With billions of dollars in play, some Arizona legislators appear to be engaging in the age-old practice of pork-barrel politics.
It was reported last week that Sen. T.J. Shope (R-LD8) suggested legislators are anxious to approve a nearly $12.8 billion budget so they can Sine Die, but that doesn’t mean he thinks they need to return to their districts without an extra trinket.
According to the report, Shope noted there is “plenty of money if we need to buy people off” to secure their budget vote.
Shope’s comments came on the heels of a draft budget distributed early last week in anticipation of a final vote by Memorial Day. He made it clear early on in budget negotiations that he wanted money to tackle the accident-prone stretch of Interstate 10 between Casa Grande and Chandler.
His vote could depend on it, he said. So many legislators were not surprised last week when the budget summary reflected $50 million earmarked for the needed roadway improvements.
Shope’s comments about the budget surplus -estimated between $1.5 and $2 billion- has generated a series of backroom horse-trading that could potentially cut into how much money is available for tax cuts and the proposed transition to a flat tax.
Another issue facing those in charge of the budget negotiations is that Republicans only have a two vote majority in each chamber. Which means the 16 Senators and 31 Representatives within the Republican caucus have even more incentive to hold out for a payout for their pet projects.
Others, like Sen. Paul Boyer, a Republican, have also made their legislative priorities known. For Boyer, those include more university funding and building the state’s Rainy Day Fund. He also wants legislators to pay more attention to Arizona’s debt.
However, fellow Republican Sen. J.D. Mesnard, cautioned that the price tag for trying to secure enough votes can get pricey quickly. Mesnard, who has been active in the budget negotiations, noted last week that there’s “a truckload” of the items various legislators want included in the budget at “a million dollars here or there and it adds up.”