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Committee chairs seek balance between gatekeeper and ‘God’
The first major hurdle every piece of legislation faces in the House or Senate is a committee leader with the ability to unilaterally kill bills, and some chairs are more willing to do it than others.
Session Wrap with Charlene Fernandez
House Minority Leader Charlene Fernandez came into the 2019 legislative session hopeful that the 31-29 split in the chamber would lead to more opportunities for her Democratic colleagues.
Session Wrap with Rusty Bowers
Even after a taxing 134-day session, House Speaker Rusty Bowers remains patently himself when he sits down with the Arizona Capitol Times – reflective, resolute and ready with a story, which this time was about the day his brother shot himself in the foot.
Talk of bipartisan budget turns to bitter words at session’s end
A session that began with lofty promises — at least in the Senate — of bipartisan collaboration, the likes of which had rarely been seen before, ended with Democrats united against the budget and decrying a lack of working across the aisle.
The Breakdown: Have you no honor?
How exactly do you work with someone you believe has betrayed you? That’s a question some lawmakers are asking themselves about the state’s county prosecutors after what some saw as an 11th hour reversal on criminal justice reform measures.
Prosecutors’ honor questioned as criminal justice measures die
Arizona lawmakers stymied this year in their quests to revamp the criminal justice system are re-evaluating how to work with prosecutors next year after what some described as an 11th-hour betrayal.
The Breakdown: Our watch has ended
Sine die watch is finally over after the Senate approved an $11.8 billion budget on Memorial Day
Budget stalls as number of GOP holdouts grows
After Republican leaders boasted that they would introduce a budget Monday and finish it this week, the Arizona Senate adjourned Thursday evening with no budget vote and a warning from Senate President Karen Fann that lawmakers should be prepared to work Saturday and Memorial Day.
House preliminarily approves pro-life proposal
The House gave preliminary approval today for a bill that sets aside $2.5 million to be awarded to an organization that would provide referral services for pregnant women and new mothers.
House Republican threatens vote against budget
Saying the budget agreement crafted by GOP legislative leaders and Gov. Doug Ducey is “not a conservative budget,” Rep. Tony Rivero, R-Peoria, vowed to vote against it Thursday unless his colleagues agreed to several significant changes.
Bill allows 10 Navajo Nation students to use Arizona vouchers across state lines
The Arizona Department of Education and state legislators came to a compromise that would no longer punish students and parents on the Navajo reservation who use school vouchers to attend out-of-state schools.
Republicans brace for budget battle as Dems sit on sideline
An $11.8 billion spending plan was introduced in the Arizona Legislature late Tuesday afternoon, setting GOP leaders and Gov. Doug Ducey on a collision course with a handful of Republican senators who said they’ll vote no on the budget deal.
