Arizona Senate Prepares to Vote on Bipartisan Budget Proposal
This week, Arizona state senators are set to cast their votes on a new budget plan described as bipartisan, crafted in collaboration between Republican leaders and Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs.
Senate Republicans are emphasizing the contrast between their $17.5 billion budget proposal and a prior budget passed by the House along party lines. Senator T.J. Shope (R-Coolidge) criticized the House’s plan as a “fantasyland” budget, noting it was developed without input from Senate members or the governor.
Shope expressed confidence in the Senate’s budget proposal, highlighting its alignment with broadly supported voter priorities such as border security and infrastructure in rural areas. “I think overall it’s something that people can vote yes on and feel proud about, and we can go ahead and get started on work for next year’s budget,” Shope stated.
Senate Appropriations Chair John Kavanagh (R-Fountain Hills) acknowledged that the budget would differ under a Republican governor but described the negotiations with Governor Hobbs’ team as fruitful. “We kept the really toxic red meat for the base items out of the budget,” he commented.
The Senate’s budget allocates additional funds to the Department of Public Safety for raises, as well as for border security and road improvement projects. Notably, it proposes $300 million more in spending than the House’s version, partly due to the Senate’s intention to repeal a $100 million hospital assessment tax increase from the previous year. Kavanagh indicated that the budget could expand further if Senate leaders and Hobbs consider more of the House’s budget requests.
Both legislative chambers have included $15 million in funds aimed at the Prescott Rodeo, diverting directly to the city of Prescott to comply with legal constraints following a court ruling against a similar previous allocation. This adjustment is expected to honor the Arizona constitution’s gift clause.
Senator Priya Sundareshan (D-Tucson) signaled Democratic support for the Senate budget, though she noted that it doesn’t fully meet her caucus’s expectations. “Our caucus is here. We are fighting for what we can, so what ends up coming forward will have Democratic votes on it, because we have been fighting to get what narrow gains we can,” she remarked. Despite efforts, the budget proposal remains without restrictions on the state’s universal private school voucher program, a point of contention for Hobbs and Democrats over the past years.
Requests for comments from House Republican leaders went unanswered.
The Senate is expected to hold a vote on their budget proposal as soon as Wednesday.
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