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Sen. Dial, 3 other lawmakers go down to defeat in primary
Four lawmakers won’t be returning to the Capitol after losing their re-election bids in the August 30 primary election.
Schmuck uses Army Reserve accusations to defeat incumbent Dial in LD18
Republican Frank Schmuck upset incumbent Sen. Jeff Dial in the Legislative District 18 Senate primary, capitalizing on a campaign mounted almost exclusively on Dial’s questionable status as an Army veteran.
Senate passes bill to resolve battle between Douglas, state school board
The Senate passed legislation May 3 that will end a year-long court battle between the State Board of Education and Superintendent of Public Instruction Diane Douglas.
Senate panel sides with Board of Education over Douglas
A state Senate committee voted 5 to 2 Thursday for a bill that Superintendent of Public Instruction Diane Douglas says strips her office of its powers and hands them to an unelected board of appointees: the State Board of Education.
Douglas fights bill to empower state Board of Education
State schools chief Diane Douglas is lashing out of a bill to confirm the power of the state Board of Education, calling it “anti-voter, anti-democracy, anti-education, anti-parents and anti-children.’’
Senate passes Clean Elections repeal on reconsideration
The Citizens Clean Elections Commission’s victory in the Senate turned out to be short-lived as two Republicans changed their votes on a measure asking voters to repeal the public campaign funding system, giving it enough votes to send it to the 2016 ballot.
Proposed bill would bring back all-day kindergarten
A bill is in the works that would encourage public schools to fund full-day kindergarten by tapping into winnings from an inflation funding lawsuit.
Incoming senator battles to open up the budget process
Try to change Arizona’s budget-making process, and you’re bound to bruise a few egos. Sen.-elect Jeff Dial found that out the hard way this week, as word of his proposal to bring back appropriations subcommittees – once a staple of the budget process for Arizona lawmakers – spread throughout the Capitol.
Small groups don’t cut it
In an interview yesterday afternoon, Dial laid out his ideas for bringing back approps subcommittees. The likeliest path is legislation, with intent language describing how the subcommittees would operate as a part of the budget process, that would require leadership in each chamber to re-establish the subcommittees via the Senate president’s and speaker’s rule-making process.
Rah-rah for subcommittees
Brophy McGee gave a resounding endorsement of Dial’s plan to restore the subcommittee process in crafting a budget, saying her colleague is “right on the money” with the idea. “The budget process has become much more the purview of leadership, and members are left out in a sense and given a package to vote on.
Allen takes aim at Robson with bill and promise of ethics complaint
Prosecutors dropped charges against Republican Rep. Bob Robson of Chandler for allegedly stealing a roadside political sign that was critical of him during the Republican primary, but one of his fellow GOP lawmakers isn’t letting the issue die.
Republicans wrap up wins in Legislative District 18
Republicans’ leads have widened in Legislative District 18, where they are poised to keep control of the Senate seat and the two House seats.
