State Capitol News

A bill overhauling the state's campaign finance laws that has passed a House panel would also allow politicians to divert campaign contributions to other politicians.

Democratic Rep. Ken Clark says the measure would amount to a fundamental change in state politics that allows politicians to buy votes from colleagues using campaign contributions. Clark calls it the "king maker provision."

Bill sponsor Sen. Adam Driggs added the provision onto a sweeping bill he said is designed to simplify and re-organize the state's campaign finance code.

The Senate has rejected a measure that would allow parents to let their children opt out of statewide assessments.

Several lawmakers and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Diane Douglas supported the measure as a way for parents to have more control over their children's education. Republican lawmaker Sen. Sylvia Allen of Snowflake sponsored the bill that would allow parents to let their children opt-out of statewide achievement tests such as AzMERIT.

The Arizona House has passed a bill Planned Parenthood Arizona says is designed to make it easier to cut it off from Medicaid funding.

House Bill 2599 passed Wednesday on a 35-24 party-line vote without discussion with only Republicans in support. It now heads to the Senate.

The bill allows the state to cut off funding and revoke licenses for providers that fail to segregate taxpayer money from funds used to provide abortions. They also could lose funding if they violated medical waste rules or submitted a claim for procedures associated with an abortion.