The other mitten is off - Sixth Special Session called

Earlier today, Governor Brewer called the sixth special session of this, the 49th Arizona Legislature. Her proclamation included the subjects to be considered by the Special Session.

From the proclamation -

1. Adjustments to address the fiscal year 2009-2010 state budget, including additional education rollover payments and sale-leaseback of state assets.

2. A referendum to the voters to impose a temporary tax for the purpose of raising state revenues necessary to protect essential state services.

3. Proration of income tax deductions for out of state filers.

4. The issuance of lottery revenue bonds, including required adjustments to the state lottery program.

Bills on those subjects have already been dropped, with 3 R and 3 D sponsors and cosponsors -

SB1002 has the education payment rollovers (hosing the state's schools by shifting some of the state's fiscal distress onto the state's students and teachers)

SB1003 has the sale/leaseback of state assets (aka - borrowing money and using state buildings as collateral to secure those loans)

SB1001 has the provisions for a special election in May for the temporary sales tax hike proposed in SCR1001

SB1005 has the tax deduction adjustment language

SB1004 has the lottery revenue bonding provisions

The Senate bills have been referred to the Senate's Natural Resources, Infrastructure, and Public Debt Committee for a hearing on Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. in SHR109.

Yes, I noticed that the bills weren't referred to Appropriations, too.

Hmmmm....

Russell Pearce, chair of Senate Approps, may not be on board with this stuff, which would be a good reason to keep the bills far away from his committee.

Anyway, after Natural Resources consideration, the bills are scheduled to be heard in the Rules Committee.

The usual practice in these *special* sessions has been for both chambers of the lege to consider their own separate but identical bills and then for one chamber to "substitute" the other chamber's bills into their own equivalent bills. However, thus far there aren't any bills on the House side. Not sure what that means, but it *may* not bode well for the package's prospects for passage through the House. Time to adopt a "wait and see" posture in that regard.

I'm going to try to get down to the legislature on Tuesday to watch some of the fireworks (if Pearce and the Rs over in the House aren't on board)/boring set-piece (if they are on board) in person.

Later...