Q&A with House Speaker Rusty Bowers
Usually tight-lipped, speaker shows transparency
By Arren Kimbel-Sannit | Arizona Capitol Times
In a legislative body where long-winded speechification, highly visible interpersonal disputes and general cacophony is the norm, House Speaker Rusty Bowers is remarkably difficult to nail down. His penchant for substituting answers to questions with half-related parables is the stuff of local legend, and his caucus’ tendency to do business in closed meetings can make it difficult to figure out exactly where his head’s at – assuming it’s not buried in his sketchbook. But after an unprecedented, bruising legislative session, the Mesa Republican was unusually transparent in a 30-minute Q-and-A with Arizona Capitol Times, adding some color and context to the still unfolding story of a very strange five months at the state Capitol. READ ON:
Rusty Bowers /Photo by Dillon Rosenblatt/Arizona Capitol Times
Q&A with Senate President Karen Fann
Leader says Senate was the go-to chamber
By Julia Shumway | Arizona Capitol Times
Senate President Karen Fann is always searching for silver linings.
And while she can only describe the 2020 legislative session as “chaotic,” the Prescott Republican found a silver lining mixed in among the storm clouds.
“Ever since I came down here, I was always saying, ‘Gosh, I wish we could actually pass a budget during the daylight hours instead of four o’clock in the morning.’ And I actually got my wish this year. It wasn’t exactly the way I thought it would happen, but we did do a budget during daytime hours and I was thrilled to see that.”
One of the big things that we saw this session was the Senate really deciding almost unilaterally that the Senate was going to lead and the House and the governor could come along. What went into that thought process of deciding, “You know what, we’re just going to work as the Senate and pass this budget and adjourn?” READ ON:
