Close with Gov. Jan Brewer
When the Republican-dominated Legislature stood firm against Gov. Jan Brewer this year, she pushed back like never before.
Brewer signs executive order on Yarnell fire
Gov. Jan Brewer has signed an order declaring a state of emergency in Yavapai County due to a wildfire that overtook a firefighting crew and killed 19 people.
Deal with the devil? Democrats question tactic colleague used to get her bills passed
The Arizona Senate is no easy place to be in the minority. Few bills sponsored by Democrats are ever heard in committees, let alone the Senate floor, so it’s rare for a Democratic senator to have a bill approved by the bulk of the chamber. It’s even rarer for a Democratic measure also to be approved by the House and reach the governor’s desk.
Election bill foes join forces, eye referendum
There’s plenty for a broad array of opponents to hate in an omnibus election bill passed at the end of the session, and a diverse coalition is now banding together for a probable citizen referendum drive against HB2305.
Brewer vetoes Tobin’s R&D tax credit bill
Gov. Jan Brewer acted on the last three remaining bills of the 2013 legislative session, including a veto of one of House Speaker Andy Tobin’s top priorities.
