Legislators cleared to carry guns in House
The next time you’re chatting with lawmakers at the Capitol, don’t be surprised if you notice they’re armed.
Lawmakers are introducing bills aimed at more than 1,000 things they want to change
The Legislature is back in session, and lawmakers have already filed more than 350 bills. That number will swell to more than 1,000 in the coming weeks, as members of the House and Senate begin the rush to push their bills through both chambers, and up to the governor’s desk.
Arizona gets D on government accountability and transparency
The Grand Canyon State received an overall score of 64 – a D grade – in a new State Integrity Investigation, a data-driven assessment of government accountability and transparency in all 50 states by the Center for Public Integrity and Global Integrity. Despite the low grade, Arizona ranked 22nd among all the states.
Pima County claims governor, legislators illegally shifted state costs to counties
Denied a hearing by the Arizona Supreme Court, Pima County will soon take its legal challenge over a budget provision regarding the 1 percent property tax cap to Maricopa County.
GOP lawmakers divided over what to do with revenue windfall
When lawmakers approved the state budget in March, they were staring at low revenue expectations and a deficit that forced them to make large, unpopular cuts from higher education, social services and other government programs.
Burning a hole in their pockets
With the latest JLBC monthly fiscal highlights showing revenues exceeding projections to the tune of $233 million, talk of budget revisions has increased among Republicans in the Legislature. Several Republicans said if the Legislature has to go into a special session for redistricting, or any of the other looming issues that could lead to a special session, they want the governor to include budge[...]
Lawmakers tout secrecy with little success
If a little sunshine is the best medicine, Arizona legislators seem afraid to take their proper dosage.
House GOP selects David Gowan as next speaker
Arizona House Republicans who won their elections met this afternoon to select a new leadership team, and chose Republican Rep. David Gowan of Sierra Vista for speaker of the House.
Riding to the rescue
Former Brewer general counsel Joe Kanefield is now representing a coalition of bipartisan legislators, business groups and a former governor in an amicus brief filed today with the Supreme Court urging the justices to overturn the appellate court ruling that allowed 36 Republican legislators to challenge Medicaid expansion.
Legislators drop plans to give child welfare investigators police powers
Lawmakers have tabled language granting investigators with the Office of Child Welfare Investigations police powers in a limited scope.
Arizona lawmakers look for little victories, big flaws in $3.9 trillion federal budget
WASHINGTON – Good things can come in small packages – even if those small packages ultimately add up to one, big $3.9 trillion package.
Experts: More than half of cancer cases in Arizona preventable
Experts offered lawmakers some grim statistics Wednesday on cancer in Arizona, including a forecast of 11,400 deaths this year and a 50 percent increase in cancer cases by 2050.