Gov. Jan Brewer announced that Arizona will use state funds to keep Grand Canyon National Park open for an additional nine days if the federal shutdown persists.

An organizer of the recall attempt against Democratic Rep. Chad Campbell said the committee collected enough signatures to put the House minority leader on the ballot, but was not “authorized” to submit them before the now-passed deadline.

A bill that would make it more difficult for recently unemployed people in Arizona to collect unemployment benefits is likely to land on Republican Gov. Jan Brewer's desk.

The self-proclaimed "America's Toughest Sheriff" joined forces this weekend with action movie star Steven Seagal to train volunteer armed posse members to defend Phoenix-area schools against gunmen.

As one of only three representatives in their fourth and final term in the state House, Speaker Andy Tobin, a Republican from Paulden, has more institutional knowledge than most. He has risen through the ranks from freshman, to the majority whip, to majority leader, to the top position in the House. Tobin, who because of term limits is unable to run for re-election to the House, has seen the state through surplus and deficit. Looking back on his time in the Legislature, he is determined to leave the state in better condition than it was when he was first elected.

The House of Representatives released its committee assignments yesterday, leaving Democrats, who control 40 percent of the seats in the chamber, with 35.8 percent of the committee assignments. But Minority Leader Chad Campbell said the margins are still better than in previous years.

The incoming Senate minority leader, who is the first African-American woman to lead the Democratic caucus, is a pragmatist who is comfortable reaching across the aisle and is more inclined to resolve issues than pour gasoline on them.

Arizona lawmakers have convened a special session to address extending unemployment benefits for those who have been out of work for more than a year, but there won’t be a vote today.

Sen. Rebecca Rios, an Apache Junction Democrat and the assistant minority leader, will likely succeed Sen. Jorge Garcia, the Democratic leader who is termed-out and is running for the Corporation Commission.