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Gay marriage ruling will bring renewed push for religious liberty protections
With marriage licenses just starting to be issued to gay couples across the state, lawmakers are already talking about ways to protect religious organizations and businesses from being forced to participate in gay marriages, and SB1062 is back on the forefront of many minds.
Lawmakers eyeing e-cigarette taxation in light of looming budget deficit
The devastating recent state budget projections have some lawmakers eyeing additional taxes on e-cigarettes as a new source of revenue that could help bridge the $1 billion projected deficit by next year.
Brewer signs lending bill opposed by AARP and other groups
Despite objections from the AARP and a coalition that once defeated the payday lending industry, lending firms can soon collect the maximum interest fee on slightly bigger loans.
Unfinished business: Despite budget compromise CPS fight continues
Gov. Jan Brewer made Child Protective Services the centerpiece of her legislative agenda this year, but after four months of debate, lawmakers sent her a budget that leaves much of the work and funding necessary to create a new child protection agency unfinished.
Arizona House breaks deadlock, begins debate on state budget
The Arizona House has begun debating a state budget plan that adds spending to the plan passed by the Senate.
Splitting the House
Shope eyes smaller districts for state representatives
Rep. T.J. Shope wants to cut Arizona’s massive House of Representatives districts in half.
The first-term lawmaker hasn’t completed his plans yet, but is strongly leaning toward a proposal that would split the House districts in half. Rather than have each legislative district elect two House members at large[...]
Conservative LD leaders reprimand GOP lawmakers for pro-Medicaid votes; competitive LD leaders say it’s counterproductive
Long before lawmakers took a vote on Medicaid expansion, Republican precinct committeemen across the state issued a warning to GOP legislators: If you vote for expansion, we will do everything we can to take you out in the next primary election.
The perils of voting yes to Medicaid expansion
Long before casting their votes for Medicaid expansion and a bipartisan budget proposal, Republican lawmakers who chose to support Gov. Jan Brewer had been issued a warning: Vote yes at your own risk.
Brewer gets her way
House and Senate approve Medicaid expansion, ending months of debate
After a bitter and prolonged debate that ripped apart Republican majorities in the House and Senate, Arizona lawmakers approved Gov. Jan Brewer’s Medicaid expansion proposal and sent it to her for her signature.
Rep. Shope goes from on the fence to (mostly) on board
Republican Rep. T.J. Shope started out as a blank slate on Medicaid expansion, with no opinion on the governor’s proposal and no substantial background knowledge of the issue.
Legislature offers surprises, challenges for large class of freshmen lawmakers
Freshman Republican Rep. Adam Kwasman of Oro Valley came up to the Legislature with big plans to enact big ideas.
Deep split among GOP lawmakers to AHCCCS expansion
When Gov. Jan Brewer announced her proposal to expand Medicaid to the full amount advocated by the federal health care law, Republican leadership in the House and Senate received a fight they didn’t ask for, and one they didn’t know was coming.
