Arizona Senate declines to vote on App Store payments bill

Arizona lawmakers on Wednesday did not vote — or discuss — a hotly contested bill that sought to allow third-party payment systems on app stores run by Apple and Google, with one outspoken critic claiming Apple brokered a "backroom deal" to quash the legislation before it reached the floor.

The Arizona Senate was scheduled to debate and vote on an amendment to Arizona HB2005 today, but the action was passed over without explanation, reports The Verge.Earlier this month, Arizona's House of Representatives passed HB2005, sending the bill to the state Senate for discussion and potential enactment. The legislation prohibits companies managing large app stores, like Apple's App Store, from forcing developers to use one type of in-app payment system. Directed at Apple and Google, which foist first-party methods on app purveyors, the bill also bans said app store custodians from retaliating against app makers who use third-party systems.

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