Legislative budget staffers are re-evaluating a proposed $10 million sweep of a Supreme Court fund after court officials howled that losing the money would cripple courts across Arizona. The legislative budget proposal targets the Supreme Court Automation Fund, which is supplied by fees for defensive-driving classes, time payment fees for people who make payments on their court fines, and surcharges on fines.

The Arizona House has voted down a proposal to use $40 million from a land-conservation fund for forest restoration and historical and cultural resources.

The Arizona House of Representatives today gave preliminary approval to a plan that would give the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission $700,000 to get through the rest of the fiscal year, after a series of costly court battles drained the commission’s $3.5 million in yearly operating money.

The Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission’s threatened lawsuit for more funding was once again delayed after the commission decided not to sue the state today, as originally planned.

Rep. John Kavanagh says he's decided to kill a bill that would have required college students to pay a portion of their school tuition.

Majority Republicans at the Arizona Legislature are moving to grab control over energy policy from state utility regulators in a move that supporters say would help protect consumers but that critics say puts at risk growth of the state's solar industry.

This week's most outstanding quips, jibes and utterances.

The cash-strapped Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission will meet on Friday to discuss its ongoing budget problems.

The meeting – the IRC’s first since January – comes as the commission faces the possibility of running out of money before June 30, the end of the 2012 fiscal year. And uncertainty over the 2013 budget is even greater.

In less than 24 hours, the House and Senate had introduced, discussed, and voted on their budget proposals – a move that has led some lawmakers to grouse about the lack of time to consider the important policy implications.

The House Appropriations committee narrowly passed a bill today that would require all university students to pay at least $2,000 of their tuition.