Phoenix, AZ – This morning, the Governor’s Office met with House Republicans. During the meeting, House Republicans outlined their plans to unilaterally introduce a partisan and unserious “continuation budget” that guts pay raises for state troopers and firefighters, slashes funding for child care and raises taxes on small businesses. This partisan proposal comes as House Republicans fight to raise pay for themselves. Governor Katie Hobbs issued the following statement in response:
“For months I have worked with leaders of both parties, in both chambers, to craft a bipartisan, balanced, and fiscally responsible budget. Sadly, House Republican leadership abdicated their responsibility and refused to meaningfully participate in those bipartisan conversations. Now, to cover for their failures, they are attempting to jam through an irresponsible and partisan ‘budget.’ I remain committed to having conversations about improving our bipartisan budget, but let me be clear: any kind of partisan ‘continuation budget’ will immediately meet my veto pen, if it even has the votes to reach my desk.
“Speaker Montenegro knows this, yet he has chosen to continue with this farce as an exercise in pointless political grandstanding. His reckless actions jeopardize basic government functions with potentially devastating consequences for small businesses, veterans, children, and countless families across our state who rely on their elected officials to fulfill their basic constitutional duties. We do not need another month, nor do we have the luxury of time, to redevelop a budget that we have already spent months negotiating.
“While House Republicans work to give themselves a 514% boost to their daily pay, they’re fighting to pass a budget that cuts raises for state troopers and firefighters. Their budget guts much needed investments in childcare, it slashes funding for K-12 schools, community colleges and universities, cuts programs to fight veterans homelessness, eliminates wildfire mitigation money, raises taxes on small businesses and underfunds critical infrastructure projects.
“The irresponsible House Republican budget will raise costs and make our state less safe, less secure, and less competitive. It’s time for House Republican leadership to come back to reality, stop wasting everyone’s time, and show some common sense by working with their colleagues in a productive fashion to deliver on behalf of the people of Arizona.” |
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