Preliminary negotiations with Governor Napolitano over a new state budget were about to begin, a legislative leader said as Arizona Capitol Times went to press the afternoon of April 13.
Senate President Ken Bennett said the legislative budget, which includes one-time and permanent spending called for in bills still going through the legislative process, will include border security, tax cuts, highway and transportation improvements, elimination of bookkeeping “tricks and gimmicks” and increased spending for public education.
“There’s a commitment to education beyond the normal formula increases, which are substantial,” he said.
Funding for K-12 education will be the largest spending increase because of per pupil inflation, Mr. Bennett said, but he would not comment on details regarding spending for full-day kindergarten and pay increases for teachers, two of Ms. Napolitano’s priorities.
Capitol observers April 13 were guessing that proposed personal and property tax cuts could range from $200 million the first year to $800 million over three years.
“We’d like to begin negotiations with the governor as soon as today,” Mr. Bennett said, adding that her proposed budget has too much spending.
“We feel that her almost $10.2 billion budget, when she released it in January, clearly would put this state in the position of well outspending on-going revenues, which would clearly require the use of one-time monies to support permanent on-going expenses,” Mr. Bennett said. “We just can’t support that, but we’re ready to sit down and negotiate.”
Republican leaders had hoped to have a budget to the governor by March 7.