Budget Archives - Arizona Globe

Farnsworth Defends Vetoed GOP Budget; Calls for Renewed Talks

May 7, 2026 2:31 pm

PHOENIX — Senate Appropriations Chairman David Farnsworth (R-10) is pushing back against Democratic criticism of the Republican budget proposal Gov. Katie Hobbs vetoed Tuesday, arguing the plan was balanced, fiscally responsible, and misrepresented by opponents. In a statement released May...

Montenegro, Petersen put Pressure on Hobbs to Accept Budget

May 5, 2026 11:50 amMay 5, 2026 11:50 am

PHOENIX — The $17.9B Arizona House Republican budget plan is in, shifting the state’s budget stalemate from a petty partisan battle to a public test of whether Gov. Katie Hobbs and GOP legislative leaders can restart talks. The proposal, passed by...

Arizona Budget Talks Devolve into Petty Playground Dispute

April 30, 2026 4:16 pm

PHOENIX — Arizona’s latest budget impasse has moved beyond taxes, schools, Medicaid, and agency spending into a more revealing political standoff: whether Gov. Katie Hobbs (D) or House Speaker Steve Montenegro (R-29) should be the one to call first. The...

Petersen, Montenegro Blast Hobbs’ Trust Fund Raid

March 26, 2026 9:33 amApril 14, 2026 1:13 pm

Arizona’s looming budget war between the Republican-led legislature and Governor Katie Hobbs heated up last week when top GOP leaders accused Hobbs of abandoning negotiations and threatening the state’s long-term finances. In a joint statement, Senate President Warren Petersen and...

AZ Audit Shows Growing Fiscal Distress in Schools

January 28, 2026 2:11 pmFebruary 17, 2026 12:22 pm

PHOENIX – The Arizona Auditor General has released a sobering financial risk analysis showing a sharp rise in the number of Arizona school districts drifting toward fiscal distress. The report not only pushes back on the constant drumbeat for more resources—highlighting...

Kupper Bill Blocks Public Funding of Library Assoc Dues

January 22, 2026 9:01 amFebruary 3, 2026 2:40 pm

PHOENIX — On Tuesday, the House Education Committee advanced House Bill HB2008, legislation that would prohibit public school funds from being used to pay membership dues to professional library associations, following a contentious debate over taxpayer spending and the role...

Mesnard, Olson Tax Bills to Test Hobbs’ 2026 Veto

January 16, 2026 8:18 amJanuary 28, 2026 2:12 pm

EDITOR’S NOTE: Within hours of passage, Gov. Hobbs vetoed the bill. It looks like we are poised for another year of record vetoes! Congressman Andy Biggs (R-CD5) issued a statement: “Arizonans of all backgrounds are being denied meaningful economic relief...