Hayden Samples, the reader at the Arizona House of Representatives, stands out from the sea of dull black, gray and brown outfits with his three-piece suits, colorful bolo ties and boots one might mistake for a snake.

Arizona Senate President Andy Biggs said he wants to end the 2015 legislative session by Thursday ai??i?? a target that would make it the shortest session in nearly 50 years.

WASHINGTON – Arizona Republican Sens. John McCain and Jeff Flake joined an overwhelming majority of senators Thursday to pass a bill banning workplace discrimination based on an employee’s sexual orientation or gender identity.

The incoming class of lawmakers contains a relatively high number of new members — and like children heading to their first day of school, those newbies bring with them outside experiences, fresh ideas and optimism. But one thing they often don’t bring is a working knowledge of the issues and the process.

Lawmakers wrapped up their work at 8:25 p.m. on May 3 after nearly four months in session, having stashed away money for anticipated rainy days ahead, approved a sweeping measure that allows state workers to be more easily fired and fought on the unending battlefronts of abortion, taxation and border security.

And like the year before, lawmakers with conservative leanings shaped the agenda at the Capitol.

As Republican lawmakers begin to receive briefings on the budget deal that GOP leaders and the Governor’s Office agreed to in principle April 25, details are beginning to emerge.

The major sticking point between the two sides has been revenue projections — not just for the upcoming fiscal year, which begins July 1, but also for the following two years. Though Gov. Jan Brewer had been unwilling to adopt the Legislature’s more cautious revenue estimates, it appears she had a change of mind.

Conservative lawmakers who rose to power following the last election set the tone for this session and left significant marks on major pieces of legislation that have come to define the achievements and failures of Arizona’s 50th Legislature, which wrapped up the annual legislative session just as the sun was rising this morning.