End of House media ban means all eyes on budget
House Speaker David Gowan's decision to lift a ban on journalists covering proceedings from the House floor means all eyes are again focused on stalled negotiations on a nearly $10 billion state budget package.
Nest Eggs: Governor, Legislature plan to keep leftover funds
When times were tough and money was scarce, the Governor’s Office and Legislature held onto millions in leftover funds while cutting budgets elsewhere. Now that Arizona’s budget is back in the black, they’re showing little interest in changing course.
Reports show House travel spending more than doubled
The House is required to report its spending to the Arizona Department of Administration’s General Accounting Office. Although those records don’t detail which lawmakers or staff the chamber’s travel expenses were on behalf of, they offer a glimpse of the chamber’s spending on travel in the past year.
Battle over surplus money looms in 2016
There's a twist this year to what has been the perennial big fight at the Capitol over money. Arizona has too much of it.
Educators reveal how they handle tough times in schools throughout the state
Torunn Randich flew halfway around the world just to attend a job fair for the Phoenix Union High School District. Now an 11th-grade English teacher at Carl Hayden High School, Randich, 38, was teaching in the United Arab Emirates at the time.
School groups call for special session on inflation funding
A throng of education groups urged Gov. Doug Ducey today to call a special session to use a budget surplus to settle a nearly $2 billion lawsuit over inflation funding for public schools.
Ducey to sell three state planes, consolidate state air fleet
Gov. Doug Ducey plans to sell three state planes, consolidate the state’s air fleet and cancel the planned purchase of expensive aerial camera equipment, which the Governor’s Office estimates will save the state nearly $2.5 million.
The future is all that matters
Burns doesn’t sound keen on taking up the Republic’s suggestion that he compel APS to disclose whether it spent money on the Corp Comm race last year. But while Burns might not want to revisit last year’s campaigns, he told our reporter he is interested in what utilities do in next year’s Corp Comm races.
Plan to expand overtime rules could reach 100,000 Arizona salaried workers
The Department of Labor announced plans Tuesday to expand overtime guarantees to about 5 million salaried workers who are not now covered, including an estimated 100,000 white-collar workers in Arizona.
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[...]
Arizona Regents approve university tuition hikes
Most students attending Arizona public universities will see tuition and fee increases between 3 and 4 percent next fall after the Arizona Board of Regents approved the boosts Monday to deal with cuts in state funding.
Gowan pursues House renovations despite GOP revolt
Reaction was quick and decisive when House Republicans learned of Speaker David Gowan’s plans for a second large-scale renovation of the chamber in the past six months.