House approves tax exemption for pesticides, fertilizers
The preliminary vote by the full House came following pleas from lawmakers representing agricultural communities that it's unfair to require those who grow food for Arizonans and people across the county to pay taxes on items they need.
ERA legislation assures equality for all
Equality in life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness constitutionally is guaranteed to all American citizens. That very notion is so etched in our nation’s history and seared in our hearts and minds that its absence defies logic. Nonetheless, more than half of U.S. citizens lack equal application and protection of law under the Constitution.
Young people exempt from minimum wage under Republican bill
Insisting it will be good for young people, a House panel voted Monday to let employers pay students who are part-time workers just two-thirds as much as they do anyone else.
Big push on ballot referrals ends with just 2 passed
The Arizona Legislature referred two measures to the ballot this year, more than lawmakers referred in 2016 when they instead focused their attention on trying to defeat several citizen initiatives.
Dem House freshmen break tradition, turn up the ‘volume’
The lack of governmental or lawmaking experience hasn’t stopped these women from using this opportunity to speak out for causes that are important to them and for pushing for changes at the Legislature.
National popular vote and other ideas that did not make the cut
By the time this year’s legislative session adjourned sine die, lawmakers passed 395 out of 1,180 bills, memorials and resolutions. About 70 percent of 2017's big ideas failed.
Testy session, debates marked by use of ‘impugning’ rule in House
Throughout the 2017 legislative session, the House floor was a hotbed of animosity, as Democratic lawmakers repeatedly tested the boundaries of what they could say about their colleagues, and Republican lawmakers repeatedly tested the limits of how far the chamber’s rules could stretch to limit speech.