State representatives and senators began the process of forming a budget for the upcoming fiscal year this week, though the two legislative chambers are tackling the project in different ways.
The Senate began crafting its budget proposal Feb. 21 in its Appropriations Committee. The hearing was the first of several meetings in which the committee members will consider a variety of budget issues for the 2008 fiscal year that begins July 1.
Sen. Bob Burns, R-9, Senate Appropriations Committee chairman, said, “The game plan is to have the Approps come out with a proposal, a spreadsheet proposal, if you will, which is what we are working on up here.”
Meanwhile, House Republicans held small group meetings Feb. 21 and 22 to determine which priorities were important to the majority caucus.
The divergence of the two chambers with regard to the budget process is similar to how a budget was crafted two years ago, House Majority Leader Tom Boone told Republicans in a Feb. 20 meeting.
“We’ve agreed to have different processes,” he said.
Republican leaders are continuing to meet with Gov. Janet Napolitano to establish revenue numbers for the budget, as well as expected supplemental requests from agencies.