A plan by business leaders to ask voters for a 1.5-cent sales tax hike for education at the 2020 ballot could set the stage for a possibly expensive battle with Gov. Doug Ducey and his Koch brothers allies -- assuming Ducey is still in office at that point.
Read More »Lawyers pitch Medicaid expansion arguments to judge who compares hearing to ‘spring training’ 
The debate over whether a hospital assessment that funds Arizona’s 2013 Medicaid expansion program should have needed a two-thirds vote in the Legislature hinged on not only whether it’s a tax or an assessment, but whether that even matters in determining if a legislative supermajority was required.
Read More »Pima County sues state, saying it shifted burden to county taxpayers 
Pima County sued the state of Arizona Monday to block a new budget provision the county says shifts tax burdens away from the state and on to county taxpayers.
Read More »Brewer leaving legacy of fighting Obama, federal government
Gov. Jan Brewer fought President Barack Obama on immigration and border security for most of her tenure, earning national prominence by enacting tough laws that were mainly struck down by the courts and famously wagging her finger in the president's face during a meeting on an airport tarmac.
Read More »Democrats increase their numbers, but keep wish list short 
Despite the boost that Democrats received in the November election, their list of goals for upcoming budget negotiations are relatively short and mostly focused on money for education and health care.
Read More »School-tax proposition raises question of funding via voters or elected representatives
Is deciding how to fund education in Arizona best done by lawmakers or voters? That’s a key point of debate with Arizonans ready to decide whether to adopt a permanent 1-cent per dollar sales tax that would be earmarked primarily for education but also for human services and transportation.
Read More »Brewer opposes proposed Arizona sales tax increase 
Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer says she opposes a proposed state sales tax increase. Initiative petitions filed last month would have Arizona voters decide in November on a permanent increase of a penny on the dollar.
Read More »Tax increase for jobless benefits moving again
Legislation to levy a temporary tax increase on Arizona employers to repay borrowing for unemployment benefits is moving again at the Legislature after being stalled for nearly two months.
Read More »Goddard: No Prop 100 support without Brewer veto of tax cuts
Attorney General Terry Goddard weighed in on Proposition 100 for the first time, saying he cannot support the temporary sales tax increase without an assurance from Gov. Jan Brewer that she will veto a tax cuts package being considered in the Legislature.
Read More »Brewer looks back on session 
Gov. Jan Brewer is not a governor prone to second-guessing. While many lawmakers are eager to point out where they think she went wrong during her first legislative session on the Ninth Floor, whether it be her near single-minded pursuit of a temporary sales tax increase or their belief that she didn't communicate enough with legislators, Brewer doesn't appear to be having second thoughts.
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