The Arizona Legislature has ended this year’s session which lasted 116 days and ended late Thursday night. Last minute legislation included state employee firing measure designed to increase government efficiency which the Governor said was one of her top priorities.
House Bill 2571 would make it easier to terminate and discipline non-university state employees. The bill grants the Governor more hiring and firing authority over agency directors and commissions.
The law will make some government employees, “at will” employees like private sector employees in Arizona. The law will not affect sworn or civilian Department of Public Safety employees among other groups.
Democrats opposed the bill saying that it gives the Governor too much power. They argued that strips protections from employees who are fired inappropriately or targeted for whistle-blowing.
The Governor has fought for the changes saying that it is too difficult to get rid of poor-performing employees. Brewer says the bill will make government more efficient.
Senate President Steve Pierce called the session a “pressure cooker in which senators acted with the utmost civility and decorum. Despite strong differences in political philosophies, your Senators treated each other with respect and focused on the job they are sent to the Capitol to do.”
“The State of Arizona’s 50th Legislature ended its duties for the 2nd Regular Session today. The people of Arizona can be proud of the work done by its State Senators.” Pierce said in a statement released late last night, “Our sole Constitutional duty is to produce a balanced budget, and the one agreed upon by the Senate, House and Governor puts our state in an outstanding position to come out of a challenging economic time. I have no doubt that the budget work we did last year and in this session not only stabilized our finances but put Arizona at the front of the line of states making an economic recovery. Arizona is getting back to work.”