After weeks of negotiations between various factions in the Arizona State House, Speaker Steve Montenegro announced that “the House Republican budget proposal has passed the Appropriations Committee and is set for consideration of the full House tomorrow.”
In a statement sent to the media, Montenegro said that the budget was “…balanced, conservative, and focused on delivering safe communities, strong families, and a government that works. We’re cutting tuition, raising pay for law enforcement, investing in infrastructure, and protecting taxpayers—all without raising taxes.”
Not surprisingly, Democrat Governor Katie Hobbs dismissed the budget as “reckless and partisan” and promised yet another veto.
One of the big winners in the House budget is first responders, and the Maricopa County Sheriff’s office issued a statement thanking the House for its support. In a Facebook post, the MCSO wrote “We extend our sincere gratitude to the leadership and members of the Arizona House of Representatives for their support in allocating funding to the MCSO. This funding strengthens and enhances our ability to uphold the rule of law, and ensure a safer, more secure community for all.”
According to the Arizona House, the budget includes:
- A 5% pay raise for DPS and corrections officers
- $94 million for infrastructure, including I-10 and Highway 347 improvements
- A 2.5% tuition reduction at public universities, with a three-year tuition freeze
- Full ESA funding and a streamlined fix to the application backlog
- Full funding for Parents as Paid Caregivers and developmental disability services
- An expanded adoption tax deduction
- Millions in election system funding to keep voter rolls accurate and up to date
Assuming the House passes the budget bills on Friday, they still have to pass the State Senate, which has been negotiating a compromise budget directly with Governor Hobbs.
“The Senate can pass the House budget and force Hobbs to veto all the good things that are in it, or they could just ignore it and keep working on the compromise budget, but there will be a lot of pressure from conservatives to at least try to pass a conservative budget.” said one GOP observer, who declined to predict how the Senate might proceed if the House budget passes.
