Republican budget ‘real close’ to something Hobbs would sign, Arizona Senate president says

PHOENIX – Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen said the Republican budget proposal passed by the House on Wednesday includes some of Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs’ requests even though she cut off negotiations more than a month ago.

“This is a really solid conservative … budget, but we also included several bipartisan items that were part of her budget requests and her budget asks. So, there’s got to be some compromise on both sides, and we feel like it’s real close for something she would sign,” Petersen told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s The Mike Broomhead Show on Thursday.

The fourth annual round of budget negotiations between Arizona’s Republican-controlled Legislature and Democratic governor has been contentious.

Hobbs walked away from the table on March 20 because of an impasse over a K-12 funding mechanism known as Proposition 123. Two weeks later, she implemented a moratorium on signing almost all bills in an attempt to pressure Republicans to make their funding plan public.

Petersen said they took Hobbs’ earlier requests into consideration when Republicans crafted the budget package they introduced this week.

What did Gov. Katie Hobbs say about Republican budget proposal?

The Senate is expected to send the GOP plan to Hobbs’ desk soon, although she already signaled she won’t sign it.

“I’ve been clear that I want a budget that’s negotiated and that I’m not going to support a budget that prioritizes special interests and billionaires over everyday Arizonans,” she told reporters this week.

The Republican spending plan is $800 million smaller than Hobbs’ proposal, Petersen said.

“I think it’s reasonable for us to make these cuts. If she doesn’t want to make those agency cuts, then she’s going to have to come up with an alternative to balance,” he said.

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