By Rachel Leingang, Hank Stephenson and Ben Giles | Arizona Capitol Times
Arizona teachers will get a small raise. The state’s universities may take on more debt. High-achieving schools will get more funding.
fter a lengthy negotiating process, Gov. Doug Ducey got nearly everything he asked for in a $9.8 billion spending plan approved by the Arizona House and Senate following a marathon session that began on Thursday and ended in the early morning hours of Friday.
Democrats repeatedly attempted to amend the budget to insert their priorities, including a bigger pay raise for teachers, the restoration of eligibility for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, and a repeal of a bill approved earlier this year that expanded private school vouchers. They were stymied at every turn by the Republican majority.
Related: Arizona budget proposal includes hit on Planned Parenthood
Republicans approved the fiscal year 2018 spending package along party lines, with the exception of Ducey’s signature proposal: A plan to give state universities the ability to issue bonds of up to $1 billion to be paid over the next 25 years.
