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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... […]
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 careg[...]
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.
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?
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.
State revenues continue to rise
After years of incessant cuts, Arizona might be on the verge of shifting the budget discussion following months of robust revenue collections.
Revenues exceed forecasts by $322M, but state leaders reluctant to call it a surplus
Six straight months of revenues exceeding projections has some lawmakers hoping to reverse the impact of Gov. Doug Ducey’s budget cuts, but the Governor’s Office has signaled that agency heads and legislators shouldn’t get their hopes up.
Arizona reports budget surplus after taxes
Arizona ended the budget year with a $266 million surplus, a stark contrast from the $132 million deficit lawmakers had planned for.
