Lawmakers object to desal process, can’t do anything about it
Lawmakers grilled representatives of the Water Infrastructure Finance Authority and a company that wants to build a desalination plant in Puerto Peñasco, Mexico on Tuesday over a proposal they say was not handled transparently.
Ducey, lawmakers disagree on special session support
Gov. Doug Ducey said that even though he promised to call a special session, he’s not sure if he has support for it. Lawmakers say that’s not the case.
Special session pushed to avoid over $1B in school funding cuts
Democrats and public school officials are again asking Gov. Doug Ducey to call a special legislative session to avoid over $1 billion in K-12 funding cuts this school year, months after Republicans used the promise of a special session as a carrot to bring Democrats on board with this year’s historic bipartisan budget.
Tactic to force vote on gun bill fails
Senate Republicans quashed a bid Tuesday to force a vote on legislation to forbid people from buying weapons unless they first have a background check.
State flush with cash makes for difficult budget negotiations
A Republican lawmaker who says he wants more money for public education is leaving Senate President Karen Fann without the votes she needs for the budget.
Senate panel moves bill to create Lt. Governor
A Senate committee voted Thursday to approve bipartisan legislation that will let voters decide if they want to establish a Lieutenant Governor in Arizona.
Beloved former senator passes away at 83
Former Senator Olivia Cajero Bedford’s passed away on Wednesday, Senator Lisa Otondo, D-Yuma, announced on the floor of the Senate. “She was incredible and represented Southern Arizona values to her... […]
Hobbs damaged by Senate staffer verdict
A federal judge Tuesday denied a bid by the Senate to overturn a $2.75 million discrimination award against the Senate, leaving Secretary of State Katie Hobbs and state Democrats scrambling to blunt the effects of the verdict on her gubernatorial ambitions.
Getting around public records law
When one Democratic state senator was arrested at the start of August, his colleagues snapped into action.
Driving forward for clean air, climate action in Phoenix
While the previously outlined Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework may be a necessary step toward passing a major climate bill, it does not go far enough in addressing air pollution and the climate crisis.
Q&A with Senate Minority Leader Rebecca Rios
The 2021 budget was the worst that Senate Minority Leader Rebecca Rios can remember from the three decades she spent in and out of the Legislature.
Senate threatens lawsuit if Maricopa County balks at potential subpoenas
A plan to contact voters at their doors, which Fann nixed after the U.S. Department of Justice warned it could constitute voter intimidation, could be back on the table after the Senate’s contracted auditors insisted they need door-to-door canvassing to verify results.