Arizona Senate Passes Some, Rejects Others

The Arizona Senate has approved a series of bills ranging from a ban on public campaign money to limits on environmental regulations.

The Senate failed to pass a ban on texting while driving, but approved a bill to require motorists to put children ages 5 through 8 in booster seats.

The Senate overwhelmingly rejected a bill to prohibit smoking in a vehicle with child passengers.

A resolution placing a proposed constitutional amendment on the November 2010 ballot would ban the use of public money for campaign funding. That would dismantle the public campaign funding system approved by voters in 1998.

The Senate approved a bill that would prohibit any state agency from adopting or enforcing rules for a program on greenhouse gas emissions without authorization by the Legislature. This is a reaction by Republican lawmakers to steps taken by former Governor Janet Napolitano.

A bill was approved that would make it harder to successfully sue emergency medical providers for alleged malpractice.

And the Senate approved a bill that could set the stage for construction of toll highways.