Well, that didn't take long - Special Session on tap for Monday

The Governor has vetoed part of the lege's budget package and called a special session of the legislature.

From AZCentral.com -

Five hours after lawmakers wrapped up their legislative session, Gov. Jan Brewer has called them back to work, beginning Monday.

She also issued line-item vetoes on what she called a "fatally flawed" budget.

The governor wants lawmakers to work on adjustments to the budget they just passed, as well as her call for a temporary increase in the state sales tax.

The Governor's statement on the matter is here; her proclamation calling for a special session is here. In addition, her veto/signing letters on each budget bill is here; and her line-item veto letter is here.

I guess we'll all be back on Monday.

Told ya the fat lady wasn't singing yet...

Ain't heard no fat lady singing yet, folks

The denizens of the lege were at it until around 7:30 a.m., making June 30, 2009 a 31 1/2 day (note: Mulder and Scully are flying in today to investigate the time dilation incident :) ).

And in spite of the all of the Republican posturing about their desire to pass a balanced budget (balanced on the backs of schools, the poor, and working families so that large corporations can have a huge tax cut), the Governor, even *if* she signs the budget, will have to call a special session of the lege.

They still need to balance the budget.

The lege played all sorts of games - holding their original budget until the last minute, passed June 4, in order to prevent an expected veto and force the Governor to sign their budget; negotiating a "compromise" with her, and then torpedoing their own compromise by refusing to vote it out of committee; killing any revenue-enhancing bills (even the odious sales tax hike), so that even when they passed the"compromise" on to the Governor, it was out of balance; even locking the doors of the Senate to keep the Governor's staff out and prevent the possible delivery of veto letters while they were still in session, forcing them to remain in session.

It was all to no avail, unless the motive behind all of the shenanigans was not to pass a balanced budget, but to ensure that Senate President Bob Burns could go on his previously-scheduled European Vacation.

Sooner or later, a special session will have to be called by the Governor in order to fix what the lege gave her. Not to make it "less draconian", just "less unbalanced."

And probably sooner than later, as school districts will be starting their academic years soon, some by the end of the month or early August.

Stay tuned.

For a summary of the provisions and a legislative session update, here's the text of an email update from the Arizona AFL-CIO (I am still too frazzled for much coherent thought and research right now) -

Budget Update - July 1 at 10:00 am

Session & Budget Update-

This morning The Legislative Session adjourned sine die at 7:30 am. This means they are finished with all bill deliberations unless and until the Governor calls a future special session. It is being reported she will do this soon. The budget bills passed on June 4 along with the trailer bills passed earlier this morning have all been transmitted to the Governor.

There has been no formal statement posted on the Governor's website at this point in time. Rumor has it that she will hold a press conference or issue a formal statement as of 10:00 there has been no formal word. Many are saying she will do an extensive line-item of the general appropriations bill and veto some of the budget reconciliation bills (BRBs) and associated trailer bills. This will make it necessary for a special session to be called at some point to pass a balanced FY10 budget. There is a lot of confusion as to what this all means. When the Governor sends out a statement we will pass this information along.

About a dozen state parks closed yesterday at 4:30 and since the budget had not passed as of midnight last night they asked campers to leave last night. It was reported they would not be open for the 4th of July Weekend. If you were planning on going camping at a state park you may confirm they are open.

It was just reported from the Capitol times that the Gov. Jan Brewer's office said it would make an announcement on whether the governor would sign or veto the budget bills transmitted to her this morning. If Brewer vetoes the bills it will lead to at least a partial shutdown of state government. The Arizona Department of Administration posted a notice on its Web site at 9:42 a.m. that the governor is reviewing the budget bills, and that all state employees should report to work as scheduled.

For the votes...The Democrats in both the House and Senate were firm "NO" votes in opposition to the entire budget. In addition to their votes, Republican Representatives Lucy Mason (LD 1), Doug Quelland (LD 10), and Senators Carolyn Allen (LD 8) and Ron Gould (LD 3) also opposed the K-12 budget bill. For the revenue (tax policy) bill, the Democrats opposed as did Republican Senators Jay Tibshraeny (LD 21) and Carolyn Allen. The AEA sincerely appreciates the legislators who took a stand and voted "no" on these budget bills. Following is a summery of the budget from Arizona Education Association

FY10 BUDGET SUMMARY

(Fiscal Year 2010: July 1, 2009 – June 30, 2010)

This is a summary of the bigger budget and policy items that passed the House and Senate on July 1, 2009. This is not a complete list of all the changes to education. The budget bills from June 4 along with the "trailer bills" will now be transmitted to the Governor.

