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Brewer reaches out to GOP, infuriates Dems
Democrats blasted Gov. Jan Brewer’s State of the State speech as campaign posturing, while Republicans said there is no choice but to follow up on some of the ideas she outlined.
AZ, feds choose opposite directions on health care
As the federal government prepares to expand health care coverage to more Americans, Arizona may be looking to drastically cut back on its Medicaid program to help solve state budget problems.
Long session led to many missed votes
The Arizona House of Representatives held 382 floor votes during the 2009 regular session, which stretched into July as lawmakers struggled with the budget deficit. Rep. Rich Crandall, a Mesa Republican, didn't participate in 254 of them, nearly two-thirds of the total.
Brewer makes official call for 5th special session
A special legislative session to address the continuing budget crisis will begin Thursday morning, but the votes to approve a package of bills that include a temporary sales tax increase don't appear to be in line.
Arizona’s tough-on-crime stance costs big bucks
Crime in Arizona has dramatically declined this decade, but the number of Arizonans in prison continues to climb and has grown by nearly 50 percent since 2002, thanks in part to the creation of new crimes and tougher sentencing guidelines. Supporters of the tough-on-crime approach say the figures show that the laws are doing what is intended: making Arizona safer by keeping dangerous criminals [...]
Barnes’ comments take a turn for the weird
While the Senate barely said a word about the budget bills, the House spent more than an hour debating their merits when they came up for a vote Nov. 23. It was a strikingly partisan debate on spending cuts to education and social services. At times it was adversarial. At other times it was just strange.
House panel approves budget-fix bills
A House panel followed the Senate's lead, quickly approving a series of budget bills aimed at chipping away at the state's massive deficit. The bills include $300 million in cuts to social programs and state aid for education.
ASU professor brings health care expertise to reform effort
Earlier this year, ASU professor Marjorie Baldwin contributed to the national debate regarding health care reform, advocating incremental changes and warning against rushing into a broad, public health care system that covers everybody.
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.
Sharpton calls Arpaio a blight on Arizona’s civil rights record
With one exception - Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio - Arizona addresses civil rights as well as any other state, the Rev. Al Sharpton said Oct. 16. "I think when the sheriff is out of town, Arizona is about as equal as everyone else when it comes to civil rights," Sharpton said before participating in a civil rights forum.
Vanderpool wants to keep leading DPS
Roger Vanderpool hopes his performance as director of the state's largest police force will speak louder than his political history - two elections as Pinal County Sheriff as a Democrat and an appointment to his current post by a Democratic governor - when Arizona's Republican governor decides who will lead the department for the next five years.
Bare-bones Revenue Department would eliminate audits
An unintended consequence of a veto last month means the state agency tasked with collecting taxes is on the verge of laying off more than half of its staff, barring a budget fix to allow access to all of the money lawmakers gave it earlier this year. Anthony Forschino, the agency's assistant director, said the layoffs would still allow the Department of Revenue to function, but in a bare-bones[...]
