Capitol Media Services

 Gov. Janet Napolitano vetoed legislation Tuesday which would have thrown an additional hurdle in the path of schools seeking to trim courses in arts, music, physical education and vocational education.

 Rep. Mark Anderson, R-Mesa, said he is concerned that schools, facing new demands to teach more math and science, are opting to drop various non-academic programs. He said that is a bad idea, saying there is evidence showing that students who get to enrol in these classes do better academically.

 As originally crafted, Anderson’s bill would have barred schools from dropping those courses unless they could prove to the state

 Board of Education there was a financial emergency or there were

 not enough students enrolling in those courses. Facing

 opposition, he agreed to let the local boards drop the courses —

 but only after a public hearing.

 Napolitano said that’s the way school boards already make

 decisions, calling his measure “both unnecessary and redundant.’’

 Anderson, however, said that’s not how things are done now.

 “The way school boards sometimes do these things is sort of in

 the way Congress votes themselves a pay raise,’’ he said, burying

 these items on an agenda. Anderson said his legislation would

 make it clear that the board, while still free to cut the

 courses, would have to do it in public and potentially risk voter

 wrath.

 Anderson also is the sponsor of a separate measure to require

 schools to provide at least 30 minutes of recess each day to

 students in grades 1 through 6 in addition to the 20 minutes they

 now get for lunch. He said some unstructured play during the day

 would help youngsters focus better on their academics.

 But Anderson said Napolitano is threatening to veto that measure,

 too.

 Day laborers

 Without comment the Senate gave preliminary approval Tuesday to a

 measure to expand the crime of trespass to include people

 standing on or near public streets looking for work.

 Rep. John Kavanagh, R-Fountain Hills, acknowledged his measure is

 aimed at “day laborers,’’ people who congregate near home

 improvement stores in hopes of getting hired for odd jobs.

 But Kavanagh said his measure is not specifically aimed at

 illegal immigrants. He said HB 2412 is a public safety measure,

 noting that people could be arrested only if they disrupt vehicle

 or pedestrian traffic while soliciting employment.

 The measure, which already has been approved by the House, still

 needs a final roll-call vote before going to Gov. Janet

 Napolitano. The governor has previously vetoed similar

 legislation but would not comment Tuesday about whether this new

 version is any more acceptable.

 Felons with guns

 The Senate gave preliminary approval Tuesday to allowing some

 people who have been convicted of felonies to get a state permit

 to carry a concealed weapon.

 Arizona does not currently issue such permits to those with

 felony convictions either in this state or any other. HB 2634

 creates an exception if the conviction has been expunged, set

 aside or otherwise vacated, or if the person has had his civil

 rights restored and is allowed to carry a gun under federal law.

 The House already has approved similar language.

 Williams water

 Gov. Janet Napolitano signed legislation Tuesday which will allow

 the city of Williams to continue pumping water from an illegally

 drilled well.

 City officials acknowledge that the well, put in more than a

 dozen years ago, is drawing water not from the same underground

 aquifer as the community. And state law generally prohibits

 groundwater from being moved from one basin to another.

 Rather than force the city to attempt to find water in its own

 basin, this law says it can continue to withdraw up to 228

 million gallons a year, but only after first using any available

 surface water.