State Capitol News

By Howard Fischer

Phoenix, AZ – State lawmakers took the first steps this afternoon to making
further budget adjustments -- including several that could end up
closing all state parks. Arizona Public Radio's Howard Fischer
reports.

By Howard Fischer

Phoenix, AZ – Governor Jan Brewer said today she's calling lawmakers into
special session on Thursday to deal with the budget. But she's missing
something.

By Howard Fischer

Phoenix, AZ – The future of whether state residents will get a chance to hike
their sales taxes to balance the budget depends this morning on
whether House Democrats are willing to go along.

By Howard Fischer

Phoenix, AZ – Plans for a special session this coming week have hit a snag. And
Arizona Public Radio's Howard Fischer reports the problem is not
partisan.

There appears to be the votes in both the House and Senate to put
a measure on the ballot for a temporary hike in the state sales
tax. That has been a cornerstone of the plan by Gov. Jan Brewer
to deal with the current budget shortfall as well as deficits for
the next few years.

By Howard Fischer

Phoenix, AZ – Some new figures today show that while interest in gambling may
be down, it's hardly gone away.

Economist Alan Meister estimates that tribes in Arizona had gross
gaming revenues of about $1.9 billion last year. That's about 6
percent less than the year before. Meister said that drop is not
surprising.

By Howard Fischer

Phoenix, AZ – Governor Jan Brewer went to Washington Tuesday, at least in part
to convince Congress to reject efforts to enact health care
reform at the expense of states.

Brewer said the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System, the
state's Medicaid program, already provides coverage for 1.3
million residents below the federal poverty level, about $18,000
a year for a family of three.

By Howard Fischer

Phoenix, AZ – State and university employees could wind up with I-O-Us in their
pay envelopes in February instead of checks. Arizona Public
Radio's Howard Fischer explains why.

It's no secret that, even with the budget fixes last month, the
state is still running $1.6 billion in the red. That's largely
due to sales tax collections coming in at rates far below last
year as consumers keep their purses and wallet closed.

By Howard Fischer

Phoenix, AZ – A veteran state senator is making a new push to ask voters to let
lawmakers put limits on jury awards.

By Howard Fischer

Phoenix, AZ – The state Supreme Court won't block enforcement of a new state
law that requires public employees to report illegal immigrants.

The law says any public employee who fails to report discovered
violations of federal immigration statutes can be sent to jail
for up to four months. It also allows state residents who
believes public workers aren't following the law to file suit.

By Howard Fischer

Phoenix, AZ – A panel of economists predicted today the state will continue to
lose jobs well into next year.

Economist Lee McPheters of Arizona State University said that as
bad as things were in the recessions of 1991 and 2001 the state
did not lose jobs.