The House and Senate Appropriations committees this week began budget hearings.  The committes heard presentations by the Joint Legislative Budget Committee comparing its Baseline Budget to the Executive Budget Proposal for both the Department of Economic Security and Department of Health Services. 

Links to the JLBC presentation for DES can be found here; and the presentation for DHS, here.

The Executive revenue estimates are $375 million higher than the JLBC Baseline for FY12-13.  Executive spending is approximately $800 million higher than the Baseline for the same period.  For the JLBC comparison of the two budgets, click here.

View the budget hearing schedules for the House and for the Senate by clicking on the appropriate chamber.

General Fund collections are on the rise, with state revenue totaling $903.7 million so far in FY2012.  Year-to-date revenues have exceeded last year's by 7.6%, and outstretched forecast by $26.3 million in December. 

See the JLBC Monthly Fiscal Highlights for a more detailed report on state finances.

State Representative Judy Burges was appointed to the Arizona Senate to fill the seat vacated with the resignation of Scott Bundgaard on January 6.  Sen. Burges' appointment now leaves a vacancy in the House.

The timeline for filling that vacancy is spelled out in A.R.S. 41-1202, and states that within three business days of the creation of the vacancy, the Secretary of State must notify the state party chairman of the political party vacating the seat.  Within three business days of that notification, the state party chairman must give notice to all elected precinct committeemen within the district in question of a meeting to fill the vacancy.

The precinct committeemen will have five days from the Secretary of State's initial notification to nominate three qualified electors from that district to assume the office.  Those nominations will then be forwarded to the Board of Supervisors of the county in which the legislative district sits.  The Board will then select a new legislator from the list of nominees, and that person will serve out the remainder of Burges' House term.

Slightly more than a year after her near-fatal shooting, Gabrielle Giffords submitted Wednesday her formal resignation from the U.S. House of Representatives.  Citing the need to focus on her ongoing recovery, Giffords' resignation became effective at 5:00 p.m., creating a vacancy in Arizona's 8th Congressional District. 

In response to the resignation, Governor Jan Brewer expressed well wishes to Giffords for her continued recovery and noted that in accordance with state law, she will announce a special primary and general election within 72 hours of the creation of the vacancy.  The winner of that general election will serve the remainder of Giffords' term; until that time, the seat will remain vacant.

Once the governor announces the dates, Cochise, Pima, Pinal, and Santa Cruz Counties will conduct special primary and general elections.

Each spring, 30 county officials are nominated by state association executive directors to attend an intensive program on adaptive leadership. 186 individuals have graduated from the County Leadership Institute, presented by NACo and featuring faculty from the NYU Robrt Wagner School of Public Services and the Kennedy School of Government.

The 2012 CLI will be held June 3 - 7 in Washington, D.C.  Participants must be elected county officials, hold a policy-level position, and have been in office for at least three, but not more than six years.  For more information, see the CLI webpage.

The nomination deadline is February 1.  Interested parties should contact Nicole Stickler, either by e-mail or at (602) 252-6563 x 225.

Log on to the Legislature's Request to Speak system and register your opinion on the important legislative issues facing Arizona's county governments.

AACo members are encouraged to:

• Oppose - HCR2009 Personal Property Tax Exemption
• Support - SB1363 County Election Law Amendments (AACo Bill)

Click the chamber below to view it's schedule.

STATE SENATE                   HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES