Senate Minority Leader Katie Hobbs, D-Phoenix, led Democrats in her chamber through yet another session where the minority party tried and failed to substantively change the budget. But the Phoenix Democrat found a few reasons to be pleased with the session, while mostly remaining frustrated by Republican legislative victories.

In his first year as speaker of the House, J.D. Mesnard, R-Chandler, managed to get all 35 of his chamber’s Republicans to agree to support the state budget, though two from his caucus still balked at Gov. Doug Ducey’s university bonding proposal.

The governor accomplished nearly all of his legislative goals this session, from various steps related to education to a measure that restores benefits to some needy families.

The League of Arizona Cities and Towns and the Arizona Association of Counties fended off a bonding plan that would have allowed the state’s three public universities to keep the sales taxes they ordinarily would have paid to the state, cities and counties.

In the end, Gov. Doug Ducey got nearly everything he wanted – slightly more money for teachers, a huge university bonding plan and several controversial education programs like universal vouchers and performance funding for schools.

The budget I signed this week makes significant new investments in K-12 education, with a focus on teacher salaries, making our best schools available to more students and providing added resources in low-income areas to help close the achievement gap.

Gov. Doug Ducey inked his approval Friday to a nearly $9.82 billion spending plan for the new budget year that begins July 1.

Arizona teachers will get a small raise. The state’s universities may take on more debt. High-achieving schools will get more funding.

The Arizona House approved the most contentious part of a $9.8 billion state budget package this evening, clearing the way for approval of the package in that chamber.

Lawmakers could face a lawsuit from the universities if the proposal to permit them to issue bonds of up to $1 billion falls flat, the head of the Arizona Board of Regents hinted.