Brewer gave ground on education, but forced concessions of her own
Caught between her vow to hold the line on education funding and a Legislature determined to structurally balance the budget for the first time in years, Gov. Jan Brewer prodded lawmakers to make compromises that gave both sides most of what they wanted.
Legislature to revote budget bill after engrossing error discovered
The budget isn’t quite done yet.
Lawmakers are expected to vote again today on one of the budget bills that was originally approved last week after it was discovered they passed a version that included an amendment they never actually adopted.
Flake raises $1 million for US Senate run
Arizona Rep. Jeff Flake says he's raised more than $1 million for his effort to win a U.S. Senate seat being vacated by fellow Republican Jon Kyl in 2012.
Flagstaff school district facing $7 million gap
Flagstaff schools are facing a $7 million budget gap in the district's $64 million operations budget despite a new 15 percent budget override approved by voters.
Firearms bill pits property owners’ rules against Second Amendment rights
Republicans in the House may soon be put in the sticky situation of having to choose between two conflicting principles that form the bedrock of their party’s views on personal liberty: property rights and gun rights.
Arizona Medicaid considers tax on smokers, obese
Arizona's cash-strapped Medicaid program is considering charging patients $50 a year if they smoke, have diabetes or are overweight.
After all-night session, House finally passes budget
It’s no joke – the House has passed a budget on April Fool’s day, after nearly 17 hours of deliberation and discussion that began the previous afternoon.
Discussions started at 3:30 p.m. yesterday in the House Appropriations Committee. From there, the bills moved through the House Rules Committee, then the Committee of the Whole, and finally to a vote. The House finally adjourned [...]
Use medical marijuana sales tax money for transplants
I have had a pretty tough month, but it pales in comparison to those in need of a life-saving organ transplant.
Kirk Adams: Agreement reached on Arizona budget
Arizona House Speaker Kirk Adams says the Legislature's majority Republicans and Republican Gov. Jan Brewer have reached an agreement on a new state budget's overall framework.
House plans to hear Senate budget bills this afternoon
The House this morning pushed back a long-awaited hearing of Senate budget bills passed earlier this month, but the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee said the spending plan will definitely be considered later today.
Ann Kirkpatrick announces plans to run again
Former Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick has confirmed she is running for the U.S. House of Representatives. Kirkpatrick served one term in the House before losing last fall to Republican U.S. Rep. Paul Gosar.
The Art of Budgeting: Spending bills often include issues beyond money — like policy changes
It may be free from gimmicks and other accounting maneuvers, but the Senate’s budget could not escape the perennial inclusion of policy changes whose ties to actual budgeting are, at best, tenuous.