Two Democratic state senators mistakenly voted that a proposed cut in Medicaid eligibility wouldn't violate a state constitutional protection for voter-approved laws.

Le Templar: The biggest news from the Capitol could be the pending retirement of a veteran lawmaker that has encouraged an even better known Tempe politician to switch parties and prepare for a legislative race next year. 

Unable to get the votes from her own party, Gov. Jan Brewer said Tuesday she's willing to accept demands by Democrats to let the state property tax return in exchange for their votes to put her sales tax hike on the ballot.

WASHINGTON - Delivering his first State of the Union address to a Democratic-controlled Congress, President Bush hopes to balance a rebuke of his Iraq policy already promised by lawmakers with a high-profile invitation to cooperate on vexing domestic problems.

It’s not the matchup everybody expected. Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne is being challenged by a 29-year-old nonprofit director who has campaigned by traveling the state in a big yellow school bus.

It’s not the matchup everybody expected. Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne is being challenged by a 29-year-old nonprofit director who has campaigned by traveling the state in a big yellow school bus.

Lawmakers return to the capitol Jan. 14 for what is shaping up to be a tough legislative session.

The future of whether Arizonans will get a chance to hike their sales taxes to balance the state budget depends on whether House Democrats are willing to go along.

What's been billed by the governor as an "unprecedented community discussion on Arizona's budget crisis" Thursday includes comments from only those chosen by the leaders of a major state economic development group.

WASHINGTON - Nancy Pelosi was unanimously named speaker-elect by House Democrats Thursday, the first woman to be ensured the post that constitutionally is second in line of succession to the presidency.

WASHINGTON - President Bush is telling lawmakers he will send thousands more U.S. troops to Iraq's two most troubled regions, in a plan that Democrats are resisting as a major escalation of a 31/2-year-old war.

WASHINGTON - Jubilant Democrats on Thursday elected Rep. Nancy Pelosi as the first woman speaker of the House, the crowning celebration of newfound power the party won in the November electoral sweep.

Arizona Democrats hoping to cash in on the anti-Republican sentiment came up short of achieving their goal of taking control of the state Legislature. In fact, they lost ground in the state House - and maybe even in the Senate.

WASHINGTON - Chief Justice-nominee John Roberts, his confirmation secure, picked up support from fractured Senate Democrats Wednesday as President Bush met lawmakers to discuss a second, probably more contentious, vacancy on the Supreme Court.

House Democrats want close to $700 million in new or higher taxes to balance next year’s budget while restoring prior cuts to K-12, higher education and some social service programs.

WASHINGTON - A historic veto showdown assured, Democratic leaders agreed Monday on legislation that requires the first U.S. combat troops to be withdrawn from Iraq by Oct. 1 with a goal of a complete pullout six months later.

May 3, 2005

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Iraq's first democratically elected government was sworn in Tuesday after last-minute bargaining by the new prime minister failed to bring the disaffected Sunni minority into key Cabinet posts.

PHOENIX - The Arizona Legislature is back at full strength now that the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors has appointed a replacement for a lawmaker who resigned after being arrested.

Le Templar: One of the most stinging comments about Congress this summer during the health care town halls and TEA parties was Democrats were pushing major bills so fast that lawmakers couldn’t possibly read and understand what was in them before voting. 

A West Valley legislator hopes to bring together Democrats and Republicans during a networking event later this month at Shooter’s World in Peoria.

Two former lawmakers scrapped plans Tuesday to ask voters to revamp how the state’s congressional and legislative districts are crafted. Ken Clark and Roberta Voss stopped gathering signatures for their initiative drive, which would have forced the creation of more politically “competitive” districts.

WASHINGTON - President Bush would have to start bringing home U.S. troops from Iraq by Oct. 1, 2006, under a measure a small bipartisan group of House lawmakers - including a Republican who voted for war - proposed Thursday.