ISSUE 7 - February 24, 2012

Legislative Update

Today is the 47th day of the second regular session of Arizona's Centennial Legislature. Nearing the halfway mark of the 100-day session deadline established by House and Senate rule, the pace of legislative activity in the Committees of the Whole and on Third Reading calendars accelerated considerably during the past week.

News from the Capitol this week was dominated by consideration of a legislative budget that was prepared and presented jointly by the House and Senate. The $8.66 billion budget proposes total spending that is $106 million less than last year and nearly $200 million less than the governor proposed in her budget.

Introduced in the Legislature late on Monday (Presidents' Day), the budget was subject to hearings of the Appropriations Committees at 8:00 a.m. the next morning. It was approved by those committees largely on a party-line vote.

While the budget establishes a conservative marker, there seems to be universal consensus and understanding that it does not represent the Legislature's final budgetary effort for the year. Rather, it is expected that passage of the budget (or at least its introduction and consideration by committee) will trigger serious negotiations between the legislative and executive branches of government.

In other news, Phil Lovas, a Peoria Republican, was sworn in on Tuesday, February 21, as the newest member of the House. Lovas was named by the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors to fill the District 4 seat vacated when former Rep. Judy Burges (R-Sun City West) was appointed to the District 4 Senate seat. With the appointment of Lovas, a 43-year-old hotel developer, there remains but one vacancy in the House of Representatives: the District 13 seat formerly occupied by Rep. Richard Miranda (D-Tolleson) until his sudden resignation on February 16. His successor will also be appointed by the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors.



Legislative Bulletin is published by the League of Arizona Cities and Towns.
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Issue 7 - February 24, 2012
Issue 7 - February 24, 2012
Issue 7 - February 24, 2012
Issue 7 - February 24, 2012
Issue 7 - February 24, 2012
Issue 7 - February 24, 2012