Senator Kavanagh Revisits State Budget Shortfall

Senator John Kavanagh has been (R-LD3) standing at the forefront of Arizona’s budget battle with Governor Katie Hobbs. As Arizona Globe has previously reported here, Senate Republicans have been critical of the budgeting process, and now, Senator Kavanagh is explaining why. In February of 2023, the Republican-led legislature presented the Gov with a balanced budget with a $1.8B cash surplus to cushion against a rainy day. Hobbs vetoed it, among her record-shattering number of vetoes last year.

And now, according to Kavanagh, Gov. Hobbs is proposing tax hikes on Arizona citizens, coupled with Draconian cuts to Arizona’s nation-leading school voucher system. Her budget alleges a $463M shortfall for 2023 rather than the more accurate $500M, and she is proposing an additional %500M deficit spending. And Hobbs’ answer? Cuts to Republican budget agenda items and higher taxes on citizens. As Kavanagh previously stated, her budget ideas “are dead on arrival with us.”