Livingston scores a perfect legislative batting average
The award for best legislative batting average for the session — the calculation of bills introduced versus bills signed into law — goes to Rep. David Livingston, a freshman Republican lawmaker from Peoria who has been vocally critical of the governor.
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.
Bills often fail to get past COW
The Committee of the Whole, the last chance to amend measures in either chamber before bills go to the floor for a third read, can represent a tremendous hurdle for lawmakers guiding their legislation through the process.
Report: Arizona slipping behind other states on spending transparency
Despite increasing online access to government spending information in recent years, Arizona is letting other states move ahead of it in transparency, an advocacy group reported Tuesday.
‘Firestorm’ over new school standards embroils Republican lawmakers
As Arizona ramps up efforts to invest in Common Core, a tide of opposition has defeated one of the first legislative efforts to implement the new education standards by likening them to a national takeover of Arizona’s school curriculum.
It’s ‘striker’ season at the Arizona Capitol
Watch out, it's striker season. No, that's not some obscure reference to spring training or a new term for haboobs, but a favorite subversive tactic of Arizona lawmakers at the Capitol this time of year.
Legislation takes on medical marijuana labeling, cultivation in Arizona
For Sen. Kimberly Yee, R-Phoenix, some edible medical marijuana products are too easy to mistake for candy and should be labeled clearly by law.
Yee offers medical marijuana reforms as alternative to repeal
A Republican state senator is gaining bipartisan support for bills that would reform Arizona’s medical marijuana law rather than repealing it, as one Republican lawmaker would prefer.
Sen. Kimberly Yee, R-Phoenix, introduced four bills late Monday that she says strengthen Arizona’s medical marijuana program, making it more workable in the long term.
Yee’s proposals come [...]
School-choice group pushes parent trigger law
First it was featured in a controversial summer movie, and now it could come to a school near you. A liberal school-choice group from California is trying to build a coalition of local education groups to pass an Arizona law allowing parents to take over failing schools.
Quelland pays fine owed to state
As his failed campaign for the Senate ended Tuesday, former legislator Doug Quelland settled the fine he owed to the state, paying the Attorney General’s office $34,400.
Republicans to lose Senate supermajority but still dominate chamber
The wave that carried a Republican supermajority into the Legislature two years ran into a seawall tonight, when the G.O.P. appeared to have lost four seats in the Senate, thereby giving up the power to override a gubernatorial veto.
Doug Quelland no match for Kimberly Yee
In the end, Doug Quelland didn’t spoil Rep. Kimberly Yee’s party.