Howard Fischer

The Senate Education Committee voted today to let schools opt out of the federal school lunch program. 

The program funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture pays schools to offer free or reduced-price lunches to students based on family income.

Sen. Rich Crandall said he has nothing against the program. But he said that current and pending rules could make it unduly burdensome. For example, he said there are situations where schools are charging students less for lunch than the subsidy they are getting from the federal government.

The Independent Redistricting Commission gave final approved today to the maps that will govern state politics for the coming decade. But Republicans on the panel say the maps are rigged to advantage Democrats.

Governor Jan Brewer begins her job of selling her budget plan to lawmakers this week. 

Governor Jan Brewer is proposing a nearly $9 billion spending plan for the coming fiscal year that provides more money for schools, hires former police officers to investigate allegations of child abuse and sets up a needs-based scholarship for community colleges.
The plan also provides a little more money for the state's university system. But Brewer wants to revamp how the cash is divided up, a move that John Arnold, the governor's budget chief, said is likely to reduce the allocation for the University of Arizona.

Governor Jan Brewer agreed today to drop her legal fight over medical marijuana dispensaries. 

The survey by the Arizona Farm Bureau Federation found the cost of a typical market basket of 16 popular items last quarter was $51.39.

That's up 68 cents from the three months prior -- and nearly $6 more than the same time a year earlier. The organization's Julie Murphree said the findings reflect "what has been going on in 2011, which is this steady increase in food inflation. I do believe it's going to level off a little bit better in 2012 than it did this last year," she said. 

The Senate Finance Committee has approved two measures designed to help students attend private and parochial schools.

Existing law provides a dollar-for-dollar state income tax credit of up to $500 for donations made to organizations that provide scholarships for students who want to attend these schools. 

One measure would double that support by setting up a second program, with identical credits, the main difference being that aid would go only to students who transfer from public schools.

Governor Jan Brewer laid out a package of new tax cuts for business today that she wants lawmakers to enact this session.

Brewer pushed through a massive package of tax cuts last session that, when fully implemented, have a price tag of more than $500 million. It includes slicing corporate income taxes by nearly 30 percent and a 10 percent cut in business property taxes.

A retiring legislator wants to give raises to elected statewide officials. But Arizona Public Radio's Howard Fischer reports he may have a specific reason for that.

If you think the numbers given to legislative districts does not matter, think again. Arizona Public Radio's Howard Fischer explains.