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Lawmakers’ first duty: Show up and vote
Here’s the simple mathematics of representative government: Arizona taxpayers pay for lawmakers to show up and vote on every bill in the Legislature. Now here’s the flaw in that equation: Lawmakers get paid whether they show up or not. Unfortunately, many Arizona residents were underrepresented at the Capitol during last year’s regular legislative session.
Capitol Quotes 1/1/10
"I keep thinking, Oh, my gosh! The time before we have to go back there is getting less and less!" - Sen. Linda Lopez, a Democrat from Tucson, on the approaching regular session. Lawmakers return to the Capitol Jan. 11 for the 2010 session.
Tibshraeny bill would raise caps on rainy day fund
One lesson the state can take away from the ongoing financial crisis is that the state needs to be better prepared to handle plummeting tax revenue in the future - and that may require a return to the past.
Kavanagh clarifies remarks on Maricopa Integrated Health Care
I wish to apologize to the staff of the Maricopa Medical Center for implying that it was a poorly performing hospital. It is not.
Kavanagh was wrong about Maricopa Integrated Health Systems
In the midst of debate over private prisons, state Rep. John Kavanagh made a comment that reflects an unfortunate misconception about public hospitals.
Sale of state prisons running into wall of opposition
When lawmakers chose April Fool’s Day as the deadline to submit a plan to privatize the state’s prison system, they unwittingly telegraphed just how dubious the plan was. First, the whole idea of putting state prisons under private control was a difficult sell to the public. Then there was a question about how many of the state’s 10 prisons to auction off.
Capitol Quotes 12/11
"I think that this most recent move, this RICO case against members of the judiciary, is maybe his Waterloo." - Phoenix attorney Michael C. Manning, on a lawsuit Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas and Sheriff Joe Arpaio have filed against the Board of Supervisors and several judges and attorneys, alleging that they blocked the pair's investigation into the new Superior Court tower.
GOP pushing for 1-day special session
Barring any surprises, Gov. Jan Brewer is expected to call the Legislature into special session in the next few days. But her 1-cent sales tax hike won't be on the table - at least not this time. Still up in the air is the possibility of doing a second special session, possibly in December, for another round of cuts and potentially approving revenue generating options.
Mixed messages emerge from school override, bond votes
If there's a message in the results of this month's school bond and budget override votes, the meaning is up for wide interpretation. The approval rate for overrides and bond issues requested by school districts on Nov. 2 was lower than the five-year average, leading some to conclude that the public's willingness to pay more taxes for education has decreased.
Wishful thinking interrupted by budget reality
JLBC has singled out three budget provisions that wouldn't live up to their billing: a plan to save $50 million due to reduced fraud in the health care system; deals to privatize nine of the 10 state prisons; and a plan to raise $735 million by selling dozens of state buildings, then leasing them back. But there's more.
Lottery renewal needed before state can borrow
The odds of winning the Arizona Lottery's big jackpot are about one in 175 million. The odds that lawmakers will sell off future lottery revenues for a quick cash infusion are exponentially better. As lawmakers ponder how to fix a fiscal 2011 budget deficit that is expected to top $2 billion, many are viewing lottery securitization as a last resort whose time has come.
School districts betting heavily on upcoming overrides
For many Arizona school districts, a lot is riding on upcoming November budget override elections. Schools already have been hit by state budget reductions, and many districts will have to cut programs and staff even further unless they receive a funding boost from override elections.
