The board that oversees Arizona’s pension system for police, firefighter and other public safety employees voted to urge Gov. Jan Brewer to call a special session to fix funding problems in the state’s public employees’ pension system, though it declined to recommend the only concrete plan proposed so far.

Democratic Sen. Ed Ableser of Tempe regained his title of most absentee lawmaker this year, showing up for only 62 percent of Senate floor sessions, though he voted on 70 percent of all the bills put before the chamber.

An Arizona Supreme Court ruling that struck down a 2011 pension reform law as unconstitutional is leading lawmakers and public safety employee groups to consider new possibilities.

The award for best legislative batting average for the session — the calculation of bills introduced versus bills signed into law — goes to Rep. David Livingston, a freshman Republican lawmaker from Peoria who has been vocally critical of the governor.

Advocates of a financing mechanism that would allow cities to bond against future tax revenues to fund special projects are hoping 2013 will be a year of success after running into roadblocks in the past several legislative sessions. But the foe who blocked a similar proposal two years ago appears poised to strike it down once again.

The House approved a measure that would repeal automatic benefit increases for new state employees, and change benefits for surviving family members of deceased Arizona state employees.

A plan championed by Arizona House Speaker Andy Tobin that would eliminate pensions for new elected officials and judges and replace them with 401(k) style retirement plans is set for its first hearing in the Arizona House Tuesday.

Moving Arizona’s presidential preference election earlier in the primary cycle would give the state a greater say in national politics, a state representative contends.

In an attempt to give Arizona a more influential role in deciding who will run for president, a Republican state lawmaker introduced a bill to hold Arizona’s presidential primary earlier, tying the election date to the date of the Iowa caucus.

Incumbent House Rep. Phil Lovas of Peoria is well-positioned to retain his northwest Valley legislative seat, the early tally by the Secretary of State showed.