In fiscal year 2016, state law allowed $13.7 billion in taxes to go uncollected through a litany of exemptions, deductions, allowances, exclusions or credits. And that number is likely to grow by another $1-to-2 billion once individual income tax deductions are tallied.
Read More »Lawmakers, governor move closer to a budget deal, including university bonding 
Lawmakers strove to set a budget in motion on Monday night, but fell short of introducing bills as staff worked feverishly to put in writing a $9.8 billion spending plan late into the evening. The Republican leadership in the House ...
Read More »Douglas wants more than Ducey’s funding assurances for unfinished IT work 
Ducey’s assurance isn’t enough, said Douglas’s spokesman, Stefan Swiat. The department wants the governor’s office and the Arizona Legislature to publicly spell out how much exactly they will set aside for the IT needs, he said.
Read More »Counties, cities hope HURF restoration will become permanent 
For cities and counties, 2016 represented at least a temporary reprieve in the long-running sweep of road maintenance funds they’ve spent years trying to reverse.
Read More »The state budget: potential winners, losers and question marks 
Lawmakers are debating a proposed $9.58 billion budget, which for the first time in years, makes significant increases in a handful of key areas.
Read More »It’s time to lift the freeze on KidsCare
Arizona has a real problem with uninsured kids. But we also have a time-tested solution that now has no cost to the state budget: KidsCare.
Read More »7 percent increase needed for developmentally disabled program
Through a privatized system of contractors, Arizona cares for about 35,000 individuals with severe developmental disabilities deemed by the state to be “at risk of institutionalization.” Instead, these individuals can receive services provided by direct service professionals employed by community providers, in their homes, other residential settings, day programs and work programs. These caregivers support people in a wide range of roles – skill training, companionship, assistance with medication and food, and personal care.
Read More »After nation’s deepest higher ed cuts, advocates see glimmer of hope
Arizona cut higher education funding deeper than any other state last year, capping a five-year period in which the state led the nation with a 27.3 percent cut from its support for colleges, a new report says.
Read More »Arizona should improve education rather than making it worse by legalizing marijuana
With considerable discussion about Arizona’s education funding, along with high school and college graduation rates, shouldn’t we do all we can to improve our state of education instead of making it much worse by legalizing marijuana?
Read More »Ducey won’t restore welfare cuts made during budget crunch
Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey won't seek to reverse cuts to cash welfare assistance made when the state appeared to be facing a major budget crunch, despite a dramatic turnaround in state finances.
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