It seemed nearly inevitable that legislative Republicans would send their continuation budget proposal to Gov. Katie Hobbs this week for a quick veto, starting the negotiation process between the Republican majority Legislature and the ninth floor. Plans have now changed after one stray vote from a Republican lawmaker who promised she wouldn’t vote on any bills to protest a “fraudulent” election.

Universal ESA vouchers are already a dismal failure defunding our local public schools, threatening to bankrupt our state and raising red flags about taxpayer-funded discrimination. And the nation is watching as special interests rush to force through vouchers in other states before the cautionary tale of Arizona comes fully to light.

One month into a Legislative session that sees the Republican-controlled Arizona House and Senate trying to come to terms with a Democrat as governor for the first time in 14 years, GOP leaders are showing no sign that they will make Gov. Katie Hobbs' first year in office a smooth one.

Republicans in the state Legislature are closing in on sending a budget that is likely dead on arrival to Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs next week.  

Democrat Gov. Katie Hobbs proposed the end of results-based funding in her budget, effectively untying additional per-pupil funding from achievement determined by the school letter grade system.  

Gov. Katie Hobbs is calling for a top-to-bottom review of the Arizona prison system, where inmates and their families have complained about a wide range of issues and a federal judge recently found medical care to be “plainly grossly inadequate.” The governor issued an executive order on Wednesday establishing an “independent prison oversight commission” to review problems in the prison system from healthcare to staffing levels.

Legislative Republicans are gearing up to send a budget to Gov. Katie Hobbs soon, which will likely be met with a hasty veto.  

In the past few weeks, Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs and top Republican lawmakers have engaged in some public mudslinging. 

A brigade of strollers and children toting magic marker-adorned posters descended upon the Capitol to protest Gov. Katie Hobbs’ proposed repeal of the universal Empowerment Scholarship Account program. Hobbs announced her proposed budget with public education funding hinging on savings from repealing universal ESAs.  

As the head of agencies that benefit from the state investment in law enforcement activities related to border crime, the Arizona Sheriff’s Association members urge Gov. Katie Hobbs to consider the important work done using the border task force dollars that have gone for local law enforcement throughout the state.