TAXES (HB2644)

Permanent Repeal of the State Equalization Property Tax—aka the school tax

Permanently repeals the state equalization property tax. This is a loss of revenue to the state of approximately $250 million per year.

Reduction of Assessment Ratio for Business' Secondary Property Tax

Lowers the assessment ratio for secondary property taxes on businesses to 16% for all bonds and overrides approved after December 31, 2011. This will potentially make it harder for school districts, community colleges, counties, and cities/towns to pass bonds and overrides because there will be a property tax shift from business to homeowners.

Vehicle License Tax (VLT) used to offset basic state aid

Sweeps $22 million in VLT from cities and towns in FY10 to pay a portion of basic state aid for education.

K-12 EDUCATION (HB2648)

Fails to actually fund the 2% inflation to school districts

Section 9 in HB2648 sets the base level for FY10 at $3,267.72 which gives school districts the full 2% inflation factor. However, in section 25, there is a notwithstanding clause which then removes the 2% inflation to the base and instead sets the base level at $3,201.89 for FY10. From a historical standpoint, here are the base funding levels for the past two fiscal years:

2007-08 school year (FY08): $3,226.88
2008-2009 school year (FY09): $3,291.42
2009-2010 school year (FY10): $3,201.89 (this is the actual base level amount per student that a school district will receive)

The $3,201.89 amount for FY10 results in an amount that includes the reduction of the $121 million in education funding cuts that were part of the FY09 budget fix passed on January 31, 2009. Unfortunately, the '09 cuts have become part of the permanent new baseline number for education.

Soft Capital Reduction

Cuts soft capital funding an additional $175 million on January 1, 2010. The general appropriation trailer bill (HB2643) restores this funding if sufficient excess revenues are available by December 2009. (Note, without the sales tax, there will be no additional revenue available for this restoration.)

School districts with fewer than 600 students will be impacted with only half of this reduction. Of the remaining statewide allocation of soft capital funds (approximately $23 million total), a district may use their local share for any operating expenses.

No Funding for Utility Costs

Fails to provide any funding for the new utility formula that was passed last session for "excess utilities" (this is an $80 million cut to school districts that previously levied for "excess utilities").

Teacher Performance Pay

Reduces the Career Ladder program funding by 0.5% for FY10 (from 5.5% to 5%) and limits this program only to teachers who participated in FY09 (the 2008-09 school year).

Reinstates the new but unfunded teacher performance pay program that was established last session (the " Gilbert School District " proposal to provide the additional Career Ladder funding to all school districts).

Overrides and Bonds

Extends the timeframe during which a school district can issue a bond from six years to ten years after obtaining voter approval (this is only for future bonds to be approved by voters).

Permits a school district to issue Class B bonds for furniture, equipment, and technology provided that the bonds mature within five fiscal years after the bonds are issued.

Raises the maximum budget increase a school district may request for a Maintenance and Operations (M&O) Override from 10% of the Revenue Control Limit (RCL) to 15% of the RCL.

Establishes a Special Program Override by expanding the scope of the K-3 Override to allow for a program to be designed for any or all of the K-12 students. Specifies that the maximum amount a school district may request for an M&O Override is 10% of the RCL if the school district also requests a Special Program Override.

Authorizes a school district, for FY10, to conduct an election in March 2010 and submit one of the following proposals to the voters of the district:A 15% M&O override that, if approved, replaces any previously authorized M&O and K-3 overrides.

An additional 5% M&O or Special Program override if the voters of the school district authorize a 10% M&O override at the November 2009 election.

A 17% M&O override for a common school district if an M&O and K-3 override are still in effect on this bill's effective date. The 17% override, if approved, replaces any previously approved M&O and K-3 overrides and continues for the number of years of the previously approved K-3 override.

Permits a school board to cancel an override election scheduled for November 2009 by August 1, 2009.

Policy Changes Targeted Against Teachers & Association Members (HB2648 & SB1187)

Prohibits school district employment contracts from including compensated days for professional association activities. (New language added to the bill states that this policy change "does not prohibit individual employees of school districts from taking compensated leave time for any personal purpose, any professional purpose or any other lawful purpose.")

Prohibits a school district from adopting policies that provide employment retention priority for teachers based on tenure or seniority.

