GOP lawmaker wants cap on private school tax credits
An effort by some Republicans at the Arizona Legislature to roll back an annual 20 percent boost in the amount of corporate tax credits available for contributions to private school tuition organizations has returned again this session.
AZ Senate GOP chooses new leaders
After successfully defending seats in crucial races, Republicans today met behind closed doors to pick next year’s Senate leaders.
Senate’s conservative gains could cost Driggs GOP leadership post
Jockeying for Senate leadership positions has begun, and one incumbent member of the Republican’s leadership team may be in jeopardy of losing his post.
Chambers’ dilemma: After Common Core and Medicaid, who should they endorse?
In the last two years, more than two dozen legislators who had received the support of the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry during the 2012 elections fought the business community on two of its biggest policy battles — upholding Common Core and expanding Medicaid.
Attempts at solar property tax resolution fail, lawsuit looms
An eleventh-hour change to the state’s annual tax reconciliation bill marked the end of attempts to resolve through legislation a struggle over the way Arizona taxes — or exempts from taxation — leased rooftop solar panels. The move paves the way for a potential lawsuit to settle the matter.
Senate rejects revival of Grand Canyon U tax break
The Arizona Senate on Tuesday narrowly rejected an effort to revive a proposal granting a private Christian university a major break on its property taxes.
Bill to provide tax break for Grand Canyon University scrapped as unconstitutional
Arizona’s House Rules Committee killed a bill that would have given Grand Canyon University a major tax break after attorneys determined the legislation was unconstitutional. The reclassification could have saved the university roughly $750,000 a year in taxes.
Brewing giant MillerCoors pushing tax break on pear cider
State lawmakers are moving to put apples and pears on equal footing, at least for tax purposes. Legislation awaiting House action would extend the same low tax rates that now exist for apple cider to also include anything brewed from pears.
Center for Arizona Policy faces more scrutiny in the wake of SB1062
The international furor over SB1062 has led to a reassessment of the Evangelical Christian lobby behind the bill and whose power at the Capitol was considered to be unparalleled. Some said the Center for Arizona Policy and its president, Cathi Herrod, overreached and gave the state a black eye. Others say that even if its influence is undiminished.
Brewer vetoes SB1062, says non-discrimination is core Arizona value
After days of pressure from business groups and activists, Gov. Jan Brewer vetoed a controversial religious liberty bill, saying it is broadly worded, could have unintended consequences and attempts to fix a problem that doesn’t exist in Arizona.
AZ Dems fire hostile, bizarre amendments at religious discrimination bills
As the minority party in both the House and the Senate, Democrats are powerless to stop what they see as bad legislation from passing through the chambers and heading to the governor’s desk.