Senate Republicans picked a time-tested fiscal conservative to lead the chamber next year when lawmakers wrestle with a budget deficit of gigantic proportions.
The choice of Sen. Bob Burns as Senate president also signaled a shift in approach to solving the state’s budget woes. Burns has served for several years as chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee,
Burns and the two other members of his team are fiscally conservative lawmakers from heavily Republican districts. Sen. Chuck Gray of Mesa, the next majority leader, was unchallenged in the Nov. 4 general election; Sen. Pamela Gorman of Anthem, the next majority whip, defeated her Democratic challenger by a hefty margin.
And Burns will have strong numbers to back him up. Republicans added a seat after Al Melvin defeated Democrat Cheryl Cage in District 26, expanding their caucus to 18 in the 30-member chamber.
It’s not just the partisan ratio that changed. More significantly, the makeup of the GOP caucus next year is expected to be more conservative.
Burns’ selection also swung the balance of power back to Maricopa County. Burns is from Peoria; Gray and Gorman also live in Maricopa County.
Lawmakers from rural Arizona were at the helm of the Senate in the last several years. Both Tim Bee, the outgoing Senate president, and Marsha Arzberger, the minority leader, are from southern Arizona. Ken Bennett, who was Senate president before Bee, was from northern Arizona.
The official announcement of the next set of leaders on Nov. 5, the day after the election, did not come as a surprise. Burns had worked on getting his votes early and had the advantage of not facing a primary election challenge. An informal tally by the ~Arizona Capitol Times~ a few weeks ago had him leading Sen. Thayer Verschoor of Gilbert, the current majority leader and the other contender.
All three leaders — Burns, Gray and Gorman — were elected by acclamation, which indicated the votes were heavily stacked against Verschoor.
In an interview, Burns indicated that the appropriations committee will play a key role in working out a budget solution. 
“I have heard complaints from members, not just last year but over the years,” Burns said, “When the budget is worked through Appropriations and then taken over by leadership, it leaves a sour taste in the mouth of those people that have been doing the real hard work on the budget, to have that budget taken away, sort of, and changed in many cases… by leadership.”
The Appropriations committees in both the Senate and the House had been mostly relegated to a pro-forma part of the budget process in the last few years. It was the legislative leaders who negotiated a budget with the indirect and direct participation of the governor. 
Burns said he will start meeting with members regarding the selection of committee chairs in the coming days.
And it’s likely fewer bills will be introduced next year.
“I think that there is a general sentiment that we focus on the budget,” said Gray, the next majority leader.