Gov. Jan Brewer, House Speaker Andy Tobin and Senate President Steve Peirce say they’ve reached a budget deal at the state Capitol. Their joint statement:
Today, we can proudly announce that we have reached agreement on an FY 2013 state budget plan that enjoys our full support.
This agreement adheres to our conservative principles by restraining unnecessary spending, paying down debt and setting aside funding for Arizona’s future fiscal challenges. This is a prudent budget that leaves us well-prepared for global and national economic uncertainties, as well as the financial fallout that may come with the outcome of lawsuits regarding ObamaCare and other issues. We have kept the State on a path that helps ensure Arizona’s financial solvency into FY 2015.
Just as important, this budget addresses those services that are vital to citizens and central to Arizona’s ability to compete around the world for jobs and investment: Education, Public Safety and Health and Human Services. By way of this agreement, the State will spend nearly $200 million more for K-12 and higher education, hire additional Public Safety and Correctional officers and create a special investigative unit to target the highest-priority cases of potential child abuse and neglect. Likewise, State funding will be increased for critical safety net programs, including adoption services and assistance for the seriously mentally ill.
We haven’t seen the actual document, but earlier today, the Children’s Action Alliance fired off a bulletin about the organization’s takeaways of the draft in handy graph form:
Here’s a PDF if you’d like to download: 2012_budget_comparisons.pdf
Arizona Public Media’s Arizona Week takes a closer look at the budget negotiations at 8:30 p.m. tonight on Channel 6.
This article appears in Apr 26 – May 2, 2012.
Interestingly, Jim Nintzel, Red Star wondered back in late 2007, these very pages, why a special session couldn’t be called…
So interesting how the only area of health care that gets any money — $39 milliion for serious mental illness — is the same area as that of the governor’s seriously mentally disabled, institutionalized at the state’s expense, sex offender son; and she apparently could care less that this might seem unfair to those of us who have basically received our death certificates by having our category of health benefits cut off by her hand. And keep that money coming for more prison beds and more corrections officers that we’re sure to need since the War on Drugs has proven over and over that the only thing it’s going to accomplish is the need for said beds and officers. Not to mention it would be pretty hard to deny there isn’t much rehabilitation going on as a result of all these new prison beds or if there is, the results have been dismal. Probably a good thing, then, the budget addresses that, particularly when you take into account that private prison contractors want a guaranteed 90 percent occupancy rate as part of their contracts, which certainly implies, at least, some sort of penalty if the amount of offenders decreased as a result of rehabilitation. Can’t help the feeling there is just something inherently wrong with that equasion. Hmmm. And last but not least, we can’t forget the $7 million allotted for tourism so we can encourage visitors to come to Arizona and see firsthand what a miserable mess this state is in and the people who have put it there. Go, go, Jan and Joe and the rest of your team.
Luuluu writes very well. She should get a job that offers health insurance coverage me thinks.
Thanks, moyla75, for the compliment on my writing skills. With regard to obtaining a job utlizing those skills, do I take your comment to mean you’re offering me one? If so, I’ll take it. Unfortunately, I haven’t had any luck obtaining employment, most likely due to many other factors that I didn’t address here since the issue to which I was responding was the proposed State of Arizona budget. You apparently had no opinion on those issues.
Sorry Luuluu I don’t have any openings for writer. I currently am in need of a drywaller, tile setter, baby sitter, house cleaner, and possibly a painter. The state budget fails someone always I’m sorry that you think mental handicap children should not be participating and that law breakers should merely write on the chalk board. I agree with the futility of the war on drugs but with government there will always be payers (me) and collectors (not me) and at some point the budget has to be written by the payers.