Removes the current prohibition against school districts reducing the salary of a tenured teacher except under a general salary reduction applied equitably to all tenured teachers.

Removes the contract dates (between March 15 and May 15) in which districts are required to offer teaching contracts for tenured teachers. Thus, there will be no date in statute set for contracts and school districts will each set their own contract notification deadline.

Eliminates the May 15 statutory deadline for notice of salary reduction. Instead allows each school district to set its own salary reduction deadline for teachers.

Removes current statute that requires a school board to notify a provisional teacher of nonrenewal by April 15; thus, there will be no date in statute set for this notification.

Removes the current statutory requirement for a school district to give a preferred right of reappointment to a job for a teacher who has lost his/her job through the reduction in force (RIF) process if a job becomes available within three years of the RIF process.

Reduces the time frame for requesting a hearing on dismissal or long-term suspension from 30 days to 10 days.

Reduces the amount of a time a school district must allow a teacher to correct inadequate classroom performance from 85 instructional days to 60 instructional days after receiving notice.

More later after I recover from the last couple of days (and yes, I am in far better shape than most of our legislators; I could leave when it got to be too much. They were there for the duration.

Good God, they're still at it...

I left over an hour-and-a-half ago, gave somebody a lift home, got detoured because of some road construction, made a small dinner, and checked in on the Senate's website, and they're still going strong.

Though strong may be the wrong word for it. :)

Anyway, they are considering the general government trailer bill and it's going to fail. Burns is holding the vote open to allow for some arm-twisting.

Harper and Carolyn Allen are both voting no (Jack Harper?!?), and Burns needs both votes to pass the bill.

Internet glitched; not sure what happened.

They've moved on to another bill, though.

Update: I'm not sure, but I think the bill passed. Most of the rest of the bills are passing 16 - 12.

Update2: They're substituting the House budget bills in for the Senate bills that they passed earlier this morning.

Update3: Now they're recessing into caucus meetings, and I'm going to bed.

Good night...

Senate floor session

1:05 - They win. They've outlasted me. I am out of here. If the state shuts down, don't call me in the morning...

1:03 - HB2222, special license plates, passes.

1:02 - Yahoo! Mail down.

1:00 - HB2207, behavior, analysts. Passes.

12:58 - HB2157, Wildlife, aquatic invasive species. Passes.

12:58 - HB2156, Fire insurance premium tax, report. Passes.

12:56 - HB2049, performance management software. Fails.

12:55 - HB2001, State monuments, repair funds, purposes. Passes.

12:52 - HB2419, Appraisal guidelines, state lands. Passes.

12:50 - McCune-Davis brings up time; Burns says that we are "still in the session day" of June 30. "Real world" time vs. "Senate" time.

12:49 - COW ends.

12:47 - COW for SB1307. Passes COW.

12:46 - Now Rich Crandall is with Pearce.

12:45 - Carl Seel or Laurin Hendrix is sitting with Jack Harper (I can't tell them apart, and that's not a shot at either one. They really do look alike.)

12:41 - John Kavanagh is hanging with his ideological soulmate, Russell Pearce

12:39 - Meg Burton Cahill roundly criticizing Gould (and the Reps) for their conduct and disparagement of Democrats and their motives.

12:38 - Gould calls on Dems to stop being "dilatory" by trying to have input or even enough info to understand the bills that they are voting on.

12:36 - Linda Lopez advised that since it is after midnight (even if the clocks have been turned off), that Burns is in violation of the court order from last week about transmitting budget bills before the end of the fiscal year.

12:35 - End of COW.

12:33 - HB2327, PSPRS omnibus, passes COW after some Gorman floor amendments. No questions allowed; apparently the Senate Republican Whip doesn't like Democrats trying to understand the effects of the language that they are voting on.

12:28 - HB2325, EORP omnibus amendments; passes COW

12:27 - COW, Leff as chair.

12:26 - Gray calls the question. Motion passes.

12:23 - Defeating Hale amendment to protect the use of Impact Aid to reservation school districts

12:20 - Hale bringing up tea parties in support of returning tax revenue generated on reservations to the reservations. DO NOT MENTION TEA PARTIES TO THIS CROWD!! That's like Viagra to the wingers!

12:18 - Call the cops! There is illegal gambling going on in front of the lege! Jerry Weiers and some of his friends are pitching quarters! Closest to the wall win! Oh, the humanity!

12:11 - Defeating Hale amendment to restore Commission on Indian Affairs

12:09 - Steve Pierce tried to silence Meg Burton Cahill. It didn't work.

