The Senate Rules Committee has voted down a measure that would allow voters to decide whether to increase the state sales tax by 1 cent, while passing all 11 other budget bills.

The failure of the main budget bill in the Senate Appropriations Committee on June 29 signaled larger problems ahead for the state budget agreement reached last week by legislative leaders and the governor.

Despite a series of setbacks and holdups that delayed passage of a budget deal on Saturday, June 27, Gov. Jan Brewer’s office downplayed concerns that the hard-fought compromise she reached with legislative leaders was in jeopardy because it did not have enough votes to pass.

The House on June 27 decided against voting on a budget agreement with the governor because Republican leaders were unable to round up enough votes to pass the package.

The budget deal that legislative and Gov. Jan Brewer reached earlier remains a tough sell, as the Senate adjourned on June 27 without advancing the agreement.

The budget deal Republican lawmakers struck with the governor on June 26 includes $630 million in cuts, a dramatic change to a flat income tax system and a provision that will let voters decide this fall if a temporary sales tax increase should be used to bridge future deficits.

Gov. Jan Brewer has reached agreement with House and Senate leaders on a 2010 budget deal. Brewer spokesman Paul Senseman would not discuss details of the agreement, but said it includes a fall ballot referral for the temporary 1-cent sales ...

The budget deal struck between legislative leaders and the governor includes a proposal to send a referral to the ballot for a sales-tax hike as well as a plan to flatten the state’s personal income tax rate, Senate President Bob ...

The budget deal between lawmakers and the governor hinges on a plan to flatten the individual income tax rate, a highly-placed source told the Arizona Capitol Times on condition of anonymity. In return, lawmakers have agreed to refer a tax hike ...

Republican legislative leaders say they have struck a deal with the governor on a budget plan that includes more than $600 million in spending cuts. It also contains a provision to let voters decide this fall whether to temporarily raise the sales tax by one cent to help bridge steep deficits that are expected for the next several years.