Jim Weiers

Guess how much Arizona is going to pay Ken Starr to argue a case in front of the Supreme Court?

House Speaker Jim WeiersA school voucher program for special needs children is at the heart of a flap between Arizona House Speaker Jim Weiers (R-Phoenix) and the governor's office, as Weiers and Democrats tangle over who's to blame for the program being cut.

After the session ended with a last-minute deal to make up for the $2 billion budget deficit forecast for fiscal year 2008-2009, it was revealed that the governor's office, the Senate and the House had each held onto millions in reserve funds, in case an accord couldn't be reached.

Now Speaker Weiers is attempting to use the surplus funds to reinstate a program that provides students who are autistic or otherwise require special instruction with vouchers, so they can attend whichever public or private school best suits their needs. Without the vouchers, special needs students currently attending private schools may be forced to return to the public system if they can't afford the tuition.

John McCain just barely outpolls undecided voters in his home state.  Find out who joins McCain as a winner or loser this week in Arizona. 

One week before the deadline set forth by the Arizona constitution, Arizona House Speaker Jim Weiers (R-Phoenix) announced that Republicans will be sending a budget package to committee on Wednesday. The announcement comes after months of wrangling between Democrats, led by Gov. Janet Napolitano, and the Republican-controlled Legislature over what adjustments would be needed to plug the nearly $2 billion gap the state government faces in the coming fiscal year.

The proposal includes over $500 million in lump sum state agency reductions and $500 million for new schools to be procured through bonding. The remaining $1 billion or so would be made up through delaying some building repairs and shifting funds from elsewhere into the general fund.

Weiers said the budget proposal represents "exactly what the state of Arizona is looking for," saying the plan works without burdening "future generations" of Arizonans.

If Barack Obama were to beat John McCain, there is a very good chance Governor Janet Napolitano could be offered a job in the administration.  While it is very unlikely she would be offered the VEEP spot, there is a strong possibility her early loyalty would be rewarded with a cabinet position.

If Napolitano were to move on to Washington, Arizona’s political landscape would be tossed on its head overnight.  Look into the Inside Edge crystal ball as we predict what that week’s Winners and Losers would look like.  

If Barack Obama were to beat John McCain, there is a very good chance Governor Janet Napolitano could be offered a job in the administration.  While it is very unlikely she would be offered the VEEP spot, there is a strong possibility her early loyalty would be rewarded with a cabinet position.

If Napolitano were to move on to Washington, Arizona’s political landscape would be tossed on its head overnight.  Look into the Inside Edge crystal ball as we predict what that week’s Winners and Losers would look like.  

Winners

Jan Brewer
Not only would the secretary of state become Governor Jan Brewer overnight, she would then be in office as a sitting incumbent come 2010.

Dennis Burke
The governor’s Chief of Staff would almost certainly end up as the Chief of Staff to the U.S. Attorney General or Department of Homeland Security and would be on his way to D.C. 

Leezie Kim
Kim, who recently moved from private practice to become the governor’s general counsel, would be on a short list for a U.S. Attorney spot.

Pro-life movement
With Napolitano out of the way the pro-life community could start moving legislation forward with hope of it being signed by the governor. 

State Republican Party
If the party holds both the Senate and the House in November, the party would have total control over state government and could use it to their advantage in fundraising. 

Losers

Gubernatorial hopefuls on the Republican side
Mary Peters, Andrew Thomas and any other prospective candidates would now be facing an incumbent from their own party.  While someone may still step up to the plate and challenge Brewer, their job becomes a whole lot harder.

Randy Pullen
With Brewer in charge and gearing up for re-election she would more than likely want someone she trusts completely running the office that will be out to protect her and prevent a primary.

Terry Goddard
The Attorney General would become the highest elected Democratic official in the state, but assuming he is the nominee in 2010 he now has to challenge a sitting governor.  He would be trying to do something that hasn’t been done since 1966, unseat a sitting governor in an election.  And it should be noted that governor who lost re-election was Samuel Goddard, Terry’s father.

LGBT community
They lose the strongest advocate they have had in Arizona and would likely be facing a rollback of Napolitano’s executive order banning discrimination in state government based on sexual orientation.

Jim Weiers
It may seem weird to place a Republican Speaker of the House as a loser when a Republican takes over the governor’s office, but it’s true.  Right now Weiers gains his power as the leader of the opposition party.  With a Republican governor Weiers would lose that power and for the most part would need to follow the governor’s lead.

More Inside Edge

Today Governor Janet Napolitano, senate President Tim Bee and Speaker Jim Weiers had a meeting that insiders say was actually productive.  All three leaders came together to see if once and for all they could come to budget resolution.  While they met leadership members in the legislature for the Democrats and Republicans were also working on a compromise deal that the Governor would agree to.  Insiders say talks between the legislative leaders and the Governor may continue later today to see if they can hammer out deals on some remaining "minor" issues such as bonding, shifting some costs of prisons to counties, photo radar, Department of Housing fund sweeps and budget reductions.  All that and yet progress was made.

It was a busy day and a long evening for legislators at the capitol, but by the end of it the Senate and House had abruptly, and, as it seemed to outsiders (and most Democrats), out of the blue, resolved the 2008 budget. With the Governor looking like she'll sign the legislation, it's on to the Fiscal Year 2008-2009 problem - one that looms larger and must be resolved in the next 10 weeks.

As she had pledged to do, Gov. Janet Napolitano today vetoed a bill that would have made permanent the repeal of the state's equalization property tax. The Governor, who has received criticism from Republicans for saying the tax amounted to "a couple of lattes" for most people, said that keeping the tax off the books would deprive schools of funding.

Governor now holds the power to decide whether to the $250 million tax will be permanently eliminated or reinstated this January.