House Republicans finished passing a $9.6 billion budget shortly after midnight Wednesday that is structurally balanced and also pays off $232 million in state rollover debt. While no one is exactly thrilled with the budget, it includes an $80 million increase over the current year’s $9.52 billion budget and meets the State’s constitutional requirements.
The House Republicans blocked hundreds of millions of dollars in new spending proposed by the Democrats that would have added new state debt for taxpayers. Republicans rejected nearly everything the Democrats asked for including the popular KidsCare program, and even the small expenditure for desperately needed repairs to a rural road in Navajo County.
Education:
· $232 million to the universities which includes $200 million in state rollover repayments.
· A new University of Arizona large animal veterinary school.
· Over $306 million for K-12, which includes $225 mil when Prop 123 if it passes
· $31 million to support current year funding, and the continued support for district charter schools.
Health, Adults, Seniors & Children:
· Adult dental and podiatry AHCCCS insurance coverage.
· Alzheimer’s research.
· Meals on Wheels for seniors.
· $3 million for the developmentally disabled.
· $140.5 million for DCS and backlog reduction which includes $21 million in state rollover repayments.
· $21 million for DES in state rollover repayments. $20 million for a new Flagstaff military veterans home.
Jobs & Roads:
$86.5 mil for state and local HURF highway projects, including the expansion of state route 189 (port of entry) and the I-10 fast lane near Picacho Peak
Safety & Protection:
· $1 million for wildfire safety.
· Governor’s unpopular Border Strike Force.
· A 3% pay raise for DPS Highway Patrol officers.
· Funding for adult probation programs.
· $8.7 mil reduction in county juvenile corrections costs.
Senator Sylvia Allen advised constituents in her newsletter that “that we have very little pork in our budget.” She offered as an example the “Rio Nuevo multipurpose facility district in Tucson is another debacle that we are committed to fund at $10 million for 4 more years. I have voted twice to stop these payments. Next year, the budget will have $1.5 million going each year for the next 30 years to the Department of Tourism for advertising the Phoenix International Raceway.”
House Democratic Leader Eric Meyer, D-Paradise Valley (District 28), released a scathing statement in response to the budget. “Through another chaotic budget process, House Democrats remained steadfast in their support for Arizona students and communities. Republicans have once again chosen to approve a budget with the wrong priorities. This budget’s second step for public K-12 education funding is not a step forward, and the only real winners are wealthy special interests like private prisons and Koch brother pet projects like the ‘economic freedom schools.’ House Democrats have been and will continue to be committed to increasing the state’s investment in public education,” stated Meyer.
“We will also continue to fight for sensible economic policies, and smart programs like restoring benefits for the state’s neediest families and KidsCare, which would provide health insurance for 30,000 Arizona children at no cost to the state. These have been Democratic priorities from day one because Arizonans deserve a state that will invest in them,” concluded Meyer.