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Sale of state prisons running into wall of opposition
When lawmakers chose April Fool’s Day as the deadline to submit a plan to privatize the state’s prison system, they unwittingly telegraphed just how dubious the plan was. First, the whole idea of putting state prisons under private control was a difficult sell to the public. Then there was a question about how many of the state’s 10 prisons to auction off.
Pearce bill would give sheriffs, others more power over budgets
The constant budget battles between Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio and the Board of Supervisors could be a thing of the past, or at least more muted than they have been, if Sen. Russell Pearce can get a long-sought bill through the Legislature.
Brewer may use immigration in move to the right
At a time when Gov. Jan Brewer needs all the Republican support she can muster, some see her recent statements about illegal immigration as a way to court the conservative base. But what role the contentious issue will play in the 2010 Republican primary is far from certain.
Capitol Quotes 11/20
"This state is in crisis and it is very disappointing and frankly embarrassing that one member of our caucus did not have the decency to show up. I left the floor open to give him every opportunity to do the right thing." - Senate President Bob Burns, noting in a media release that he is disappointed that Sen. Thayer Verschoor was absent from the floor during the final Senate vote on budget bills.
Lawmakers consider seeking exemption from stimulus requirements
Standing between lawmakers and millions of dollars in budget cuts to education are three letters - M-O-E. Since Arizona started drawing federal stimulus funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, some lawmakers have decried the maintenance-of-effort, or MOE, requirements for portions of the money.
Pearce offers amendment, then pulls it back
During a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing on Nov. 18, Sen. Russell Pearce, a Republican from Mesa who chairs the committee, offered an amendment that would have dictated how Pima and Maricopa counties would have to pay $22 million to the state.
First Senate bill targets officials’ use of public money for ads
The first bill filed in the Legislature for next year's regular session seeks to curb statewide politicians' use of public money for self-promotion. The idea is not new. Similar legislation was filed in the past with no success.
Lawmakers getting hammered in court; resources strained
Arizona's 49th Legislature has been tasked with keeping the state financially afloat during the most troubling economic times in state history. But the choices lawmakers made this year in an effort to balance the budget have led to six lawsuits challenging the state's use of fund sweeps to fill in deficits.
A different kind of effort
Sen. Russell Pearce told our reporter yesterday he is advocating lawmakers "simply ignore" the maintenance of effort requirements for K-12, universities and healthcare funding that the state agreed to when it accepted the federal stimulus aid earlier this year.
Capitol Quotes 10/23
"Apparently, myself and Senator Gorman are... kind of like the anti-tax Jedi knights. We are the last Jedi banished to the hinterlands, so asking what our opinion on what leadership is going to do is probably the wrong place to ask." - Sen. Ron Gould, a Republican from Lake Havasu City, when asked his thoughts of what will happen during a special session this fall.
Pearce: Stemming illegal immigration is Arizona’s top priority
Sen. Russell Pearce, the chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee said illegal immigration is his top priority, even as Arizona grapples with the largest budget deficit in state history. "I just don't know what it takes to wake people up," Pearce, a Mesa Republican, said during a press conference on Oct. 21.
Pearce sets out to eliminate ‘sanctuary’ policies, create new fines for businesses
In addition to granting civil subpoena power to county attorneys for employer sanctions investigations, Sen. Russell Pearce is working on other legislation to crack down on illegal immigration in Arizona.
