Republican House Speaker Ben Toma, R-Peoria, is urging newly-minted Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs to sign off on the new $15.8 billion state budget passed by GOP House members as being in the best interest of all the people of the state.
“House Republicans have acted today to pass a responsible state budget,” Toma said in a news release. “It’s one that was crafted with the needs of the state and of Arizona’s families in mind, families who are struggling during this economic recession caused by reckless federal overspending and far-left priorities.”
The budget mirrors a bipartisan one passed last year and signed by former Gov. Doug Ducey, with the exception of a number of one-time spending allocations.
In addition to fully covering all the state’s bills, Republican lawmakers stress the proposed spending plan leaves a $1.8 billion surplus to guard against any revenue loss stemming from what they describe as “President [Joe] Biden’s economic recession.”
“This budget passed today continues the same budget which was approved less a year ago with a bipartisan majority and was cheered at the time by Gov. Hobbs and Democratic Minority Leader [Andres] Cano,” Toma added. By comparison, he branded the plan proposed by Hobbs as “full of irresponsible spending and partisan left-wing demands that are out of step with Arizona.”
Rep. Marcelino Quinonez, D-Phoenix, said the real work is only just beginning.
“The final budget we pass as a body this session must be bipartisan; everything until then is only a distraction,” he posted to Twitter. “The work starts after the veto.”
With Hobbs now in control of the state, Rep. Jacqueline Parker (R-Mesa) said Democrats have started to show more of who they really are.
“Democrats loved this budget last year,” she tweeted on Monday. “Now, with their puppet Hobbs in office, they’re feeling greedy for even more of your tax dollars. Don’t ever let them tell you the Dems are here to get things done.”
Several outlets have predicted that Hobbs will veto the submitted budget.
Republished with the permission of The Center Square.
