Arizona Lawmakers Pass Budget After Hours of Negotiations

Arizona Lawmakers Pass Budget After Hours of Negotiation

After hours of negotiations into the night on Friday, Arizona lawmakers narrowly passed a budget on Saturday to combat a $1.4 billion deficit. The budget entailed many cuts and fund transfers across agencies, with several amendments made between the original draft and the final version.

The bipartisan vote saw both Republicans and Democrats voting “yes” and “no” on the budget. While some lawmakers expressed pride in the budget’s wins, others cited issues such as Empowerment Scholarship Account regulations and opioid settlement language as reasons for voting against it.

Rep. Matt Gress, former budget director under Gov. Doug Ducey, explained his vote against the budget, stating that it seemed more focused on “getting it done” than “doing it right.” Despite bipartisan opposition, the budget passed, with Rep. Laura Terech noting that it included some ESA restrictions.

The legislative session leading up to the budget vote was marked by resignations, an abortion law repeal, and a controversial border and immigration ballot referral vote. However, the Legislature managed to finish before the end of fiscal year 2024.

Governor Katie Hobbs indicated that she would sign the budget, stating that Arizonans can rest assured that their state has a balanced budget. The bipartisan agreement was praised for the compromise and cooperation shown by members of the legislature.