12:07 - Anybody have a sausage-making video? It's got to be better than this...

12:05 - Defeating Burton-Cahill amendment to help teachers

12:03 - Ed Ableser and David Schapira among the House members who have walked across the quad, Patterson and Deschene here, too.

12:00 - Defeating Rios amendment to restore soft capital reduction to K-12.

12:00 - midnight, and no budget.

11:56 - Defeating Aboud amendment to add $2 million to DES for aging services

11:52 - Defeating Rios amendment to increase DES funding for children's services

11:50 - Defeating Aboud amendment to restore DHS $ for hunger programs.

11:48 - Defeating another Democratic amendment...this is going *very* fast...

11:47 - Pushing toward midnight...

11:45 - Defeating a Landrum Taylor amendment to restore KidCare Parents.

11:44 - Defeating a Landrum Taylor amendment to restore the Indian Affairs Commission.

11:42 - Harper getting snippy over Garcia spending more time with the Governor than him.

11:39 - Doing the bills. Dems offering floor amendments with roll call vote.

Senate COWIng budget bills...aka the Washington and 19 Railroad

11:38 - COW rises.

11:36 - Lopez amendment to require school districts to offer contracts by April 15. Defeated.

11:34 - Burton Cahill amendment to restore statutory provisions to keep school districts from arbitrarily reducing a teacher's salary, and to give preference to laid off teachers during rehiring time. Defeated.

11:32 - Rios amendment to protect paid days for association activities. Defeated.

11:31 - Jumped the gun again. Lopez expressed her support. Defeated anyway.

11:29 - Rios amendment to restore $175 million soft capital reduction foisted off on school districts. Defeated.

11:27 - Hale amendment to protect school districts on military and Indian reservations. Defeated.

11:27 - SB1480, K-12 Ed

11:26 - SB1477, Higher Ed, no Dem amendments

11:25 - Wow! I have influence! Sen. Burton Cahill used the "political Katrina" line!! Whoo hooo!

11:23 - SB1476, Environment, no Dem amendments. Burton Cahill asking Burns about park closures and the fact that while there is funding for the parks, there is no authorization to use the funds.

11:20 - SB1475, Criminal Justice. No Dem amendments.

11:19 - SB1474, State properties. No Dem amendments offered.

11:18 - McCune-Davis amendment relating to science foundation funding. Defeated. The gallery is packed.

11:18 - Burton-Cahill amendment to protect cities and towns and the lege's ban on development fees. Defeated.

11:16 - Aboud amendment relating to development fees and a uniform development fee commission. Her amendment would put folks from different parties on it. Defeated.

11:16 - SB1473, General Government

11:14 - Hale amendment defeated.

11:13 - Got premature with my post of the 11:11 item. Paula Aboud is expressing her support.

11:11 - Hale amendment to return some reservation-generated tax revenues to the reservations. Defeated.

11:10 - Garcia amendment regarding secondary assessment rates and commercial property assessments. Defeated.

11:08 - Garcia amendment to expand the sales tax base and lower the rate. Defeated.

11:07 - Garcia amendment to allow the return of the state equalization tax. Defeated.

11:06 - SB1472, General Revenues.

11:06 - Lopes amendment to protect child care providers from state fee hikes. Defeated.

11:05 - Aguirre amendment to help counties. Defeated.

11:03 - Aboud amendment to grandfather in current recipients of domestic partner benefits. Defeated.

11:02 - Aboud amendment relating to the removal of domestic partner benefits from state employees. Defeated.

11:01 - Landrum Taylor amendment to restore KidsCare Parents. Defeated.

11:00 - SB1471, Budget trailer - Health and Welfare

11:00 - 10 Democratic amendments offered, 10 Democratic amendments killed.

10:56 - Waring is ready for his next career as conductor. I don't think even Mussolini had the trains running this efficiently.

10:53 - Defeating Burton-Cahill and Garcia amendments.

10:51 - railroading past (defeating) Aguirre and Hale amendments. No debate going on tonight. How appropriate for this farce.

10:50 - Doing amendments to SB1470, general approps. Defeating Aboud amendments

Less than 2 hours to Political Katrina

It looks like no tax bills will be heard in the Senate, flat or sales, so maybe they'll pass an unbalanced budget.

No Senate activity right now, but the House is still in COW.

Oh yeah - 3 hours to a shutdown

Arrgghhh....

Tedski will be live-blogging the House session,

...so I will stick with the Senate side of the quad.

