GOVERNOR, LEGISLATURE TALK COOPERATION; NAPOLITANO GAINS A BIG WIN, MORE ALLIES AT CAPITOL

BYLINE: Matthew Benson and Mary Jo Pitzl, The Arizona Republic

Fresh off the widest Arizona gubernatorial win in 24 years, Democratic Gov. Janet Napolitano offered the GOP-led Legislature an olive branch.

With a few thorns attached.

"It's a new year, it's a fresh year," Napolitano said Wednesday morning. "I don't want to govern by veto."

Moments later, she flashed a bit of her newly earned political capital.

"I clearly won a resounding victory. I mean, come on.

"It's time for the Legislature to recognize that a majority of Arizonans want to accomplish what I'm working on."

That means more investments in education, a push to make health care more affordable and better planning and coordination to deal with rapid population growth, among other strategies.

All indications point to smoother dealings between the governor and Legislature this session. The overheated political maneuvering of an election year will be in the past, for one. And Democrats picked up a handful of House seats in Tuesday's election, weakening the GOP's grip.

For their part, Republican lawmakers spent Wednesday pledging to work with the governor. To a point.

"We've always shown deference. We've always shown respect," said House Speaker Jim Weiers, R-Phoenix. A day following the election that saw Weiers nearly ousted from his seat, House Republicans indicated they'll return him to the speakership.

Senate Republicans stressed that they'll ramp down the rhetoric this session, comparing and contrasting their policies with the governor's without engaging in name-calling.

"Where we can work together, we'll work together," said Sen. John Huppenthal, R-Chandler. "There's a very crucial difference between careful debate and partisanship."

Sen. Tim Bee, R-Tucson, sounded positively Dr. Phil-like: "Civility is really important, and that's something we want to focus on. You can disagree without being disagreeable."

Bee is set to become Senate president when the Legislature convenes in January, taking over for term-limited President Ken Bennett, R-Prescott.

Disagreements have been many between the governor and Legislature, especially earlier this year, when they clashed over everything from extending all-day kindergarten to border security to tax cuts.

Seeking campaign fodder, Republicans sent Napolitano bills that seemed to beg for a veto. She obliged, wielding her veto stamp 43 times last session alone.With the election in the rear-view mirror, Napolitano is claiming a mandate for what she called her "mainstream" agenda, while lawmakers are noting that many of the issues on which the governor campaigned - such as fiscal stability and tax cuts -- are items that they initiated.

Political consultant Doug Cole called Napolitano's nearly 30-percentage-point margin of victory an endorsement of her rather than of her plans for a second term.

That's because much of her second-term agenda remains unknown.

While she no longer needs to worry about re-election, the top aide to former Republican Gov. Fife Symington doesn't expect Napolitano to shed her centrist, cautious ways in the next four years.

"Everyone fully expects her to run for other office after she's governor, or at least to hold a Cabinet-level position," Cole said. "We can anticipate she'll ... continue to pick her fights very strategically."

Neither the governor nor GOP leaders were talking in specifics Wednesday when it came to issues they plan to push this session.

Napolitano has released portions of her second-term plan, with more on the way in the coming months and in her State of the State address in January.

Republican lawmakers will spend the next few weeks building their agenda for the 2007 session.

Though hesitant to give details, they noted border security, water, fiscal accountability, transportation and tax cuts as priorities.

Whether a new-look Legislature and changed political climate lead to better lawmaking remains to be seen.

Pre-session is the time of optimism and graciousness, but Sen. Thayer Verschoor was candid in acknowledging clashes past and future with Napolitano.

"Yeah, we're going to have some challenges in dealing with the governor," said the Gilbert Republican, "but I look forward to that."

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Legislative leaders

Republicans elected new leaders in the state House and Senate on Wednesday. Democrats are expected to do the same today.

Senate president: Tim Bee, Tucson.

Senate majority leader: Thayer Verschoor, Gilbert.

Senate majority whip: John Huppenthal, Chandler.

House speaker: Jim Weiers, Phoenix.

House majority leader: Tom Boone, Glendale.

House majority whip: John McComish, Ahwatukee.

Job descriptions

The president and speaker are the leaders of the majority party in the Senate and the House of Representatives, respectively. They select committee chairmen, determine how committees are organized and assign legislation to committees.

The majority leader is in charge of putting together the agenda for the majority party and is the chief strategist.

The whip is the enforcement officer for his or her caucus, charged with ensuring discipline and lining up votes.