Howard Fischer

The legislation crafted by Senator Ron Gould would extend the right to those who have a state-issued permit to carry a concealed weapon, to carry it on university campuses. Gould got a similar measure through the Legislature last year only to have it vetoed by Governor Jan Brewer amid concerns about its wording. He said this new version addressed those issues. But Gould said Tuesday he just could not line up the votes this time around.

The legislation is based on the premise that a fetus is able to experience pain at that point in development. Senator Nancy Barto of Phoenix cited testimony of a doctor who said that a 20-week fetus has sensory receptors all over its body. Barto also said there is evidence that, the later along a pregnancy, the greater the chance of complications for the mother. But Senator Linda Lopez of Tucson said proponents really want to interfere with a woman's legal right to an abortion.

A state judge today threw out an effort by foes of public financing of elections to effectively gag members of the Citizens Clean Elections Commission and its director.

Adena Lees had sent a note to Tuscon Republican Representative Terri Proud urging her to oppose a measure that would ban all abortions after 20 weeks. Lees said she was concerned there were no exceptions for things like fetal anomalies.

Proud wrote back saying she thinks the bill is too lax.

"Personally," Proud wrote, "I'd like to make a law that mandates a woman watch an abortion being performed prior to having a surgical procedure."

State senators voted 20-8 today to legalize existing lighted digital billboards and potentially allow for more.

The state House voted Tuesday to give $700,000 to the Independent Redistricting Commission. But several lawmakers were not happy about it.

Workers at the bottom of the pay scale are going to keep getting raises each year to match inflation -- at least for the time being. 

The data from the state Department of Revenue shows retail sales in January of $3.7 billion. That's nearly 5.4 percent higher than the same time last year -- and more than 16 percent above two years ago. Economist Dennis Hoffman of Arizona State University called that a nice solid month of performance. But Hoffman said there is reason to believe that this year-over-year growth may not continue.

"The headwind right now is $4 gas," said Hoffman. "And that is really going to be the proof in the pudding here."

The director of the the Independent Redistricting Commission decided today to hold off filing suit against the state -- at least for the time being. 

On Thursday Ray Bladine said his agency is out of money and that the Legislature is legally required to provide funding. He said the commission would go to court today to force the issue. But Bladine said he spoke today with John Kavanagh, who chairs the House Appropriations Committee, who assured him that lawmakers would approve at least some of the cash by Wednesday.