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Lawmakers miss fewer votes this year
10 senators, 15 House members log perfect attendance on floor votes
Lawmaker wants a system for evaluating online courses
A state lawmaker wants to create an institute that would recommend whether online courses offered by private companies meet state standards before public schools decide whether to use them.
Lawmaker proposes special diploma to help high schoolers get community college credit
A state lawmaker is proposing a new diploma that would allow high school students to attend community colleges or technical schools as early as sophomore year.
House panel OKs bill to link AIMS, passing 3rd grade
A bill that would link passage of third grade to a student’s performance on the AIMS test has been approved by the House Education Committee.
Liquor agency chief survives criticism, has governor’s support
Jerry Oliver said his first few years as director of the Arizona Department of Liquor Licenses and Control were like setting up triage in a disaster zone. But while he was working on those wounds, he wasn't treating some chronic diseases that had lingered for almost a decade.
Lawmakers’ first duty: Show up and vote
Here’s the simple mathematics of representative government: Arizona taxpayers pay for lawmakers to show up and vote on every bill in the Legislature. Now here’s the flaw in that equation: Lawmakers get paid whether they show up or not. Unfortunately, many Arizona residents were underrepresented at the Capitol during last year’s regular legislative session.
Long session led to many missed votes
The Arizona House of Representatives held 382 floor votes during the 2009 regular session, which stretched into July as lawmakers struggled with the budget deficit. Rep. Rich Crandall, a Mesa Republican, didn't participate in 254 of them, nearly two-thirds of the total.
Mixed messages emerge from school override, bond votes
If there's a message in the results of this month's school bond and budget override votes, the meaning is up for wide interpretation. The approval rate for overrides and bond issues requested by school districts on Nov. 2 was lower than the five-year average, leading some to conclude that the public's willingness to pay more taxes for education has decreased.
School districts betting heavily on upcoming overrides
For many Arizona school districts, a lot is riding on upcoming November budget override elections. Schools already have been hit by state budget reductions, and many districts will have to cut programs and staff even further unless they receive a funding boost from override elections.
Gambling pitched as Arizona’s budget salvation
The struggling Arizona racing industry is hoping it can sell lawmakers on a proposal to help racetracks stay open and give the state hundreds of millions of dollars in new revenue. But the idea faces resistance on several fronts, as it would expand gambling by allowing "racinos" and by lifting limits on tribal casinos.
Education funding battle heats up
Lawmakers and representatives from the education community clashed over funding for Arizona's public education during a forum Oct. 20 at a downtown restaurant. Rep. Rich Crandall, a Mesa Republican, said he was taking the position as a "realist" and warned that cuts to education are inevitable next year given the size of the state's budget deficit.
Capitol Quotes 9/25
"It's too much money. It's so beyond the market price. I've never heard of an amount like that at this level. It would be a waste, or just dumb." - Constantin Querard, testifying Sept. 21 in support of Rep. Doug Quelland's appeal of a Citizens Clean Elections Commission ruling earlier this year. Querard was referring to $15,000 contract Quelland signed for political consulting.
