Sign In
Free Newsletter
Major pension reform bill passes House
A bill to reform the state's pension systems passed the House today, a major victory for House Speaker Kirk Adams.
Brewer vetoes religious liberty bill, warns of unintended consequences
Citing the possibility of unintended consequences, Gov. Jan Brewer vetoed a bill that would have protected people from losing their professional licenses over their religious beliefs.
Shift in ASRS contribution rate poses costly computer problem
Near the end of the process, after months of debate, House and Senate negotiators needed some additional revenue in order to balance the state’s budget.
STO supporters hail US Supreme Court ruling as victory for school choice movement
Supporters of Arizona’s tax credits for scholarships to religious schools hailed the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the program as a major victory for the school choice movement.
Critics cite unintended consequences of religious protection bill
Leeches, witchcraft and self-help gurus. Those were mentioned in some of the scenarios that critics tossed out when debating a bill guaranteeing that licensed professionals would be protected from religious discrimination.
Bill would expand religious rights on college campuses
Two years after Arizona enacted a policy that sought to prevent discrimination against religious viewpoints in K-12 schools, the state is poised to adopt a similar set of rules for state-supported colleges and universities.
Bumpy road for flat tax proposal Supporters call it fair, but opponents say it raises taxes on the poor
With Republicans firmly in control of the Capitol, the proposal to flatten the state’s individual income tax enjoyed a renaissance of a sort this year, albeit a brief one.
Adams and Yarbrough find compromise on rival pension reform bills
A compromise between House Speaker Kirk Adams and Sen. Steve Yarbrough and their respective pension reform plans passed the House Employment and Regulatory Affairs committee meeting this week.
Sen. Yarbrough: Ban sales of electronic cigarettes to minors
A state senator wants to keep electronic cigarettes out of kids’ hands by making it a petty offense for merchants to sell them to minors and for minors to buy them.
Pension pickle: Public safety employees hate both bills
As talk of pension reform heats up at the Capitol, organizations representing public safety employees such as police officers and firefighters may have to choose among three unappealing options: a bill they hate, a bill they hate even more and lawsuit they might lose.
Capitol Quotes: Feb. 25, 2010
a�?They might buy us our plane ticket out of the state.a�? a�� Rep. Steve Farley, D-Tucson, discussing how the Republicans would react if the Democrats in the House ever decided to leave the state to avoid a vote, as the Democratic senators in Wisconsin did over an anti-union bill.
Yarbrough pension reform plan clears committee
The Senate Appropriations Committee on Wednesday passed Sen. Steve Yarbrough’s plan for overhauling pension systems for public safety employees, despite the near-unanimous opposition of the groups that would be affected.
