Arizona's 2015 legislative session at a glance

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PHOENIX (AP) — The Arizona Legislature completed its shortest session in nearly 50 years early Friday. The Associated Press has compiled a list of bill highlights from the session.

GOVERNOR'S AGENDA

The Legislature swiftly adopted a $9.1 billion budget that met or went further in terms of cuts than the tight budget proposal Gov. Doug Ducey unveiled in January. But it also set a rapid pace for the session that left Ducey reeling on a plan to create an independent inspector general. The bill fell by the wayside partly because the governor's office didn't unveil details of the plan until mid-March.

The Legislature did pass Ducey's proposal to eliminate the Weights and Measures Department. Most of its functions will be absorbed by the agriculture department, except for taxis and ride-hailing companies, which will be overseen by the Transportation Department.

It also adopted several measures that Ducey pushed to improve the state's business climate, including increasing production limits for craft breweries, granting computer giant Apple renewable tax credits and tax exemptions and creating regulations for ride-hailing companies like Uber and Lyft.

Ducey also signed a bill automatically adjusting tax brackets to prevent taxpayers from being pushed into a higher tax bracket if they get small raises. The move will cut state revenue by an estimated $15 million in the coming budget year and comes despite major state budget cuts. The Legislature also passed a bill conforming Arizona tax statutes to the federal tax code, which legislative analysts estimate will reduce the state's general fund by more than $30 million beginning this budget year.

Early in the Legislative session, the House and Senate passed a bill making Arizona the first state in the country to require high school students to pass the U.S. citizenship test on civics before graduation.

SCHOOLS

Freshman lawmaker Rep. Mark Finchem, R-Oro Valley, caught both praise and scorn from lawmakers and the public with a bill he sponsored to stop the Common Core educational standards. The proposal failed to get the necessary votes and died in the Senate.

The Legislature also failed to adopt a bill clarifying the duties of the State Board of Education and schools superintendent Diane Douglas. Ducey asked for the bill after Douglas tried but failed to fire two board members.

The Legislature did, however, pass a Ducey-backed proposal to use $24 million to back loans taken out by charter schools. It also approved a bill that makes all children living on Indian reservations qualified for private-school vouchers.

Efforts to expand the state's school choice programs — both School Tuition Organizations and Empowerment Scholarship Account vouchers — largely were rejected by lawmakers already upset by slim K-12 spending.

ELECTIONS

A measure limiting who can collect early ballots quietly died in the House on the final day of the Legislature. The bill by Sen. Don Shooter, R-Yuma, was designed to makes it a felony for anyone but a family member, caregiver or candidate to collect more than two early ballots from voters during a two-year election cycle.

Another proposal asking voters to repeal the Clean Elections Commission and use the money to fund education died in a similar fashion.

The Legislature passed several elections-related bills. The bills increased campaign finance limits, tightened requirements for voter referendums and recalls and modified a definition of "political committee," in a move the state's Clean Elections director said would allow more dark money to influence Arizona elections. Libertarians will have a harder time getting on the ballot because of another bill that raised signature requirements for third-party candidates.

SOCIAL ISSUES

Ducey signed an abortion bill that bars women from buying any health care plan through the federal marketplace that includes abortion coverage. The bill forces abortion providers to tell their patients that a medication-induced abortion might be reversible— a measure seen as the first of its kind.

But Ducey vetoed a bill that would have kept police officers' names secret for up to two months after officer-involved shootings. The bill was inspired by last year's events in Ferguson, Missouri, and similar incidents around the country. In his veto letter, Ducey said he wanted to leave discretion with police chiefs.

He also signed a bill that outlaws aggressive panhandling such as begging near an ATM, repeatedly asking for money or touching someone while panhandling.

The Legislature passed a revision of a 2014 law barring so-called "revenge porn" — the act of taking explicit photos shared during an intimate relationship and later posting them on the Internet — to address constitutional concerns raised in a lawsuit.

It also passed a measure that allows the Arizona Department of Transportation to create driver's licenses that allow Arizona resident's to comply with regulations under the 2005 REAL ID ACT. Ducey and bill sponsor Sen. Bob Worlsey, R-Mesa, pushed for the legislation because the Transportation Security Administration may require REAL ID compliant licenses to board airplanes as early as next year.

The Legislature pushed back against the federal government on several issues, including passing a measure to block state funding for enforcement of the Affordable Care Act. Rep. Justin Olson, R-Mesa, said his bill would not affect those enrolled in the program and exempts public health programs authorized by the law. It also allows state and local governments to use resources to provide health insurance benefits for employees.

Other bills pushing back against the federal government bills awaiting a signature or veto from the governor include two proposals to transfer federal public lands to the state.