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Budget bills advance through the Senate and House
Republicans in the state Legislature are closing in on sending a budget that is likely dead on arrival to Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs next week.
Legislation to override AEL passes House panel
Lawmakers in the state House of Representatives took the first steps in waiving a spending limit that would require each K-12 school in Arizona to cut 17% of its operating budget.
Bill would penalize cities with higher minimum wage than state
State lawmakers are moving to financially penalize cities that have a minimum wage higher than the rest of the state. And they are doing it in a way designed to get around restrictions that voters put on legislators in 2016 when they said cities can have their own base wages.
Gallego holds first events of Arizona Senate campaign
Democrat Ruben Gallego held the first public events of his U.S. Senate campaign Saturday, taking aim at independent incumbent Kyrsten Sinema and casting his candidacy in a patriotic appeal to the American dream.
Pandemic, culture wars revive ‘school choice’ policy push
With memories fresh from pandemic-era school closures and curriculum battles — particularly over how matters of gender and race are taught — legions of parents are trekking to the marble floors of their state Capitols to fight to create education savings accounts, also known as ESAs. Such accounts exist in Arizona and West Virginia, though Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs argues the dollars would be b[...]
Arizona gets failing grades in Lung Association tobacco report card
Arizona lags behind in policies that prevent and reduce tobacco use, according to the American Lung Association’s annual “State of Tobacco Control” report. The state received failing grades in three of five categories and did not improve on any of its grades from last year.
Republicans advance bill that would boost penalties for fentanyl suppliers
Republicans in the state Senate are working to greatly boost the penalties for people who supply the powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl, advancing a bill on Thursday that would subject someone who makes, transports or sells the drug to life in prison or the death penalty if someone dies after taking the drug.
Dems oppose rules limiting record retention, expanding leadership power
The Arizona Senate and House of Representatives adopted new rules packages on party lines this week that would expand the powers of the House speaker and Senate president and drastically reduce requirements for members to retain records.
House committee authorizes placement of memorial to slain journalist Bolles
State lawmakers took the first steps Wednesday to honoring assassinated reporter Don Bolles in the same way Arizona honors various veterans, pioneer women, the Ten Commandments and Jesuit missionary Father Kino. Without dissent the House Government Committee authorized placement of a memorial to The Arizona Republic investigative reporter in Wesley Bolin Plaza.
As session shifts into gear, bipartisan overtures turn to politicking
In the past few weeks, Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs and top Republican lawmakers have engaged in some public mudslinging.
Three current and former GOP lawmakers want to avoid paying legal fees of Democrat
Three current and former Republican lawmakers are hoping to avoid paying the legal fees of a Democrat who a judge said was unfairly sued by them because she and others asked the FBI and Department of Justice to investigate their actions around the Jan. 6 riot.
GOP rental tax ban bill introduced, opposed by cities
One of the Republicans’ pillars to reducing housing costs – banning the rental tax – is now filed in the Legislature.