His website, Rum, Romanism, Rebellion is here.

More to come...

Deal in the works?

Deal-making is certainly going on...

In the Senate Republican caucus meeting that's currently in progress, former House Speaker Jim Weiers came in and pulled Senate President Bob Burns out of the room...which is interesting on all sorts of levels...

No budget bills mentioned so far, as of 8:19 p.m.


As of 8:25, the Republicans recessed their caucus (recess *caucus*????)...going over to the Democratic caucus...

Movement in the Senate

Senate Rules scheduled to meet upon adjournment of the Floor Session, with both caucuses scheduled to meet immediately after Rules.

Now they're just milling about, mostly Reps, though some Dems...

Tweets from the floor

I've been remiss in my coverage of the budget kerfluffle (I have always wanted to use that word in a post :) )...

Certain members of the lege, including two from my own LD17, have been providing updates, commentary, and insights via Twitter.

From Rep. David Schapira's Twitter page (going back to Saturday) -

They're serving dinner at 6. I wonder if they'll serve dinner tomorrow for laid-off state employees. 7 hours and counting...about 2 hours ago from web

I might need some new ammo on a budget vote tonight. Read my last vote explanation (http://bit.ly/182BJN) and post some ideas of your own.about 3 hours ago from web

The word is the Gov might give up on the sales tax and sign the Republican budget that decimates education and public services. 8.5 hrs leftabout 4 hours ago from web

11 hours to shutdown...agencies are making preparations for tomorrow. It's sad how legislative leadership and the gov have failed the state.about 6 hours ago from web

Sales Tax bill dead in Senate. What's next? Will they bring Dems to the table to preserve our state's future. By "future" I mean tomorrow.about 9 hours ago from web

House Appropriations Committee now delayed indefinitely...14 hours to government shutdown.about 10 hours ago from TwitterFon

27 hours to government shutdown and still no signs of negotiation. We just adjourned for the day with no progress. Wow...about 22 hours ago from web

We are less than 30 hours from government shutdown and there's still no movement on the budget...and no bipartisan negotiation.6:09 PM Jun 29th from web

Check out My Education Budget Vote Explanation / Michael Jackson Tribute http://bit.ly/182BJN .4:52 PM Jun 27th from web

The Appropriations Committee just cut $250M in Education Revenue...in the midst of a budget crisis...crazy!2:40 PM Jun 27th from web

The Appropriations Committee just decided to balance our state budget on the backs of students, teachers, the poor and vulnerable Arizonans.1:25 PM Jun 27th from web

Among the many problems with this budget, the State will no longer fund any regulation of the Pay-Day Lending industry.12:28 PM Jun 27th from web

300 people, who had no obligation to do so, took time out of their Saturday morning to come down to the capitol and have their voices heard.12:19 PM Jun 27th from web

This budget fails to repay schools for the $300M the state borrowed...WOW! That might as well be a $300M cut.11:47 AM Jun 27th from web

Approps will be starting in a few minutes.11:27 AM Jun 27th from web


State Rep. Kyrsten Sinema (not a D17 rep, but still pretty cool) -

8 hours to government shutdown. Gov made no headway in her quest to peel off Ds. This budget doesn't reflect our values and priorities!about 3 hours ago from txt

President Burns, Speaker Adams and Gov Brewer are calling Democrats into the Speaker's office and asking them to vote for the budget. HAHAabout 5 hours ago from web

Let your voice be heard http://bit.ly/w5Hi9about 8 hours ago from twitterfeed

Senate Rules committee killed the Governor's sales tax proposal this morning. Budget deal is completely derailed...about 8 hours ago from web

Join Arizonans for Health Reform on FB to stay updated about health reform events, forums, meetings in Arizona.about 12 hours ago from web

@lezzymom SB 1403 - spurs economic development for solar energy in Arizona. That was a good idea, and it was bi-partisan. It passed!about 12 hours ago from web in reply to lezzymom

Flat tax might pass today. It's a REALLY BAD IDEA. http://bit.ly/3bHzNabout 12 hours ago from web

Rumor is Senate Rs have votes to pass budget - in exchange for TABOR. Makes a bad deal even worse! Meanwhile, more gun bills today. NICE.about 13 hours ago from web

less than 24 hours to government shutdown. Do the Rs have the votes? Guess we'll see soon....about 18 hours ago from web

Republicans agree on worst budget deal in Arizona history http://bit.ly/E7Oz712:38 PM Jun 29th from twitterfeed

