Search Results for: andy biggs

By Craig McDermott, cross-posted from Random Musings

 

This week at the legislature started quietly – everybody knew stuff
was happening, but it was all out of public view.  No one knew when the
stalemate over the state's budget was going to break, just that it was
going to happen soon.

Turns out "soon" meant "Tuesday".

Some of Tuesday's events - 

…The Republicans scheduled a House Appropriations Committee meeting
for early Thursday (8 a.m., HHR1) to consider the House's version of a budget
in the form of strike-everything amendments to the package of budget
bills passed by the Senate.

…House Speaker Andy Tobin
(R-Paulden) then adjourned the session of the House until Thursday, in
an apparent attempt to gain an edge in the fight over the budget and
Medicaid restoration.

…Arizona Governor Jan Brewer called them all into a special session to force the passage of a budget and Medicaid restoration.

…And the tea party types EXPLODED –

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Antenori and Gould are former legislators; Biggs and Tobin should be.

by David Safier Every morning I get a news brief from the Capitol Times listing the day's stories. Today's top four headlines and story openings speak of a Republican party in disarray at the state lege and Democrats, for the first time in awhile, having a significant seat at the table. Here they are. Votes … Read more

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Last week the smart money on the sine die pool was that the Arizona legislature would adjourn sine die by this Friday, April 20. That was then, this is now.

The Tea-Publican leadership of the Arizona legislature and the Red Queen, er, Gov. Jan Brewer, reportedly were close to a compromise agreement on the budget. But then the Tea-Publican leadership got a report from their Finance Advisory Committee that they read to be a clear message to be cautious about increased spending over the next three budget years. Report impairs Arizona budget talks Last week's report, a consensus of four economic forecasts, lowered the state's revenue growth for the 2013 fiscal year to 3.4 percent from 5 percent.

"The deal's off!" said the Tea-Publican leaders. "Oh yeah?" said the Red Queen. "Then I will veto any bill you send me until I get the budget I want!" Brewer insisting on budget deal.

The Arizona Republic reported that the real reason for the hold up is that the Tea-Publican legislature will not fund the 5% pay raise for state workers that the Red Queen wants to use as a bribe to state workers to forgo their civil service protection under her bill to destroy the civil service merit selection system and return to the halcion days of Tammany Hall and the spoils system of political patronage. Brewer insisting on budget deal. This is the Red Queen's number one legislative priority.

The Arizona Capitol Times (subscription required) reports today that the Red Queen has a Tea-Publican mutiny on her hands. Ninth Floor: Pierce, Tobin went back on agreement | Arizona Capitol Times:

Gov. Jan Brewer’s decision to not sign any new bills until she gets a budget came only after Senate President Steve Pierce and House Speaker Andy Tobin backtracked on agreements they made with the governor on a handful of spending items, according to a Brewer spokesman.

Matthew Benson said Pierce and Tobin had agreed to several of Brewer’s key spending proposals, including new funding for K-12 education, public safety and the Department of Economic Security. But the two chamber leaders informed her during an April 17 meeting that they were reverting to legislative Republicans’ earlier budget proposal that ignored many of Brewer’s spending priories.

In response, Brewer said she would veto any bill that reached her desk before an acceptable budget was passed, Benson said.

As the political gossip rag The Yellow Sheet Report (subscription required) adds Brewer facing budget mutiny? | Arizona Capitol Times: