(The Center Square) – Arizona Senate Democratic leadership has not yet responded to requests by Senate Republicans for their budgeting priorities, but Democrats have dubbed the outreach as performative.
In a news release on Tuesday, the Republicans said that Senate Appropriations Chairman John Kavanagh sent emails on Dec. 21 and Jan. 4, reportedly asking for what they would like to “reduce” and “prioritize” funding for as budget negotiations kick off this session, and they said there was no response.
“It’s unfortunate we’re kicking off this legislative session with Senate Democrats playing games at the expense of our taxpayers. It’s time to be adults,” Senate President Warren Petersen said in a statement on Tuesday. “We want all lawmakers to be at the table during budget negotiations, as the citizens of Arizona expect of their elected leaders, but we’ve heard nothing but crickets from the Minority Leader on her statutory obligation. We may have no other choice but to move forward without their input.”
However, the Senate Democrats responded in a post to X, formerly known as Twitter, explaining that they feel it’s too early to make those kinds of decisions.
“It’s day 2 of session,” the Democrats tweeted Tuesday. “You’ve moved forward on every other budget without Democrats, so this newest attempt at grandstanding falls flat. The state’s revenue picture has gotten worse month over month, so you know it’s not fiscally responsible to make budget decisions prior to the next Finance Advisory Committee meeting.”
The Joint Legislative Budget Committee estimates a $400 million budget shortfall, which could complicate budget negotiations between the Republican-majority Legislature and Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs, The Center Square reported in October. Republicans have attributed the higher spending in the last budget to the shortfall, whereas Democrats have attributed it to income tax cuts and Empowerment Scholarship Account program spending.
