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LD19 committeemen nominate 3 potential replacements for Adams, send picks to county board for final selection
After more than three hours of discussion, debate and voting, three potential replacements for former House Speaker Kirk Adams were chosen.
GOP reduced deficit, passed protection measures in 100-day session
Two weeks ago the Republican Legislature wrapped up its business in only 100 days, a feat that was last accomplished over a decade ago and heralded by the media as if it was the main story line of this session.
Lawmakers’ voting participation remains high in shorter session
Records from the past three legislative sessions point to a simple truism of the citizen-legislature model: The shorter the session, the better the attendance.
By keeping a 100-day session — the length prescribed by legislative rules — 27 of the Legislature’s 90 members voted on every bill that was brought to the floor, and only one lawmaker missed more than 20 percent of floor vo[...]
Few see increase in civility following Giffords’ shooting
The January shooting in Tucson, which occurred just two days before the 2011 legislative session began, inspired soul searching among rattled and emotional lawmakers, who pledged a new era of civility across the partisan divide. Others vowed drastic changes to Arizona’s laws on guns and mental health in response to a mass shooting carried out by a man with documented-but-untreated mental health [...]
UpClose with David Schapira: Found some success at blocking legislation with ‘watchdog’ approach
The Senate minority announced an audacious goal this year — to put the spotlight on Republicans and their legislation. That task fell to a young father to articulate his party’s positions in a year when Republicans, who are control both chambers, don’t even need a single Democratic vote to pass emergency legislation.
The immediate challenge for Senate Minority Leader David Schapir[...]
UpClose with Russell Pearce: Recognizes he’s not ‘a party of one,’ can’t do whatever he wants
If you’re looking for proof of how much more conservative the Senate emerged after last year’s election, look no further than the selection of Sen. Russell Pearce, a Republican from Mesa, as the chamber’s leader.
Pearce is often perceived as unmovable, uncompromising, even single-minded — traits that may be good or bad, depending on which side of the aisle you’re sitting. Many[...]
UpClose with Chad Campbell: House Dems strive for transparency, cite ‘broken’ budget process
With a mere third of the House of Representatives being Democrats, Minority Leader Chad Campbell knew it was going to be an uphill battle trying to put a dent in the Republicans’ agenda this past session.
Predictably, the Democrats couldn’t get their proposals for tax reforms into the budget, nor could they stop a torrent of conservative legislation. But Campbell said that they did [...]
UpClose with Kirk Adams: Session was ‘culmination’ of legislative career
House Speaker Kirk Adams had quite the final year in the Legislature, authoring a major overhaul of the state’s public pension system and finally accomplishing last year’s goal of passing a bill aimed at making Arizona more business-friendly.
UpClose with Gov. Jan Brewer: Touts openness, says vetoes represent decision not to ‘blow a hole’ in budget
After two chaotic legislative sessions, things settled down a bit for Gov. Jan Brewer in 2011.
Having won an overwhelming voter mandate in November, Brewer no longer was the governor who simply inherited the job. And with her hard-fought battle for a sales tax increase won, she was no longer the Republican governor who spent most of her time feuding with her own party.
Redistricting commission’s attorney selection prompts criticism from Republicans
Arizona’s Independent Redistricting Commissioners split along party lines Friday over who will serve as the group’s legal counsel, with the commission’s independent chair siding with the Democrats to select the firms Ballard Spahr and Osborn Maledon.
Romney looking for Arizona cash
Mitt Romney will host an Arizona fundraiser next week for his presidential exploratory committee. The host committee includes a number of notable Republicans, including several high-profile members of the Mormon Church.
Freshmen reflect on 2011: Views mainly depend on party affiliation
With more than three tumultuous months under their belt, House and Senate greenhorns have been property initiated. And looking back, some of them seem a little shell-shocked, while others appear to be having the time of their life.
