Arizona Capitol Times Your Inside Source for Arizona Government, Politics and Business

The governor’s support for extending a sales tax increase to fund education met tepid, tentative support from Democrats and school groups.

Gov. Doug Ducey wants to be seen as a champion of education, but his quest to infuse more money into schools is running head first into his other major goal: not raise taxes.

Gov. Doug Ducey is finally willing to talk about keeping public schools from falling off a financial cliff after 2020. And it involves a word at which he normally blanches: taxes.

Daniel Scarpinato, the governor’s spokesman, said Gov. Doug Ducey is open to the timing of getting a measure on the ballot and other ideas for altering the tax, including expanding it, based on discussions with the education and business communities.

Arizona legislators want to give the state’s three public universities more money, but are loathe to cede the power to spend, as would be the case under Gov. Doug Ducey’s bonding plan.

Arizona State Parks Director Sue Black won’t be fired or asked to resign after a review of claims of misconduct found no laws were broken, the governor’s office said.

At the core of the discussion is an ethical question: In a life or death situation, should machines be permitted to make choices about who gets injured, or worse, who lives or dies?

Advocates for the disability community say the governor’s budget proposal is nearly $50 million short of what disability service providers need to keep up with Arizona’s minimum wage increase next year.

Unwilling to even consider a gas tax hike, Gov. Doug Ducey is now counting on the Trump administration to help Arizona deal with its road-construction needs.

Gov. Doug Ducey last month asked Arizonans to tell him what regulations they want sent to the scrap heap, and the people delivered.