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Report ranks Arizona ninth nationally in state, local reliance on sales taxes
Arizona ranks ninth nationally in its reliance on sales taxes to fund its state and local governments, according to a report by a nonpartisan tax research organization. The Washington, D.C.-based Tax Foundation found that 48.4 percent of Arizona's tax base came from general sales taxes and from selective sales taxes on motor fuel, tobacco, insurance premiums, public utilities, amusements and al[...]
Brewer: mistakes were made
Gov. Jan Brewer has acknowledged that she made mistakes as she pursued a budget deal with the Legislature, although she didn’t elaborate on exactly what they were “Obviously I did... […]
Lawmakers from both parties criticize Brewer’s budget action
The governor’s actions on the state budget drew jeers from both Republicans and Democrats, but for wildly different reasons. House Speaker Kirk Adams and Senate President Bob Burns, both Republicans, said Gov. Jan Brewer increased state spending by more than $350 million with her line-item-vetoes of cuts to K-12 education and the Department of Economic Security, which provides benefits for Arizo[...]
Brewer vetoes part of budget, blames ‘extremists’ from both parties
Blaming “extremists” from both parties for holding up the budget process and threatening the state with bankruptcy, Gov. Jan Brewer on Sept. 4 signed large swaths of the budget that she said will help the state “weather the storm” until the next legislative session. But she vetoed parts of the main spending bill, including $300 million in cuts to K-12 schools and DES. She also vetoed the b[...]
Democratic leader: Five-party talks fall apart
Last-ditch budget negotiations between Republicans and Democrats appear to have fallen apart, which makes it unlikely Gov. Jan Brewer will see her sales-tax-increase proposal on a ballot any time soon.
Poll: Brewer very unpopular among voters
A new poll was released today (Aug. 31), and the results don’t bode well for Gov. Jan Brewer’s chances for election to a full term. It also looks bad for... […]
House, Senate adjourn; Budget vote stalls again
***UPDATED AT 4:15 P.M.*** Senators seemed poised to bring the budget bills to the floor on Aug. 11, but instead adjourned for the day after meeting for less than a half-hour.
Burns’ gambit: Inside Senate president’s strategy
Lawmakers and legislative staff members say there are two distinct sides to Bob Burns: The ideological Burns shows up in January, and the pragmatist Burns usually winds down the session.
Senate falls one vote short, may try again today
Despite intense lobbying, Republican leaders failed to persuade Sen. Pamela Gorman to vote for a referral for a sales tax increase. Brewer talked with Gorman, the majority whip, for more than an hour at Gorman's Senate office, but the governor was apparently unable to persuade the senator to change her mind.
Agreement in hand; vote expected tonight
Gov. Jan Brewer and House Speaker Kirk Adams announced that they and Senate President Bob Burns have reached a tentative budget deal, which they hope will be approved in the Legislature by the end of the night.
Brewer frustrated by budget inaction
Gov. Jan Brewer said she is disappointed in the pace of the Legislature’s special session and urged lawmakers to move swiftly in approving a full budget.
Arm-twisting fails in budget-balancing drama
The final days of the first regular session of the 49th Legislature were punctuated by fits and starts over the passage of a budget deal Republican leaders reached with Gov. Jan Brewer, as lawmakers aborted one attempt after another to approve the package, finally doing so hours after the new fiscal year began.
