STATE SENATE MAY PULL AN ALL NIGHTER ON BUDGET

posted by Michael Chihak

Republican Senate Majority Leader Andy Biggs convened his Appropriations Committee this morning at the Arizona Capitol and immediately set a three-minute speaking limit for the long list of people wanting to address the budget, according to the Arizona Republic.

Biggs and the committee are taking up a dozen bills that comprise the state budgets both for the rest of this fiscal year and for 2011-12. Work on the bills could be grueling, and Senate President Russell Pearce has said the Senate will act today.

"There is a very good chance we will be here until the morning hours of Thursday, because of the budget," Senate Republican spokesman Mike Philipsen said in an e-mail earlier this week in response to an Arizona Week request to schedule an interview with Biggs.

This year's budget remains more than $500 million out of balance with three and a half months to go in the year. Biggs told the Arizona Capitol Times the Senate plans to cut $118 million, which is $46 million more than the governor wants, and to let a $374 million deficit flow over into the new year.

Then, that amount plus another $1.15 billion will be cut from 2011-12 spending to balance the budget, Biggs said.

The action will be a true balance with no rollovers, Biggs and others have said. Brewer's budget borrows money on the last day of the year, pays it back on the next day in the new fiscal year and delays an educational payment until the new fiscal year, all described as "gimmicks" to produce a balanced budget.