To share your voice on federal health care reform and find out about events, please join my Facebook group: http://bit.ly/RzbvM12:21 PM Jun 29th from Tweetie

It's Monday and the Rs budget deal has broken down. What now?8:41 AM Jun 29th from web

Can't wait to start meetings and forums around the state for health reform! July, where are you?4:28 PM Jun 28th from txt

"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." Arizona - take note.7:31 AM Jun 28th from web

Wonder what the next several days will bring. Rs don't have the votes to pass their budget & Gov is trying to peel off Dems - to no avail.4:48 PM Jun 27th from web

Chair just announced we're stopping after budget brbs. That means we're not hearing the flat tax or sales tax bills. Do they have the votes?4:42 PM Jun 27th from web

Education budget bill cuts over $220 million from K-12 educ. Plus, really bad policy things stuffed in here - this will hurt our schools!3:54 PM Jun 27th from web

@MrFurlough add'l revenue subtracted from K-12. The cut to universities is 40 million.3:42 PM Jun 27th from web in reply to MrFurlough

ok then - House Approps members approved a bill that now allows them to privatize death row. For real.3:16 PM Jun 27th from web


Wow, this bill is a GREAT deal for developers - not a good deal for local governments. So much for local control....2:53 PM Jun 27th from web

House Rs passed 250 million cut of education funding source (education equalization tax). We're in a fiscal crisis! Kids need this money!1:34 PM Jun 27th from web

first budget bill passes... Gov said June 16th that she wouldn't agree to Republicans' cuts to K-12 education. She agreed to them after all12:54 PM Jun 27th from web

Spent 3 hours briefing the budget this morning - it's even worse than we thought last night!12:16 PM Jun 27th from web

Latest rumor...

With the usual caveats about rumors (double strength caveats prescribed during the waning days of a lege session like this one)...

Anyway, talk in the Capitol quad was that after dinner, both chambers were going to vote on the budget bills, minus the referral of the sales tax hike, and send them to the Governor.

Stay tuned to see what ever-more creative ways that the Republicans can find to knock over their own tea cart this week...

At Last, Our Long Nightmare Is Over...

...Coleman conceded; Al Franken is now the junior U.S. Senator from Minnesota.

What? You thought that maybe a budget deal had been reached, or maybe the Republican caucus admitted to itself that it is utterly unqualified to govern and resigned en masse? :))

We should be so lucky...

Short House Rules Meeting

The meeting lasted less than two minutes. It was held to propel SB1157, Arizona Department of Environment Quality continuation, and SB1161, having to do with public safety personnel, retirement, and reemployment.

It was blissfully absent of both surprises and testiness, two things that are evidently in great supply at 1700 West Washington in Phoenix.

Maybe we should start a mail-order/internet business on those to help relieve the budget shortfall. :))


I'll hang here until 8 or so, but if it doesn't look like much progress is going to happen, I'll take off and watch this stuff from home.

Until I go to sleep, which should be around 10 minutes after I start watching it.

Ableser gives up a bill to get it passed

A more complete explanation of what happened at the end of the House floor session, courtesy a press release from the House Dems -

Rep. Ed Ableser, D-Tempe (District 17), has signed on his support today for a bill sponsored by Sen. Jim Waring, R-Phoenix, to allow deployed military members to cancel or suspend their gym memberships, a bill identical to Ableser’s original bill.

Both Ableser and Waring's bills allow active duty members of the military to cancel or suspend a health club contract within 90 days after receiving notice they were being deployed outside of Arizona . Ableser introduced similar legislation the previous two years.

“It’s not about who sponsored what and when at a time when our troops are protecting our freedom,” Ableser said. “We have a sacred duty to support our best and bravest in these times of sacrifice.”

Nearly 600,000 veterans live in Arizona and Ableser originally drafted the bill after one of them, a former House page and constituent, was deployed to Iraq and realized her health club was going to continue to charge her monthly until her contract with the club expired. (See story)

In order to get one of the bills passed before the June 30 deadline, the decision was made to substitute Waring’s Senate Bill 1407 for Ableser’s House Bill 2290 because there was not enough time for both the bills to travel through the House and Senate.

“Our Arizona military servicemen and women risk their lives and pay the ultimate price,” Ableser said. “The least we could do is make sure they aren’t paying even more at home while they are out fighting for us.”

Now the House is in recess, and taking dinner at 6. Don't know when this session is going to get done.