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Stuck in budget limbo, lawmakers are pre-filing fewer bills
Lawmakers have pre-filed fewer bills for the upcoming session than at the same time two years ago, a potential sign that fewer bills will be filed overall. That's not necessarily a surprise given the staggering state budget deficit lawmakers will face when they head back to the Capitol in January.
Will legislative PACs be used to corral votes?
A pair of political committees created by top legislative Republicans will raise hundreds of thousands of dollars to spend in next year's elections, which is causing some to wonder if it's appropriate for them to wield that kind of power.
Lawmakers getting hammered in court; resources strained
Arizona's 49th Legislature has been tasked with keeping the state financially afloat during the most troubling economic times in state history. But the choices lawmakers made this year in an effort to balance the budget have led to six lawsuits challenging the state's use of fund sweeps to fill in deficits.
Brewer, leadership still working on terms of special session
The window is closing for Gov. Jan Brewer to bring lawmakers back to the Capitol for a special session before Thanksgiving, but the two sides still haven't agreed on exactly what issues they will deal with. Speaking to reporters today, Brewer said she has been ready for a special session since September and said she is waiting on leadership to get her a head count.
Part-time Arizona lawmakers working into the summer
Arizona's part-time legislators are on the job in midsummer after their inability to work out an on-time solution to the state's budget trouble led them to crack a barrier they hoped to avoid. The annual regular session starts in January and has adjourned in May or June in recent years. This year, it ran 71/2 hours into July 1 before lawmakers approved a new budget and finished action on other [...]
