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House plans to hear Senate budget bills this afternoon
The House this morning pushed back a long-awaited hearing of Senate budget bills passed earlier this month, but the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee said the spending plan will definitely be considered later today.
GOP leaders: Budget negotiations going well
Legislative leaders said they are making strides in their talks with the governor over a budget proposal that would solve more than $540 million in deficit this year and another $1.2 billion in the next fiscal year.
Senate panel gives party-line approval to Sept. 11 monument revisions
A state Senate committee on Tuesday voted along party lines in favor of legislation to remove some inscription panels from the state's Sept. 11 memorial.
Leadership awaits Brewer counterproposal
After a day of budget negotiations, House and Senate Republican leaders are awaiting a counterproposal from Gov. Jan Brewer.
The Art of Budgeting: Spending bills often include issues beyond money — like policy changes
It may be free from gimmicks and other accounting maneuvers, but the Senate’s budget could not escape the perennial inclusion of policy changes whose ties to actual budgeting are, at best, tenuous.
Adams and Yarbrough find compromise on rival pension reform bills
A compromise between House Speaker Kirk Adams and Sen. Steve Yarbrough and their respective pension reform plans passed the House Employment and Regulatory Affairs committee meeting this week.
Brewer committed to small K-12 cuts
Some Republican lawmakers are predicting that they’ll have a budget on Gov. Jan Brewer’s desk by the time the 2011 session hits the 60-day mark, but first, someone will have to budge on K-12 spending and rollovers.
House committee OKs handing Pinal County $5 million for border security
The House Appropriations Committee on Wednesday passed a bill to increase the state’s border security, as representatives continue shaking their fists at Washington, D.C.
Interstate compacts — A new tactic for challenging federal authority
Once employed for such mundane issues as inmate transfers, natural resource management and state boundary definitions, interstate compacts have suddenly become the latest tool for legislators looking to buck the federal government on a slew of controversial topics.
Capitol Quotes: Feb. 11, 2011
"The Arizona state Legislature is going to be hooked on medical marijuana." — Rep. Justin Olson, R-Mesa, talking about the dangers of taxing medical pot.
Bill would require return of equipment bought with Clean Elections money
A Democratic lawmaker wants to require publicly funded candidates to give computers, printers, cameras and other fixed assets purchased with Clean Elections money to the state or buy them at a reduced price.
Birthright proposal not on the majority agenda
For the most powerful man in the Senate, denying American citizenship to children born to undocumented aliens is the next step in the Arizona-led crusade to confront illegal immigration in the country. But a majority of Senate President Russell Pearce’s colleagues don’t see it as a priority, and they may not go along if the so-called birthright citizenship bill is voted on before the Legislatu[...]
