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Arizona transgender bathroom bill won’t move
The sponsor of an Arizona bill targeting transgendered people who want to use bathrooms of the gender they identify with says he's giving up on the issue this Legislative session.
Some ‘dead’ bills get a 2nd chance, but tactic doesn’t always work
More than a dozen bills have been reconsidered on the floors of the Arizona Senate and House of Representatives after their earlier demise, and while most have passed when given a second thought, a few have stalled or met another death by vote.
Power brokers: The most lobbied lawmakers and the busiest lobbyists
a small number of lobbyists spend much more money on lawmakers than the rest. And a select set of lawmakers attract more lobbying attention than others. Lobbying records required by state law hint at who these power brokers are, and give a peek into a small network of lobbyists, their clients and lawmakers who wield extra influence.
Brewer tells Biggs to slow down the pace
Little progress has been made on Gov. Jan Brewer’s agenda for the legislative session, and she’s sending a clear signal that she wants to see some movement on her priorities before she deals with theirs. But the Ninth Floor says Brewer isn’t threatening to dust off the veto stamp.
Print v. online: Public notice bill sparks debate
A bill to remove the requirement that cities and counties publish public notices in a newspaper – and instead allow them to publish the notice only on the municipality’s website – was voted down in the House on Wednesday. But the battle over is far from over.
Lawmakers question putting children into isolation rooms
After the approach was compared to prison scenes in the movie “Cool Hand Luke,” a Mesa lawmaker took the first step Monday toward ending the practice of placing unruly schoolchildren in isolation rooms.
Tempe Democrat recycling old bills, hoping Legislature eventually will pay attention
Sen. Ed Ableser came out of the gate sprinting — pre-filing 17 bills before the session began. But after seven years in Legislature’s Democratic minority, previously as a member of the House, he has learned to temper his hopes of actually getting them signed into law.
Andy Tobin: Federal cuts, uncertainty over ‘Obamacare’ forced tough choices
With his first full session as speaker of the House under his belt, Andy Tobin is feeling pretty pleased with the way things turned out: a balanced budget, money in the “rainy day” fund, and a second economic development package all signed by the governor.
Chad Campbell: Democrats label session as ‘a lot of missed opportunities’
House Minority Leader Chad Campbell was a little more hopeful this session. The state had some money to spend, and the Legislature wasn’t going to have to do as much budget-slashing as they had in previous years. Maybe now, he thought, they could start restoring some funding that had been cut.
Brewer tours innovation center’s new facilities
Gov. Jan Brewer toured the new facilities of the Arizona Center for Innovation, saying that the high-tech business incubator is "part of the engine that will power us into Arizona's second century."
Lawmakers cast wary eyes on rosy surplus projections
While they’re uncomfortable with Gov. Jan Brewer’s higher revenue forecast in two years, Republican lawmakers aren’t rejecting her spending plan outright.
In fact, many are agreeable to some of the expenditures Brewer is seeking.
Q&A with Gov. Jan Brewer
Gov. Jan Brewer has never had a legislative session like this.
After three years of fiscal crises and emergency budget fixes, Brewer went into the 2012 legislative session with a projected surplus. The biggest budget problem Brewer faces now is what to do with as much as $1.5 billion in extra revenue.
