AZ STATE BUDGET GLEANINGS: BREAKTHROUGH MAY BE NIGH

posted by Michael Chihak

Thursday is the likely day this week to look for movement on a state budget for next fiscal year, Sen. Andy Biggs is quoted in the Arizona Capitol Times as saying.

In a story posted today, the Capitol Times' Jeremy Duda quoted Biggs as saying, "“I wouldn’t bet my house on it. I believe it’s going to get done by Thursday. I truly do.”

Biggs is the Senate Appropriations Committee chairman, so he should know whereof he speaks.

Duda and others have reported that differences remain in the three-way discussions -- House leaders, Senate leaders and the governor -- but they are moving closer.

Brewer said last week she will stand by her pledge to keep cuts to K-12 education to a minimum. Meantime, several senators have said they want those cuts bigger to help reduce the state's borrowing and budget "gimmicks." One of those gimmicks is delaying state payment of K-12 funding until July 1, getting it out of the current fiscal year to balance the budget.

Biggs said the cuts need to be deeper than Brewer has called for so Republicans can keep their campaign promise to get the state's finances in order.

In the House, Republican Rep. Jack Harper said he and some of his colleagues don't care if the deeper cuts come from K-12 education, just so the rollovers and other gimmickry of the budget are done away with.

Assuming information will be forthcoming on the state budget in na few days, Arixzona Week will focus on it for Friday's program.